Home › Georgia › Coffee County

Coffee County, Georgia

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

Relatively Low overall risk
43rd of 159highest risk in Georgia
$15Mexpected losses a year
19federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Coffee County, Georgia has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 60% of US counties. It ranks 43rd of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $15 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $353 per resident. Since 1974 it has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (10 major disasters). The most recent was in September 2024 (Hurricane Helene). Only 36 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $924,000 on 45 claims here.

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

Top risks in Coffee County

Hurricane

Moderate
$5.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 4 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$4.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • 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.

Tornado

Moderate
$2.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 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.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneModerate89.7
$5M
Inland floodingLow51.1
$5M
TornadoModerate75.5
$2M
DroughtModerate80.7
$702K
EarthquakeLow71.2
$620K
Cold waveLow35.0
$381K
Heat waveLow54.5
$334K
LightningModerate68.2
$333K
Strong windLow27.3
$189K
WildfireLow68.2
$110K
HailLow33.9
$101K
Winter weatherVery Low9.4
$5K
Ice stormVery Low3.8
$1K
LandslideVery Low12.3
$29

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 relatively high 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 Coffee County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane9
Tropical Storm3
Severe Storm2
Tornado1
Drought1
Flood1

Most recent

Sep 30, 2024Hurricane HeleneMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Sep 24, 2024Tropical Storm DebbyMajor disaster
Aug 5, 2024Hurricane DebbyEmergency
Sep 7, 2023Hurricane IdaliaMajor disaster
Oct 14, 2018Hurricane MichaelMajor disaster
Oct 10, 2018Hurricane MichaelEmergency
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Oct 6, 2016Hurricane MatthewEmergency
Show all 19
Mar 25, 2011Mosley Road FireFire management
Apr 23, 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 24, 2004Tropical Storm FrancesMajor disaster
Mar 11, 1998Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 15, 1993Severe Snowfall, Winter StormEmergency
Mar 15, 1991Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency
Apr 5, 1974TornadoesMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 393 storm reports in Coffee County since 1955, with 0 deaths and 42 injuries and about $6.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on April 18, 1969.

28tornadoes
55hail reports, largest 2.75 inches
271damaging thunderstorm winds
17floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 18, 1969F2–28 / 0
Nov 12, 2002F2Douglas2 / 0
Jun 19, 1972F2–0 / 0
Apr 12, 1961F2–0 / 0
May 12, 1971F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 18, 1969Tornado–$3M
Apr 4, 1980Tornado–$3M
Nov 12, 2002TornadoDouglas$550K
Apr 2, 1955Tornado–$250K
Jun 19, 1972Tornado–$250K
Jul 28, 1998Thunderstorm WindDouglas$250K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 20, 2026. 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 1851, 13 hurricanes and 50 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Coffee County, 20 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Helene (2024), with top winds near 110 mph about 65 miles away.

13hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
50tropical storms
2024most recent: Helene

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 2, 110 mph65 mi
Sep 29, 1896UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph65 mi
Oct 2, 1898UnnamedCategory 2, 100 mph54 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaCategory 1, 90 mph56 mi
Oct 15, 1947UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph65 mi
Oct 9, 1894UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph64 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 2, 110 mph65 mi
Aug 5, 2024DebbyTropical storm, 55 mph64 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaCategory 1, 90 mph56 mi
Sep 9, 2021MindyTropical storm, 40 mph60 mi
Jul 7, 2021ElsaTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi
Sep 11, 2017IrmaTropical storm, 50 mph59 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 Coffee County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (36 policies)
8.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$923,776paid on 45 flood claims since 1978
2009costliest year, with $345,015 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 Coffee County

$128,900median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1989median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
34%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
30.6%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; 17,495 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
Ware CountyLow22
Berrien CountyVery Low18
Ben Hill CountyVery Low13
Jeff Davis CountyVery Low18
Telfair CountyVery Low16
Bacon CountyVery Low17
Irwin CountyVery Low12
Atkinson CountyVery Low17

Common questions about Coffee County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Coffee County?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Coffee County, about $5.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $4.9 million.

How many federal disasters has Coffee County had?

Coffee County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1974, including 10 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Helene in September 2024.

Is Coffee County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 43rd 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 Coffee County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Coffee 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 Coffee County had?

NOAA records list 28 tornadoes in Coffee County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on April 18, 1969. The weather service has also logged 55 hail reports and 17 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Coffee County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 13 hurricanes and 50 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Coffee County. The strongest was Hurricane Helene (2024), with winds near 110 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.