Lowndes County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lowndes County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 72.6 of 100, higher than 72% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 716 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 | 90.5 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 91.2 | $8.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 73.8 | $2.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 68.5 | $1.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 77.4 | $1.3M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 72.5 | $203K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 70.3 | $12M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.7 | $629K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 46.9 | $113K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 41.6 | $45K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.8 | $352K |
| Hail | Very Low | 23.6 | $82K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 14.7 | $56 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 14.5 | $9K |
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 | 445 | 0 | $8.8M | 34th of 159 | 244th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 93 | 0 | $13M | 38th of 159 | 1225th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 57 | 0 | – | 95th of 159 | 1926th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 108th of 159 | 510th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 0 | $16M | 54th of 159 | 843rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 17 | 0 | – | 66th of 159 | 867th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 15 | 3 | $618M | 109th of 159 | 222nd of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 13 | 2 | $260K | 41st of 159 | 292nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 108th of 159 | 1207th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 3 | 0 | $62K | 150th of 159 | 2949th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | $9.5M | 140th of 159 | 2405th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | $7K | 139th of 159 | 2869th 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 Lowndes County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.