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Hart County, Georgia

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

Very Low overall risk
81st of 159highest risk in Georgia
$9Mexpected losses a year
12federal declarations
1 in 1000homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Hart County, Georgia has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 65% of US counties. It ranks 81st of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $9.3 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $359 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (5 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). Only 9 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 Hart County

$4.4 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.
$1.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 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.
$742,477 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 years.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow43.3
$4M
TornadoLow51.9
$1M
Cold waveLow48.9
$742K
HurricaneLow73.3
$651K
EarthquakeLow68.4
$595K
Heat waveLow54.7
$381K
Ice stormModerate79.3
$313K
DroughtLow63.7
$296K
HailLow57.4
$285K
Strong windLow33.9
$276K
LightningLow47.6
$176K
WildfireVery Low23.2
$8K
Winter weatherVery Low11.1
$7K
LandslideVery Low24.0
$140

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 Hart County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane5
Severe Ice Storm2
Drought1
Snowstorm1
Severe Storm1
Tropical Storm1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 30, 2024Hurricane HeleneMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Apr 20, 2015Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Feb 11, 2014Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 24, 2004Tropical Storm FrancesMajor disaster
Jan 28, 2000Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Show all 12
Mar 15, 1993Severe Snowfall, Winter StormEmergency
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1968

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 183 storm reports in Hart County since 1968, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries and about $2.2 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on April 2, 1970.

11tornadoes
42hail reports, largest 2.5 inches
117damaging thunderstorm winds
10floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 2, 1970F2–2 / 0
Mar 23, 1993F1–0 / 0
Aug 16, 1994F1Hartwell1 / 0
Mar 31, 1993F1Lake Hartwell0 / 0
Jan 19, 2001F1Vanna0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 23, 1993Tornado–$500K
Aug 16, 1994TornadoHartwell$500K
Mar 26, 2021Thunderstorm WindNuberg$200K
Jan 19, 2001Thunderstorm WindVanna$150K
May 9, 2002Thunderstorm WindHartwell$100K
Feb 6, 2020Flash FloodShoal Creek$100K

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 1859, 0 hurricanes and 11 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Hart County, 2 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, with top winds near 60 mph about 51 miles away.

0hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
11tropical storms
2024most recent: Helene

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 28, 1949UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph51 mi
Sep 27, 2024HeleneTropical storm, 60 mph49 mi
Oct 11, 2018MichaelTropical storm, 55 mph64 mi
Sep 24, 1889UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph57 mi
Jul 15, 1916UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi
Oct 3, 1893UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph53 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneTropical storm, 60 mph49 mi
Oct 11, 2018MichaelTropical storm, 55 mph64 mi
Aug 28, 1949UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph51 mi
Jul 15, 1916UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi
Sep 18, 1906UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph56 mi
Jul 8, 1896UnnamedTropical storm, 40 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 Hart County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (9 policies)
7.3%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$0paid on 1 flood claims since 1978
2009costliest year

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 Hart County

$215,100median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1987median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
39%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
23.1%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; 13,200 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
Anderson County, SCModerate19
Oconee County, SCModerate22
Madison CountyVery Low13
Franklin CountyVery Low14
Elbert CountyVery Low14

Common questions about Hart County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Hart County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Hart County, about $4.4 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $1.1 million.

How many federal disasters has Hart County had?

Hart County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 5 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Hart County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 81st 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 Hart County?

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

NOAA records list 11 tornadoes in Hart County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on April 2, 1970. The weather service has also logged 42 hail reports and 10 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Hart County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 11 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Hart County. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1949, with winds near 60 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.