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Cobb County, Georgia

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively High overall risk
4th of 159highest risk in Georgia
$210Mexpected losses a year
18federal declarations
1 in 100homes with flood insurance
Photo: Thomson200, CC0

Cobb County, Georgia has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 94% of US counties. It ranks 4th of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $210 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $274 per resident. Since 1966 it has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (10 major disasters). The most recent was in October 2026 (Hurricane Isaias). About 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (2,144 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $66 million on 2,031 claims here, including $45 million for floods in 2009.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Cobb County

$125 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$36.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
$20 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingHigh96.1
$125M
TornadoHigh98.3
$36M
Cold waveHigh96.8
$20M
EarthquakeModerate92.3
$10M
HailHigh97.3
$6M
Heat waveModerate89.0
$4M
LightningVery High97.2
$3M
Strong windModerate83.6
$2M
Ice stormHigh93.5
$2M
HurricaneLow68.1
$660K
Winter weatherModerate75.4
$224K
WildfireVery Low51.7
$68K
LandslideLow76.7
$14K

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Cobb County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane5
Severe Storm4
Tornado2
Tropical Storm2
Flood1
Drought1

Most recent

Oct 9, 2026Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Feb 11, 2014Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 24, 2009Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 18, 2004Hurricane IvanMajor disaster
Jan 28, 2000Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Show all 18
Mar 11, 1998Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 10, 1995Hurricane OpalMajor disaster
Mar 15, 1993Severe Snowfall, Winter StormEmergency
Mar 4, 1993Tornadoes, High Winds & Heavy RainsMajor disaster
Dec 1, 1992High Winds, Heavy Rains & TornadoesMajor disaster
Feb 23, 1990Severe Storms, Tornaodes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency
Mar 14, 1966FloodingMajor disaster

Georgia also had 8 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1953

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 607 storm reports in Cobb County since 1953, with 9 deaths and 374 injuries and about $241 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F4 tornado on November 22, 1992.

31tornadoes
222hail reports, largest 4 inches
250damaging thunderstorm winds
47floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Nov 22, 1992F4–34 / 0
Feb 21, 1993F3Lost Mountain To3 / 0
Mar 29, 1991F3–25 / 0
Mar 19, 1986F2–15 / 0
Apr 8, 1998F2Smyrna0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Feb 21, 1993TornadoLost Mountain To$50M
Mar 19, 1986Tornado–$25M
Mar 29, 1991Tornado–$25M
Nov 22, 1992Tornado–$25M
Apr 8, 1998TornadoSmyrna$15M
Sep 21, 2009FloodAcworth$13M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Sep 6, 2025. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1859, 0 hurricanes and 9 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Cobb County, 2 of them since 1950. The strongest was Tropical Storm Eloise (1975), with top winds near 60 mph about 48 miles away.

0hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
9tropical storms
2020most recent: Zeta

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 23, 1975EloiseTropical storm, 60 mph48 mi
Oct 29, 2020ZetaTropical storm, 60 mph56 mi
Oct 3, 1893UnnamedTropical storm, 55 mph62 mi
Oct 3, 1898UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph58 mi
Sep 10, 1882UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph65 mi
Sep 16, 1859UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph59 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 29, 2020ZetaTropical storm, 60 mph56 mi
Sep 23, 1975EloiseTropical storm, 60 mph48 mi
Sep 4, 1915UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph57 mi
Sep 15, 1903UnnamedTropical storm, 40 mph62 mi
Oct 3, 1898UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph58 mi
Oct 3, 1893UnnamedTropical storm, 55 mph62 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Cobb County

Check your address flood zone ›
1%of homes have federal flood insurance (2,144 policies)
85%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$66.4 millionpaid on 2,031 flood claims since 1978
2009costliest year, with $44.6 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Cobb County

$407,200median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1990median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
27%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
0.9%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 314,104 housing units.

Compare in Georgia

All 159 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Fulton CountyHighInland flooding
Gwinnett CountyHighInland flooding
Cobb CountyHighInland flooding
DeKalb CountyModerateInland flooding
Clayton CountyModerateInland flooding
Chatham CountyHighHurricane
Cherokee CountyModerateInland flooding
Forsyth CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Fulton CountyHigh20
Cherokee CountyModerate18
Paulding CountyLow18
Douglas CountyLow17
Bartow CountyLow18

Common questions about Cobb County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Cobb County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Cobb County, about $125 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $36.1 million.

How many federal disasters has Cobb County had?

Cobb County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1966, including 10 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Isaias in October 2026.

Is Cobb County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively High, 4th highest of 159 in Georgia. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Cobb County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 100 homes in Cobb County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Cobb County had?

NOAA records list 31 tornadoes in Cobb County since 1950. The strongest was an F4 tornado on November 22, 1992. The weather service has also logged 222 hail reports and 47 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Cobb County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 9 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Cobb County. The strongest was Tropical Storm Eloise (1975), with winds near 60 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.