Houston County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Houston County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 70.5 of 100, higher than 70% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 556 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.9 | $1.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $4.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 79.4 | $4.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 67.4 | $509K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.7 | $1.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 80.5 | $2.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79.1 | $1.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 71.6 | $16M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 70.5 | $648K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 68.1 | $174K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 44.8 | $892K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.5 | $69K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 37.5 | $635 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 18.1 | $18K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 299 | 1 | $4.0M | 17th of 159 | 98th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 91 | 0 | $2.5M | 35th of 159 | 475th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 30 | 0 | $5.6M | 103rd of 159 | 494th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 19 | $290M | 17th of 159 | 258th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 20 | 0 | $998K | 61st of 159 | 1624th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 0 | $364K | 74th of 159 | 141st of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 18 | 0 | $1.4M | 18th of 159 | 126th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 0 | – | 68th of 159 | 697th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 11 | 0 | – | 65th of 159 | 788th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 9 | 0 | $227K | 96th of 159 | 2634th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $722K | 61st of 159 | 1741st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $78K | 31st of 159 | 576th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Houston County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.