Home › Georgia › Taylor County

Taylor County, Georgia

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

Very Low overall risk
131st of 159highest risk in Georgia
$3Mexpected losses a year
14federal declarations
1 in 1000homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Taylor County, Georgia has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 90% of US counties. It ranks 131st of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, drought and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $2.9 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $367 per resident. Since 1966 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). 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 Taylor County

$1.2 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.

Drought

Moderate
$504,681 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 56 times a year.
  • Check local water restrictions.
  • Choose drought-tolerant plants.
$336,659 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 4 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
Inland floodingVery Low16.8
$1M
DroughtModerate78.7
$505K
TornadoLow32.0
$337K
HurricaneLow67.2
$266K
Strong windLow26.9
$151K
Heat waveLow41.0
$142K
EarthquakeVery Low35.8
$68K
LightningLow31.8
$68K
HailVery Low27.8
$64K
Cold waveVery Low10.8
$50K
WildfireVery Low48.0
$25K
Winter weatherVery Low6.2
$3K
Ice stormVery Low7.9
$2K
LandslideVery Low23.0
$94

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 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 Taylor County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane5
Severe Storm3
Tropical Storm2
Flood1
Drought1
Tornado1

Most recent

Oct 9, 2026Hurricane IsaiasEmergency
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Sep 26, 2024Hurricane HeleneEmergency
Oct 10, 2018Hurricane MichaelEmergency
Sep 15, 2017Hurricane IrmaMajor disaster
Sep 8, 2017Hurricane IrmaEmergency
Feb 26, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 24, 2009Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 3, 2007Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Show all 14
Sep 24, 2004Tropical Storm FrancesMajor disaster
Jul 7, 1994Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto)Major disaster
Jul 20, 1977DroughtEmergency
Mar 14, 1966FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1954

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 164 storm reports in Taylor County since 1954, with 2 deaths and 17 injuries and about $6.4 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on March 13, 1954.

20tornadoes
33hail reports, largest 2 inches
100damaging thunderstorm winds
6floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 13, 1954F3–10 / 0
Mar 1, 2007EF2Potterville4 / 1
Feb 24, 1961F2–0 / 0
Feb 22, 1962F2–0 / 0
Jul 7, 1967F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 13, 1954Tornado–$3M
Apr 4, 2011Thunderstorm WindCarsonville$1M
Aug 29, 2005TornadoFickling Mill$750K
Mar 1, 2007TornadoPotterville$500K
Mar 29, 1991Tornado–$250K
Feb 17, 2008TornadoMauk$200K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Apr 24, 2025. 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, 4 hurricanes and 21 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Taylor County, 5 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Michael (2018), with top winds near 85 mph about 58 miles away.

4hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
21tropical storms
2024most recent: Helene

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Oct 11, 2018MichaelCategory 1, 85 mph58 mi
Aug 24, 1851UnnamedCategory 1, 80 mph59 mi
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 1, 75 mph65 mi
Aug 31, 1856UnnamedCategory 1, 75 mph64 mi
Oct 3, 1898UnnamedTropical storm, 65 mph53 mi
Sep 10, 1882UnnamedTropical storm, 65 mph51 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 1, 75 mph65 mi
Oct 11, 2018MichaelCategory 1, 85 mph58 mi
Sep 11, 2017IrmaTropical storm, 45 mph57 mi
Jun 15, 1965UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph41 mi
Oct 19, 1950KingTropical storm, 40 mph61 mi
Oct 7, 1941UnnamedTropical storm, 60 mph65 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 Taylor County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (2 policies)
6.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$7,004paid on 4 flood claims since 1978
2015costliest year, with $3,535 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 Taylor County

$87,700median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1986median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
41%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
35.8%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; 3,938 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
Peach CountyVery Low15
Upson CountyVery Low21
Crawford CountyVery Low18
Macon CountyVery Low14
Marion CountyVery Low12
Talbot CountyVery Low15
Schley CountyVery Low11

Common questions about Taylor County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Taylor County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Taylor County, about $1.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Drought is second at $504,681.

How many federal disasters has Taylor County had?

Taylor County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1966, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Isaias in October 2026.

Is Taylor County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 131st 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 Taylor County?

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

NOAA records list 20 tornadoes in Taylor County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on March 13, 1954. The weather service has also logged 33 hail reports and 6 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Taylor County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 4 hurricanes and 21 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Taylor County. The strongest was Hurricane Michael (2018), with winds near 85 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.