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Grady County, Georgia

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

Relatively Low overall risk
53rd of 159highest risk in Georgia
$13Mexpected losses a year
16federal declarations
1 in 1000homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Grady County, Georgia has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 53% of US counties. It ranks 53rd of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $13 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $507 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (8 major disasters). The most recent was in October 2026 (Hurricane Isaias). Only 13 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $168,000 on 13 claims here.

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

Top risks in Grady County

Hurricane

Moderate
$4.2 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.
$3.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 4 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
$2.5 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
HurricaneModerate88.1
$4M
Inland floodingLow40.7
$4M
TornadoModerate76.1
$2M
Cold waveModerate68.0
$1M
LightningModerate67.1
$340K
Heat waveLow51.1
$300K
DroughtLow60.4
$221K
Strong windLow29.5
$220K
HailVery Low28.4
$84K
WildfireVery Low62.7
$78K
EarthquakeVery Low31.5
$67K
Winter weatherVery Low15.8
$10K
Ice stormVery Low5.4
$2K
LandslideVery Low18.1
$71

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 low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane7
Severe Storm4
Tropical Storm3
Drought1
Snowstorm1

Most recent

Oct 9, 2026Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
Sep 30, 2024Hurricane HeleneMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Aug 5, 2024Hurricane DebbyEmergency
Oct 14, 2018Hurricane MichaelMajor disaster
Oct 10, 2018Hurricane MichaelEmergency
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Apr 23, 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Show all 16
Sep 24, 2004Tropical Storm FrancesMajor disaster
Feb 15, 2000Severe Storms/TornadosMajor disaster
Mar 11, 1998Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 19, 1994Heavy Rains, Tornados, Flooding, High WindsMajor disaster
Mar 15, 1993Severe Snowfall, Winter StormEmergency
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

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 232 storm reports in Grady County since 1955, with 7 deaths and 33 injuries and about $22.8 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on February 14, 2000 near Cairo.

24tornadoes
23hail reports, largest 2.5 inches
168damaging thunderstorm winds
10floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Feb 14, 2000F3Cairo15 / 6
Apr 29, 1971F2–2 / 0
Mar 15, 2001F2Whigham9 / 0
Feb 19, 2009EF2Princes Still0 / 0
Mar 3, 2019EF2Cairo2 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 23, 2008Flash FloodBeachton$9M
Feb 14, 2000TornadoCairo$7M
Apr 29, 1971Tornado–$3M
Mar 15, 2001TornadoWhigham$1M
Feb 19, 2009TornadoPrinces Still$1M
Mar 3, 2019TornadoCairo$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 10, 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, 14 hurricanes and 48 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Grady County, 24 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Michael (2018), with top winds near 135 mph about 53 miles away.

14hurricanes
2major hurricanes (Category 3+)
48tropical storms
2024most recent: Helene

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 10, 2018MichaelCategory 4, 135 mph53 mi
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 4, 135 mph62 mi
Oct 9, 1894UnnamedCategory 2, 110 mph59 mi
Aug 23, 1851UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph60 mi
Oct 9, 1852UnnamedCategory 2, 100 mph61 mi
Jun 21, 1886UnnamedCategory 2, 100 mph56 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 4, 135 mph62 mi
Nov 10, 2022NicoleTropical storm, 40 mph56 mi
Sep 9, 2021MindyTropical storm, 50 mph56 mi
Jul 7, 2021ElsaTropical storm, 50 mph64 mi
Oct 10, 2018MichaelCategory 4, 135 mph53 mi
Sep 11, 2017IrmaTropical storm, 55 mph54 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 Grady County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (13 policies)
8.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$167,999paid on 13 flood claims since 1978
2009costliest year, with $73,913 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 Grady County

$152,400median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1991median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
37%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
30.7%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; 11,645 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
Leon County, FLModerate35
Thomas CountyLow19
Gadsden County, FLLow39
Decatur CountyLow18
Mitchell CountyLow17

Common questions about Grady County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Grady County?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Grady County, about $4.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $3.8 million.

How many federal disasters has Grady County had?

Grady County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 8 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Isaias in October 2026.

Is Grady County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 53rd 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 Grady County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 1000 homes in Grady 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 Grady County had?

NOAA records list 24 tornadoes in Grady County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on February 14, 2000 near Cairo. The weather service has also logged 23 hail reports and 10 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Grady County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 14 hurricanes and 48 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Grady County, including 2 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was Hurricane Michael (2018), 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.