Wheeler County, Georgia: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wheeler County's overall risk Very Low (score 6.4 of 100, higher than 6% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 177 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 72.3 | $450K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 47.1 | $200K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 46.0 | $67K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 31.4 | $340K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 25.9 | $57K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35.9 | $72K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 34.0 | $11K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 14.8 | $6K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.4 | $68K |
| Hail | Very Low | 11.7 | $23K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 10.2 | $827K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 9.5 | $42K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 3.7 | $3 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 2.4 | $829 |
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 | 67 | 0 | $297K | 128th of 159 | 1280th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 28 | 0 | $5.3M | 85th of 159 | 348th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 21 | 0 | $29K | 38th of 159 | 80th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 14 | 0 | – | 42nd of 159 | 525th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 12 | 0 | – | 149th of 159 | 2567th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 11 | 0 | – | 43rd of 159 | 656th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 2 | $13M | 125th of 159 | 1856th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 7 | 0 | $93K | 113th of 159 | 2227th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 4 | 0 | – | 127th of 159 | 2805th of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 93rd of 159 | 1149th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 0 | $591K | 115th of 159 | 2555th 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 Wheeler County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.