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Glynn County, Georgia

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

Relatively Moderate overall risk
11th of 159highest risk in Georgia
$40Mexpected losses a year
18federal declarations
1 in 3homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Glynn County, Georgia has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 84% of US counties. It ranks 11th of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and coastal flooding. FEMA estimates about $40 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $474 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (8 major disasters). The most recent was in September 2024 (Hurricane Helene). About 1 in 3 homes here carry federal flood insurance (10,032 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $43 million on 1,996 claims here, including $29 million for floods in 2017.

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

Top risks in Glynn County

$21.4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 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.
$5.8 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.
$4.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 4 times a year.
  • Learn your evacuation zone; it is set by surge risk, not by distance from the beach.
  • Ask about flood insurance even outside a mapped high-risk zone.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneHigh95.9
$21M
Inland floodingLow54.2
$6M
Coastal floodingHigh89.6
$4M
Cold waveModerate76.9
$2M
WildfireModerate92.1
$1M
Heat waveModerate81.1
$1M
EarthquakeLow79.5
$1M
TornadoLow43.1
$758K
Strong windModerate58.7
$547K
LightningModerate72.7
$424K
HailLow43.8
$162K
Ice stormModerate67.6
$150K
Winter weatherVery Low23.6
$17K
DroughtVery Low14.6
$369
LandslideVery Low7.7
$13

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 very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane11
Severe Storm2
Tropical Storm2
Freezing1
Drought1
Snowstorm1

Most recent

Sep 30, 2024Hurricane HeleneMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Aug 5, 2024Hurricane DebbyEmergency
Sep 7, 2023Hurricane IdaliaMajor disaster
Sep 1, 2019Hurricane DorianEmergency
Oct 10, 2018Hurricane MichaelEmergency
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Oct 8, 2016Hurricane MatthewMajor disaster
Oct 6, 2016Hurricane MatthewEmergency
Show all 18
May 23, 2008Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 24, 2004Tropical Storm FrancesMajor disaster
Sep 14, 1999Hurricane Floyd Emergency DeclarationsEmergency
Mar 11, 1998Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 15, 1993Severe Snowfall, Winter StormEmergency
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency
Jun 2, 1977Shrimp Loss Due to Cold WeatherMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1956

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 318 storm reports in Glynn County since 1956, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries and about $2.2 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on February 24, 1963.

25tornadoes
54hail reports, largest 2 inches
174damaging thunderstorm winds
18floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Feb 24, 1963F2–0 / 0
Jul 8, 1966F1–0 / 0
Sep 28, 1984F1–0 / 0
Nov 7, 1995F1Brunswick0 / 0
May 3, 1957F1–1 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 13, 1993Thunderstorm WindBrunswick$500K
Feb 17, 1998TornadoSt Simons Is$500K
Jul 8, 1966Tornado–$250K
Sep 28, 1984Tornado–$250K
Jul 27, 1998Thunderstorm WindArco$100K
Apr 1, 1999Thunderstorm WindBrunswick$50K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 29, 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 1853, 17 hurricanes and 57 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Glynn County, 23 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1898, with top winds near 130 mph about 58 miles away.

17hurricanes
4major hurricanes (Category 3+)
57tropical storms
2024most recent: Debby

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 2, 1898UnnamedCategory 4, 130 mph58 mi
Sep 8, 1854UnnamedCategory 3, 125 mph62 mi
Oct 13, 1893UnnamedCategory 3, 120 mph63 mi
Aug 27, 1893UnnamedCategory 3, 115 mph63 mi
Oct 7, 2016MatthewCategory 2, 110 mph64 mi
Sep 29, 1896UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph39 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 5, 2024DebbyTropical storm, 55 mph64 mi
Aug 30, 2023IdaliaTropical storm, 70 mph62 mi
Nov 12, 2020EtaTropical storm, 45 mph54 mi
Oct 7, 2016MatthewCategory 2, 110 mph64 mi
Sep 14, 2016JuliaTropical storm, 45 mph58 mi
Sep 2, 2016HermineTropical storm, 60 mph58 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 Glynn County

Check your address flood zone ›
31.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (10,032 policies)
90.5%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$43.5 millionpaid on 1,996 flood claims since 1978
2017costliest year, with $29.1 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 Glynn County

$301,300median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1988median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
37%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
9.7%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; 43,500 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
Camden CountyLow19
Wayne CountyLow17
Brantley CountyVery Low21
McIntosh CountyLow20

Common questions about Glynn County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Glynn County?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Glynn County, about $21.4 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $5.8 million.

How many federal disasters has Glynn County had?

Glynn County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 8 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Helene in September 2024.

Is Glynn County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Moderate, 11th 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 Glynn County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 3 homes in Glynn 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 Glynn County had?

NOAA records list 25 tornadoes in Glynn County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on February 24, 1963. The weather service has also logged 54 hail reports and 18 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Glynn County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 17 hurricanes and 57 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Glynn County, including 4 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1898, with winds near 130 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.