Richmond County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Richmond County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.4 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 442 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.7 | $4.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95.2 | $10M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.1 | $1.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 93.4 | $1.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.2 | $2.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 89.2 | $5.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $24M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 81.1 | $793K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | $2.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 90.0 | $4.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 67.1 | $118K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.5 | $75K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.1 | $27K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 60.7 | $2K |
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 | 252 | 5 | $4.9M | 16th of 159 | 83rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 99 | 0 | $39K | 31st of 159 | 400th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 34 | 0 | $1.4M | 27th of 159 | 1046th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 0 | $100K | 39th of 159 | 1165th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 13 | 0 | – | 72nd of 159 | 2388th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $20M | 97th of 159 | 1503rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 1 | $12K | 23rd of 159 | 501st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 7 | $471M | 150th of 159 | 506th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $206K | 90th of 159 | 773rd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 32nd of 159 | 695th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Richmond County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.