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Coweta County, Georgia

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

Relatively Low overall risk
36th of 159highest risk in Georgia
$32Mexpected losses a year
14federal declarations
1 in 333homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Coweta County, Georgia has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 66% of US counties. It ranks 36th of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $32 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $218 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (7 major disasters). The most recent was in October 2026 (Hurricane Isaias). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (167 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $461,000 on 38 claims here.

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

Top risks in Coweta County

$18.2 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.

Tornado

Moderate
$5.2 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.

Cold wave

Moderate
$2.4 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 floodingLow72.1
$18M
TornadoModerate80.7
$5M
Cold waveModerate67.5
$2M
Strong windModerate73.5
$1M
Heat waveLow70.2
$1M
EarthquakeLow69.5
$966K
HailModerate77.0
$958K
LightningModerate70.7
$650K
Ice stormModerate74.7
$363K
HurricaneLow61.7
$314K
DroughtLow46.4
$145K
WildfireVery Low47.6
$53K
Winter weatherVery Low16.4
$17K
LandslideVery Low39.3
$798

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 moderate in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane4
Severe Storm3
Severe Ice Storm2
Tropical Storm2
Drought1
Tornado1

Most recent

Oct 9, 2026Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
May 5, 2021Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Mar 6, 2014Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Feb 11, 2014Severe Winter StormEmergency
Apr 29, 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2009Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 14
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Oct 10, 1995Hurricane OpalMajor disaster
Jul 7, 1994Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto)Major disaster
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1962

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 660 storm reports in Coweta County since 1962, with 2 deaths and 65 injuries and about $79 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF4 tornado on March 25, 2021 near Handy.

33tornadoes
161hail reports, largest 4.25 inches
383damaging thunderstorm winds
25floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 25, 2021EF4Handy0 / 1
Mar 5, 1989F3–23 / 0
Apr 2, 1970F3–0 / 0
Nov 15, 1989F2–0 / 0
Nov 15, 1989F2–7 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 5, 1989Tornado–$25M
Mar 25, 2021TornadoHandy$20M
Mar 26, 2011HailGrantville$7M
Feb 18, 2009HailMadras$4M
Nov 15, 1989Tornado–$3M
Nov 15, 1989Tornado–$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Mar 16, 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 1852, 0 hurricanes and 13 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Coweta County, 1 of them since 1950. The strongest was Tropical Storm Eloise (1975), with top winds near 70 mph about 59 miles away.

0hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
13tropical storms
1975most recent: Eloise

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 23, 1975EloiseTropical storm, 70 mph59 mi
Oct 3, 1893UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph62 mi
Sep 10, 1882UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph63 mi
Sep 23, 1889UnnamedTropical storm, 55 mph62 mi
Oct 3, 1898UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph56 mi
Sep 4, 1915UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph54 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 23, 1975EloiseTropical storm, 70 mph59 mi
Sep 4, 1915UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph54 mi
Jun 13, 1906UnnamedTropical storm, 40 mph59 mi
Sep 15, 1903UnnamedTropical storm, 40 mph62 mi
Oct 3, 1898UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph56 mi
Sep 1, 1898UnnamedTropical storm, 45 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 Coweta County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (167 policies)
28.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$461,496paid on 38 flood claims since 1978
2005costliest year, with $114,534 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 Coweta County

$357,500median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1999median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
20%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
3.2%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; 59,197 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
Carroll CountyLow21
Fayette CountyLow13
Troup CountyLow13
Spalding CountyVery Low17
Meriwether CountyVery Low16
Heard CountyVery Low18

Cities in Coweta County

Common questions about Coweta County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Coweta County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Coweta County, about $18.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $5.2 million.

How many federal disasters has Coweta County had?

Coweta County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Isaias in October 2026.

Is Coweta County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 36th 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 Coweta County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 333 homes in Coweta 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 Coweta County had?

NOAA records list 33 tornadoes in Coweta County since 1950. The strongest was an EF4 tornado on March 25, 2021 near Handy. The weather service has also logged 161 hail reports and 25 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Coweta County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 13 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Coweta County. The strongest was Tropical Storm Eloise (1975), with winds near 70 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.