Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Appling County, GA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
13001
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA, GEMA/HS or any other state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2031-08-23. Plan: Appling County (FEMA plan 111404), approved 2026-08-24.

Since the plan was approved on 2026-08-24: no new federal declaration.

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet.

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Hurricane ($6,797,946 a year), Inland Flooding ($2,178,373) and Cold Wave ($1,030,036).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 1, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 2.

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2031-08-23
Plan:
Appling County (FEMA plan 111404)
Approved:
2026-08-24
Days to expiry:
1,788

What changed since your last plan (approved 2026-08-24)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 1, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 2
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiry
Appling County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2031-08-23Appling County (FEMA plan 111404)2026-08-242031-08-231,788
Baxley cityCityApproved, expires 2031-08-23Appling County (FEMA plan 111404)2026-08-242031-08-231,788
Graham cityCityApproved, expires 2031-08-23Appling County (FEMA plan 111404)2026-08-242031-08-231,788
Surrency townTownApproved, expires 2031-08-23Appling County (FEMA plan 111404)2026-08-242031-08-231,788

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification GEMA template A: Hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1HurricaneRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$5,008,540$1,622,926$166,480$6,797,9468
2Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$2,164,446$186$13,741$2,178,37315
3Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$304$560,793$468,939$1,030,0361Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
4TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$194,560$3,740$642,725$841,0259
5DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$563,063n/a$563,0636
6Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$22,942$22,872$318,291$364,106152Includes 1 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
7EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$185,345n/a$60,872$246,216Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
8Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$10$237$201,622$201,8680No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
9LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$10,430n/a$137,261$147,6922
10HailVery LowVery Low$41,228$5,811$26,016$73,05643
11WildfireVery LowVery Low$35,019$383$6,526$41,9281
12Winter WeatherVery LowVery Low$1,574$24$239$1,8385Includes 1 Sleet record (outside NRI's Winter Weather definition).
13Ice StormVery LowVery Low$402n/a$134$5361
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$12n/a$1$140No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local landslide records (Storm Events records this hazard only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location GEMA template B: Hazard profile (events and probability)

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 9503.01 (Relatively Low, 76.4); tract 9502.02 (Relatively Low, 72.2); tract 9503.02 (Relatively Low, 58.3)
Hurricanetract 9503.01 (Very High, 97.4); tract 9505 (Relatively High, 96.5); tract 9502.02 (Relatively High, 96.5)
Landslidetract 9501 (Very Low, 63.7); tract 9505 (Very Low, 31.7); tract 9502.01 (Very Low, 29.7)
Tornadotract 9503.01 (Relatively High, 78.4); tract 9505 (Relatively Moderate, 74.2); tract 9502.02 (Relatively Moderate, 68.1)
Wildfiretract 9501 (Relatively Low, 86.4); tract 9505 (Relatively Low, 81.8); tract 9502.01 (Relatively Low, 80.8)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9503.01 is Census Tract 9503.01). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent GEMA template B: Hazard profile (events and probability)

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill0Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2007 (1 zone-level)Frost/Freeze, 2007-04-07, $5,000,000 crop damage (2007 dollars); NWS zone GAZ135Countywide (zone-level records).Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)6 records, 2026 (6 zone-level)139 days; 1 with a recorded value139 days (about 4.6 months), 2026-01-22 to 2026-06-09, a run of 6 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)50 records, 1968 to 20250.75 in to 2 in (median 0.88 in); 50 with a recorded value2 in hail, 1987-06-04; same size also recorded on 1979-05-05Hail, 2010-05-21, $1,000 property; $0 crops (2010 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Baxley city (22 records), Surrency town (8 records), Graham city (2 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson8 records, 2004 to 2024 (8 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Hurricane (Typhoon) record (NOAA's event type name), 2024-09-27 to 2024-09-28, category 1, $0 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars); NWS zone GAZ135Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)1 record, 2014 (1 zone-level)No damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)15 records, 1998 to 2026 (1 zone-level)Flood, 1998-03-01, $1,500,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars); NWS zone GAZ135Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Baxley city (7 records), Surrency town (3 records). Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)2 records, 2002 to 2018Lightning, 2002-08-14, $40,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Baxley city (1 record), Graham city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)2 records, 1998 to 2008 (2 zone-level)45 kt (52 mph); 1 with a recorded value45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust, Strong Wind, 2008-03-19; NWS zone GAZ135High Wind, 1998-09-03, $4,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (1998 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)184 records, 1960 to 202635 kt (40 mph) to 70 kt (81 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 114 with a recorded value70 kt (81 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1996-03-06Thunderstorm Wind, 1998-09-29, $65,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Baxley city (73 records), Surrency town (30 records), Graham city (3 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)17 records, 1954 to 2021F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF1); 17 with a recorded valueEF2 tornado, 2009-12-02, 3.69 mi within this county, 440 yd wide, damage not reported, 2 direct injuriesTornado, 1986-03-13, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1986 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Baxley city (4 records), Graham city (2 records), Surrency town (2 records).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)1 record, 2011 (1 zone-level)Wildfire, 2011-03-24, $300,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars); NWS zone GAZ135Countywide (zone-level records).Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)5 records, 2010 to 2025 (5 zone-level)No damage reported in 5 records.Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences GEMA template B: Hazard profile (events and probability)

Federal declarations for this county: 20 declarations covering 13 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Storm Events records since the plan: not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet.

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2024-09-302024-09-24DR-4830-GAMajor disasterHurricane HeleneHurricane$24,095,098.45within last 5 years
2024-09-262024-09-24EM-3616-GAEmergencyHurricane HeleneHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4830
2024-09-242024-08-04DR-4821-GAMajor disasterTropical Storm DebbyHurricane$671,262.94within last 5 years
2024-08-052024-08-04EM-3607-GAEmergencyHurricane DebbyHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4821
2023-09-072023-08-30DR-4738-GAMajor disasterHurricane IdaliaHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding, Strong Wind, Tornado$231,623.99within last 5 years
2020-03-292020-01-20DR-4501-GAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3464-GAEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4501
2018-10-142018-10-09DR-4400-GAMajor disasterHurricane MichaelHurricane$21,590.72
2018-10-102018-10-09EM-3406-GAEmergencyHurricane MichaelHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4400
2017-09-152017-09-07DR-4338-GAMajor disasterHurricane IrmaHurricane$374,464.11
2017-09-082017-09-07EM-3387-GAEmergencyHurricane IrmaHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4338
2017-01-262017-01-21DR-4297-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingTornado (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding, Strong Wind$428,467.06
2016-10-062016-10-04EM-3379-GAEmergencyHurricane MatthewHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2009-04-232009-03-26DR-1833-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line WindsInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$340,116.99
2005-09-052005-08-27EM-3218-GAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-09-242004-09-03DR-1560-GAMajor disasterTropical Storm FrancesHurricane$225,019.87
1998-03-111998-02-14DR-1209-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-151993-03-13EM-3097-GAEmergencySevere Snowfall, Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1991-03-151991-03-01DR-897-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1977-07-201977-07-20EM-3044-GAEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1964-11-041964-11-04DR-180-GAMajor disasterFloodingInland Flooding
1964-09-101964-09-10DR-177-GAMajor disasterHurricane DoraHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding
1963-03-261963-03-26DR-150-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Flooding
1961-03-021961-03-02DR-110-GAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1954-03-171954-03-17DR-16-GAMajor disasterTornadoTornado
1953-05-021953-05-02DR-1-GAMajor disasterTornadoTornado

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave100001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought666101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake00000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail5001001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane803701996 to 2026-06-30
Ice Storm100001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding1515501996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning200001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind186119301955 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado1701301950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire100001996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather501101996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Sleet record.

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-01-22Droughtdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone GAZ135 (APPLING), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2024-09-27Hurricane (Typhoon), NOAA's event type namecategory 1$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2024 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ135 (APPLING), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2009-12-02TornadoEF2, 3.69 mi within this county, 440 yd widedamage not reported0, 2SURRENCYB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
2008-03-19Strong Wind45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust$1,000 property; $1,000 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ135 (APPLING), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2007-04-07Frost/Freeze$0 property; $5,000,000 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ135 (APPLING), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Frost/Freeze
2002-08-14Lightning$40,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)0, 0GRAHAMB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2002-06-29Thunderstorm Windspeed not recordeddamage not reported0, 5BAXLEYdeaths or injuries recorded
1998-03-01Flood$1,500,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (1998 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ135 (APPLING), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1996-03-06Thunderstorm Wind70 kt (81 mph), measurement type not recorded$6,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 0BAXLEYB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1994-06-25Thunderstorm Windspeed not recorded$50,000 property; crops not recorded (1994 dollars)0, 5Baxleydeaths or injuries recorded
1987-06-04Hail2 indamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Hail
1986-03-13TornadoF1, 0.3 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 100 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1986 dollars)0, 4location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (292 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events GEMA template B: Hazard profile (events and probability)

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave1.26event-days per yearabout 1.26 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)242005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought21.7event-days per yearabout 21.7 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)6442000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.00176annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.176%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail2.22events per yearabout 2.22 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)84.4 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave4.05event-days per yearabout 4.05 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)702005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricane0.268events per yearabout 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)831851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.0894event-days per yearabout 0.0894 days per yearPossible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)71946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.429event-days per yearabout 0.429 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 8 of 30 years)event-days in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)121996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.0749events per year (modeled)about 1 in 13 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning70.5days per year with a strikeabout 70.5 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind1.24events per yearabout 1.24 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)481986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.226events per yearabout 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000752annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0752%Possible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)Storm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from Storm Events, not NRI.
Winter Weather0.211event-days per yearabout 0.211 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 5 of 30 years)event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)42005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202519300.633
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202586302.87
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202562302.07
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20258300.267
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions GEMA template F: Multi-jurisdictional differences

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave7 of 766.676.788.9Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 5
Drought7 of 790.593.397.8Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 3
Earthquake7 of 725.749.976.4Relatively Low 4, Very Low 3
Hail7 of 747.460.270.1Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 6
Heat Wave7 of 727.544.761.5Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 6
Hurricane7 of 789.895.597.4Very High 1, Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 1
Ice Storm7 of 71.11.82.3Very Low 7
Inland Flooding7 of 79.630.544.0Relatively Low 5, Very Low 2
Landslide6 of 716.529.463.7Very Low 6, No Rating 1
Lightning7 of 756.374.588.2Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 5
Strong Wind7 of 771.682.490.1Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 4
Tornado7 of 753.566.178.4Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 6
Wildfire7 of 774.680.286.4Relatively Low 7
Winter Weather7 of 717.021.126.0Relatively Low 5, Very Low 2

Cold Wave: Agriculture is 54% of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its plan
Appling County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2031-08-23FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$24,232,141.390 total; not yet covered
Baxley cityCityApproved, expires 2031-08-23FMA RL 1, SRL 0; any 1$1,949,396.76107 total; not yet covered
Graham cityCityApproved, expires 2031-08-23FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded8 total; not yet covered
Surrency townTownApproved, expires 2031-08-23FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded43 total; not yet covered

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts GEMA template C/D: Community exposure; Estimate of potential losses

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2026-08-24county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$304$560,793$468,939under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$63,822,144n/an/a$563,063n/a0.882% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$6,271,645,247n/a18,444$185,345n/a$60,8720.00296%
Hail$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$41,228$5,811$26,0160.00116%
Heat Wave$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$10$237$201,622under 0.0001%
Hurricane$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$5,008,540$1,622,926$166,4800.141%
Ice Storm$3,547,383,941n/a18,307$402n/a$134under 0.0001%
Inland Flooding$3,547,029,311$3,534,3601,085$2,164,446$186$13,741n/a (see note)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$3,019,399n/a17$12n/a$10.000409%
Lightning$3,548,238,542n/a18,314$10,430n/a$137,2610.000294%
Strong Wind$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$22,942$22,872$318,2910.000647%
Tornado$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$194,560$3,740$642,7250.00548%
Wildfire$564,281,482$61,210,0255,798$35,019$383$6,5260.00621%
Winter Weather$3,548,238,542$214,461,20418,314$1,574$24$239under 0.0001%

Totals since 2026-08-24: Storm Events not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context) GEMA template I: Social vulnerability

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population18,314
Building value (total, not at risk)$3,548,238,542
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$214,461,204
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$10,444,847
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$2,042,849
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingRelatively Moderate
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)1Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition2Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total1020202
of which: Appling County (unincorporated area)0010101
of which: Baxley city1010101
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file2252616

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Appling County (unincorporated area)1300010010101
Baxley city1300021010101
Graham city1305780000000
Surrency town1300030000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential1010101
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0010101
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 1 property is NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

Section headings show the GEMA local hazard mitigation plan template letter (A to I) next to the FEMA checklist item (template: https://gema.georgia.gov/document/publication/local-hazard-mitigation-plan-update-template/download). No letter is documented for repetitive loss; place B2-c where your GEMA template puts it. The letters cross-reference the GEMA local plan template.

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Appling County, GA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 13001). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ga/13001/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.