Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Jefferson County, GA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
13163
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 2031-05-03. Plan: Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492), approved 2026-05-04.

Since the plan was approved on 2026-05-04: no new federal declaration.

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 0 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($2,176,634 a year), Drought ($1,074,685) and Hurricane ($858,891).

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

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 2031-05-03
Plan:
Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)
Approved:
2026-05-04
Days to expiry:
1,676

What changed since your last plan (approved 2026-05-04)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
0 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
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
Jefferson County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676
Avera cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676
Bartow townTownApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676
Louisville cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676
Stapleton cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676
Wadley cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676
Wrens cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03Jefferson County (FEMA plan 110492)2026-05-042031-05-031,676

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
1Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$2,175,420$442$771$2,176,6344
2DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$1,074,685n/a$1,074,68529
3HurricaneRelatively LowRelatively Low$658,883$183,320$16,688$858,89117
4TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$328,292$1,965$513,780$844,0378
5EarthquakeRelatively LowRelatively Low$360,191n/a$119,533$479,723Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
6Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$20$149$341,526$341,69511
7Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$85,568$11,411$202,340$299,31973Includes 3 Strong Wind records (a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
8Cold WaveVery LowRelatively Low$754$21,265$194,365$216,38414Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
9HailRelatively LowVery Low$28,631$7,537$78,344$114,51329
10Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$55,640n/a$22,722$78,3621
11LightningVery LowVery Low$17,146n/a$44,176$61,3224
12WildfireVery LowVery Low$35,166$77$3,997$39,2400No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13Winter WeatherVery LowVery Low$3,246$30$572$3,8488
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$84n/a$7$920No 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 wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards 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 9603 (Relatively Moderate, 81.6); tract 9601 (Relatively Moderate, 80.5); tract 9604 (Relatively Low, 77.6)
Hurricanetract 9603 (Relatively Moderate, 88.5); tract 9601 (Relatively Moderate, 87.4); tract 9604 (Relatively Moderate, 85.2)
Landslidetract 9603 (Very Low, 78.7); tract 9601 (Very Low, 73.9); tract 9602 (Very Low, 56.2)
Tornadotract 9603 (Relatively High, 91.6); tract 9601 (Relatively High, 88.4); tract 9604 (Relatively High, 76.7)
Wildfiretract 9603 (Relatively Moderate, 88.7); tract 9601 (Relatively Low, 85.5); tract 9604 (Relatively Low, 81.6)

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 9603 is Census Tract 9603). 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 chill13 records, 1996 to 2003 (13 zone-level)1 day to 31 days (median 4 days); 10 with a recorded valueDecember 2000 (1 monthly summary record), zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed). Cold/Wind Chill records from May to September (a frost night, not a cold wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2007 (1 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)29 records, 1997 to 2026 (29 zone-level)8 days to 122 days (median 31 days); 18 with a recorded value122 days (4 months), 2007-09-01 to 2007-12-31, a run of 4 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelDrought, 2000-06-01, property not reported; $6,050,000 crops, reported for the zone (2000 dollars)Countywide (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)32 records, 1959 to 20210.75 in to 2.75 in (median 1 in); 32 with a recorded value2.75 in hail, 2008-03-15Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Louisville city (16 records), Wrens city (5 records), Avera city (3 records), Bartow town (2 records), Wadley city (2 records), Stapleton city (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)11 records, 1999 to 2012 (11 zone-level)3 days to 33 days (median 10 days); 5 with a recorded value1999-07-20 to 1999-08-21 (2 records, 1 of them a monthly summary record), zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed). Heat records from November to March (unseasonable warmth, not a heat wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson17 records, 2002 to 2024 (17 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Tropical Storm record, 2017-09-11, $150,000 property; crops not reported (2017 dollars); NWS zone GAZ076Countywide (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)4 records, 2009 to 2020Flash Flood, 2020-09-17, $30,000 property; $0 crops (2020 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Avera city (1 record), Bartow town (1 record), Wrens city (1 record).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)4 records, 1997 to 2011Lightning, 1997-07-23, $200,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Louisville city (1 record), Wrens 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)3 records, 2004 to 2005 (3 zone-level)32 kt (37 mph) to 34 kt (39 mph) (median 34 kt (39 mph)); 3 with a recorded value34 kt (39 mph) estimated gust, Strong Wind, 2005-04-02; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2004-09-06; NWS zone GAZ076Strong Wind, 2004-09-06, $75,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (2004 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)89 records, 1961 to 202436 kt (41 mph) to 65 kt (75 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 54 with a recorded value65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2022-05-06Thunderstorm Wind, 2008-05-11, $500,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Louisville city (24 records), Wrens city (17 records), Wadley city (15 records), Avera city (4 records), Stapleton city (4 records), Bartow town (3 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)15 records, 1970 to 2023F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF1); 15 with a recorded valueF3 tornado, 1972-01-13, 8.6 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 400 yd wide, $2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars), 2 direct injuriesTornado, 2008-05-11, $5,000,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Bartow town (2 records), Wrens city (2 records), Stapleton city (1 record).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)0Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)8 records, 2002 to 2026 (8 zone-level)Winter Storm, 2005-01-28, $50,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars); NWS zone GAZ076Countywide (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.

A monthly summary record covers most or all of a month; it does not count days at wave conditions.

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

Federal declarations for this county: 19 declarations covering 12 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-01-242026-01-22EM-3642-GAEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 years
2024-09-302024-09-24DR-4830-GAMajor disasterHurricane HeleneHurricane$100,977,033.50within last 5 years
2024-09-262024-09-24EM-3616-GAEmergencyHurricane HeleneHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4830
2024-08-052024-08-04EM-3607-GAEmergencyHurricane DebbyHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 years
2020-03-292020-01-20DR-4501-GAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$9,122.24
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$335,120.46
2018-10-102018-10-09EM-3406-GAEmergencyHurricane MichaelHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4400
2017-09-152017-09-07DR-4338-GAMajor disasterHurricane IrmaHurricane$554,472.55
2017-09-082017-09-07EM-3387-GAEmergencyHurricane IrmaHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4338
2014-03-062014-02-10DR-4165-GAMajor disasterSevere Winter StormIce Storm$4,713,442.50
2014-02-112014-02-10EM-3368-GAEmergencySevere Winter StormIce Stormno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4165
2008-05-232008-05-11DR-1761-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms and TornadoesTornado$415,629.93
2008-03-202008-03-14DR-1750-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms and TornadoesTornado$472,557.14
2005-09-052005-08-27EM-3218-GAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
1998-03-111998-02-14DR-1209-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1990-10-191990-10-11DR-880-GAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1977-07-201977-07-20EM-3044-GAEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1966-03-141966-03-14DR-214-GAMajor disasterFloodingInland Floodingno 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.

Public Assistance filed under this county for declarations that do not list it: 1 row, $30,804.07

Sources: 2, 3

FEMA numberDeclaredTitleApplicantPA obligatedfederal share obligated, nominal dollars
DR-1686-GA2007-03-03Severe Storms and TornadoesJefferson Energy Cooperative$30,804.07

FEMA's Public Assistance summaries file these applicants under this county, but FEMA's declaration rows for these disasters do not designate it (an electric cooperative or district serving several counties, for example). Not in any declaration row above and not counted.

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 Wave14000001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought29044101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail32000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave11000001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane17002401996 to 2026-06-30
Ice Storm1000101996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding4000301996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning4000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind920012001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 3 Strong Wind records.
Tornado15001201950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather8012101996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2022-05-06Thunderstorm Wind65 kt (75 mph) estimated gustdamage not reported0, 0WRENS MEML ARPTwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2020-09-17Flash Flood$30,000 property; $0 crops (2020 dollars)0, 0WRENSB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2017-09-11Tropical Storm$150,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (2017 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ076 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2015-07-02Thunderstorm Wind50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust$0 property; crops not reported (2015 dollars)0, 4WADLEY to LOUISVILLEdeaths or injuries recorded
2008-03-15Hail2.75 in$300,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)0, 0STAPLETON to MATHEWSB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2007-09-01Drought$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ076 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2005-04-02Strong Wind34 kt (39 mph) estimated gust$5,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone GAZ076 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2000-12-01Extreme Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone GAZ076 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1999-07-20Heatdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone GAZ076 (JEFFERSON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
1996-03-07TornadoF1, 3.5 mi within this county, 200 yd wide$1,000,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 5WRENSdeaths or injuries recorded
1990-04-28Thunderstorm Windspeed not recordeddamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 2location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded
1972-01-13TornadoF3, 8.6 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 400 yd wide$2,500,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars)0, 2location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (227 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 Wave0.263event-days per yearabout 0.263 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 6 of 30 years)event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)52005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought50.2event-days per yearabout 50.2 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 12 of 30 years)event-days in 12 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (40%)1,5332000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00249annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.249%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail2.28events per yearabout 2.28 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)86.8 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave7.26event-days per yearabout 7.26 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 5 of 30 years)event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)1252005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.0906events per yearabout 1 in 11 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)301851 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 Storm0.818event-days per yearabout 0.818 days per yearPossible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)551946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.107event-days per yearabout 0.107 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 3 of 30 years)event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)31996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.125events per year (modeled)about 1 in 8 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning62.6days per year with a strikeabout 62.6 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind2.46events per yearabout 2.46 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)941986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.251events per yearabout 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000633annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0633%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather0.737event-days per yearabout 0.737 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 5 of 30 years)event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)142005-11-12 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.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

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 202517300.567
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202541301.37
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 202528300.933
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20257300.233
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 Wave4 of 438.557.668.6Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 1
Drought4 of 497.298.098.8Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 1
Earthquake4 of 448.079.181.6Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 2
Hail4 of 463.978.584.1Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 1
Heat Wave4 of 456.980.388.9Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 2
Hurricane4 of 477.786.388.5Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 1
Ice Storm4 of 465.787.391.4Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 1
Inland Flooding4 of 414.759.877.7Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 1, Very Low 1
Landslide4 of 446.565.178.7Very Low 4
Lightning4 of 438.867.479.8Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 1
Strong Wind4 of 472.989.994.8Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 1
Tornado4 of 459.682.591.6Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 1
Wildfire4 of 480.783.588.7Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 3
Winter Weather4 of 422.736.542.6Relatively Low 4

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 planNotes
Jefferson County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$45,296,498.010 total; 0 since its planIncludes $9,122.24 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4501-GA).
Avera cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded8 total; 0 since its plan
Bartow townTownApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$79,274.878 total; 0 since its plan
Louisville cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$177,873.9641 total; 0 since its plan
Stapleton cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$30,817.226 total; 0 since its plan
Wadley cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$982,166.2217 total; 0 since its plan
Wrens cityCityApproved, expires 2031-05-03FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$642,390.7326 total; 0 since its plan

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 2026-05-04county-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$4,091,307,186$75,314,48115,665$754$21,265$194,365under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$37,044,594n/an/a$1,074,685n/a2.9% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$7,318,859,609n/a15,709$360,191n/a$119,5330.00492%
Hail$4,091,307,186$75,314,48115,665$28,631$7,537$78,3440.0007%
Heat Wave$4,091,307,186$75,314,48115,665$20$149$341,526under 0.0001%
Hurricane$4,091,011,582$75,260,92015,662$658,883$183,320$16,6880.0161%
Ice Storm$4,091,307,186n/a15,665$55,640n/a$22,7220.00136%
Inland Flooding$4,088,882,317$393,858175$2,175,420$442$771n/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$12,381,891n/a44$84n/a$70.000681%
Lightning$4,091,307,186n/a15,665$17,146n/a$44,1760.000419%
Strong Wind$4,091,307,186$75,314,48115,665$85,568$11,411$202,3400.00209%
Tornado$4,091,307,186$75,314,48115,665$328,292$1,965$513,7800.00802%
Wildfire$959,843,625$16,111,3515,197$35,166$77$3,9970.00366%
Winter Weather$4,091,307,186$75,314,48115,665$3,246$30$572under 0.0001%

Totals since 2026-05-04 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 0 county-coded records, 0 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 0 zone-level records, 0 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; 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
Population15,665
Building value (total, not at risk)$4,091,307,186
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$75,314,481
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$5,049,923
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)$1,538,822
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingRelatively Low
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)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0Severe 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 total0000000
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
Jefferson County (unincorporated area)1305380000000
Avera city1306000000000
Bartow town1301150000000
Louisville city1304410000000
Stapleton city1304330000000
Wadley city1301160000000
Wrens city1301170000000

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: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

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 0 properties are 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). Jefferson County, GA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 13163). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ga/13163/ 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.