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Worth County, Georgia

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

Very Low overall risk
80th of 159highest risk in Georgia
$9Mexpected losses a year
18federal declarations
1 in 143homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Worth County, Georgia has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 64% of US counties. It ranks 80th of 159 counties in Georgia. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes. FEMA estimates about $8.6 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $414 per resident. Since 1974 it has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (12 major disasters). The most recent was in October 2026 (Hurricane Isaias). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (53 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $481,000 on 35 claims here.

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

Top risks in Worth County

$2.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 1 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
$1.8 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.
$1.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 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.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery Low26.0
$2M
TornadoModerate68.1
$2M
HurricaneLow80.5
$2M
DroughtModerate88.8
$1M
Cold waveLow58.8
$993K
LightningLow56.3
$217K
Strong windLow28.6
$206K
Heat waveLow43.6
$201K
HailLow39.7
$130K
EarthquakeVery Low41.9
$126K
WildfireVery Low53.4
$42K
Winter weatherVery Low15.3
$9K
Ice stormVery Low7.5
$3K
LandslideVery Low7.1
$11

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 Worth County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane7
Severe Storm5
Tornado3
Tropical Storm3

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
Jan 26, 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 25, 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Show all 18
Apr 23, 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Mar 3, 2007Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Sep 24, 2004Tropical Storm FrancesMajor disaster
Mar 11, 1998Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 19, 1994Heavy Rains, Tornados, Flooding, High WindsMajor disaster
Jul 7, 1994Tornadoes, Flooding Torrential Rain(Trop Storm Alberto)Major disaster
Apr 5, 1974TornadoesMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1952

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 433 storm reports in Worth County since 1952, with 2 deaths and 52 injuries and about $24.3 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF3 tornado on January 22, 2017 near Red Rock.

38tornadoes
52hail reports, largest 3 inches
286damaging thunderstorm winds
55floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jan 22, 2017EF3Red Rock31 / 0
Nov 11, 1968F3–0 / 0
Mar 20, 2003F2Bridgeboro0 / 2
Mar 6, 1996F2Red Rock0 / 0
Mar 2, 2007EF2Sumner0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 6, 1996TornadoRed Rock$8M
Jan 22, 2017TornadoRed Rock$5M
Feb 23, 2013FloodWarwick$1M
Mar 20, 2003TornadoBridgeboro$750K
Dec 5, 2005TornadoSylvester$750K
Dec 15, 2007TornadoSylvester$750K

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 1851, 14 hurricanes and 37 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Worth County, 18 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Helene (2024), with top winds near 115 mph about 64 miles away.

14hurricanes
1major hurricanes (Category 3+)
37tropical storms
2024most recent: Helene

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 3, 115 mph64 mi
Oct 10, 2018MichaelCategory 2, 100 mph51 mi
Oct 9, 1894UnnamedCategory 1, 95 mph58 mi
Aug 24, 1851UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph52 mi
Oct 10, 1852UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph58 mi
Jun 21, 1886UnnamedCategory 1, 85 mph64 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 27, 2024HeleneCategory 3, 115 mph64 mi
Jul 7, 2021ElsaTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi
Oct 10, 2018MichaelCategory 2, 100 mph51 mi
Sep 11, 2017IrmaTropical storm, 50 mph50 mi
Sep 2, 2016HermineTropical storm, 65 mph58 mi
Jun 13, 2006AlbertoTropical storm, 40 mph63 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 Worth County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.7%of homes have federal flood insurance (53 policies)
15.2%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$480,591paid on 35 flood claims since 1978
2009costliest year, with $194,044 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 Worth County

$104,900median home value (Georgia $303,300, US $332,700)
1985median year homes were built (Georgia 1992, US 1980)
42%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
34.1%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; 9,326 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
Dougherty CountyModerate16
Colquitt CountyLow19
Tift CountyLow18
Lee CountyVery Low13
Mitchell CountyLow17
Crisp CountyLow15
Turner CountyVery Low14

Common questions about Worth County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Worth County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Worth County, about $2.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $1.8 million.

How many federal disasters has Worth County had?

Worth County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1974, including 12 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Isaias in October 2026.

Is Worth County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 80th 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 Worth County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 143 homes in Worth 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 Worth County had?

NOAA records list 38 tornadoes in Worth County since 1950. The strongest was an EF3 tornado on January 22, 2017 near Red Rock. The weather service has also logged 52 hail reports and 55 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Worth County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 14 hurricanes and 37 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Worth County, including 1 major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was Hurricane Helene (2024), with winds near 115 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.