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Echols County, Georgia

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

Very Low overall risk
159th of 159highest risk in Georgia
$1Mexpected losses a year
17federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Echols County, Georgia has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than almost every US county. It ranks 159th of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $1.1 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $300 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (9 major disasters). The most recent was in April 2026 (Pineland Road Fire). Only 2 homes here carry federal flood insurance.

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

Top risks in Echols County

$379,852 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.
$344,511 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 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

Very Low
$132,703 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.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneLow63.1
$380K
Inland floodingVery Low1.3
$345K
TornadoVery Low12.6
$133K
Cold waveVery Low7.4
$59K
LightningVery Low12.0
$54K
Heat waveVery Low14.2
$42K
DroughtVery Low29.5
$31K
WildfireVery Low30.4
$19K
EarthquakeVery Low13.9
$19K
Strong windVery Low2.4
$15K
HailVery Low3.9
$11K
Winter weatherVery Low1.5
$487
Ice stormVery Low0.2
$264
LandslideVery Low1.4
$2

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 very low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane9
Tropical Storm3
Severe Storm2
Drought1
Tornado1
Fire1

Most recent

Apr 21, 2026Pineland Road FireFire management
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
Show all 17
Jan 26, 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 6, 2016Hurricane MatthewEmergency
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
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1960

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 102 storm reports in Echols County since 1960 and about $590,000 in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on March 31, 1993 near Statenville.

5tornadoes
12hail reports, largest 2.5 inches
76damaging thunderstorm winds
4floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 31, 1993F1Statenville0 / 0
Nov 6, 2002F0Needmore0 / 0
Nov 1, 1999F0Tarver0 / 0
Oct 26, 1997F0Tarver0 / 0
Mar 23, 2022EF0Statenville0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 31, 1993TornadoStatenville$500K
Sep 3, 1998Thunderstorm WindStatenville$15K
Mar 12, 2026Thunderstorm WindStatenville$12K
Nov 6, 2002TornadoNeedmore$10K
Jun 9, 1994Thunderstorm WindStatenville$5K
Mar 1, 2003Thunderstorm WindMayday$5K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Mar 12, 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, 13 hurricanes and 54 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Echols County, 28 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Helene (2024), with top winds near 135 mph about 61 miles away.

13hurricanes
3major hurricanes (Category 3+)
54tropical storms
2024most recent: Helene

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 4, 135 mph61 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaCategory 3, 115 mph64 mi
Sep 29, 1896UnnamedCategory 3, 115 mph50 mi
Oct 2, 1898UnnamedCategory 2, 100 mph63 mi
Oct 9, 1852UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph61 mi
Sep 4, 1935UnnamedCategory 1, 85 mph64 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 4, 135 mph61 mi
Aug 5, 2024DebbyCategory 1, 75 mph64 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaCategory 3, 115 mph64 mi
Sep 9, 2021MindyTropical storm, 40 mph61 mi
Jul 7, 2021ElsaTropical storm, 60 mph62 mi
Nov 12, 2020EtaTropical storm, 45 mph64 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 Echols County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (2 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$50,711paid on 1 flood claims since 1978
2024costliest year, with $50,711 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 Echols County

$124,100median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1992median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
33%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
42.7%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; 1,355 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
Lowndes CountyLow16
Columbia County, FLLow35
Hamilton County, FLLow36
Lanier CountyVery Low15
Clinch CountyVery Low18

Common questions about Echols County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Echols County?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Echols County, about $379,852 a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $344,511.

How many federal disasters has Echols County had?

Echols County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 9 major disasters. The most recent was Pineland Road Fire in April 2026.

Is Echols County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 159th 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 Echols County?

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

NOAA records list 5 tornadoes in Echols County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on March 31, 1993 near Statenville. The weather service has also logged 12 hail reports and 4 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Echols County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 13 hurricanes and 54 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Echols County, including 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was Hurricane Helene (2024), with winds near 135 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.