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Risk: Very Low

Charlton County, GA Environment & Hazard Risk

Very Low natural hazard risk, led by hurricane. 229 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss
$5.43M
Very Low nationally
Storm events since 1996
229
Most often thunderstorm wind
Flood insurance policies
28
0.6% of homes
Hurricanes nearby
2
28 tropical storms or stronger since 1868

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Very Low

Score 26.7 of 100

Social vulnerability

Very High

Score 90.3 of 100

Community resilience

Very Low

Score 4.6 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $1.78B · Agriculture value exposed: $4.92M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $9.28M

Risk by hazard

  • HurricaneRelatively Moderate$3.34M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
  • WildfireRelatively Low$125K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 363 years
  • Heat waveRelatively Low$188K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.0 events a year
  • LightningRelatively Low$106K/yr expected annual loss, about 77 events a year
  • EarthquakeVery Low$70.96K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 789 years
  • TornadoRelatively Low$257K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
  • Ice stormVery Low$11.12K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years
  • DroughtVery Low$2,159/yr expected annual loss, about 26 events a year
  • Coastal floodingVery Low$73/yr expected annual loss, about once every 83 years
  • Strong windRelatively Low$93.98K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.0 events a year
  • Cold waveVery Low$41.94K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
  • LandslideVery Low$9/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10 years
  • HailVery Low$12.67K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.0 events a year
  • Winter weatherVery Low$1,767/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Flood risk and insurance

National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance
28 of 4,572 (0.6%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones
100
Insured in high-risk zones
13 (13%)
Flood claims since 1978
39
Claims paid since 1978
$1.22M

Flood claims paid per year

Flood claims paid per year in Charlton County
  • Hurricane Irma$288K · 3 claims
  • Hurricane Debby$71.57K · 2 claims
  • Tropical Storm Ivan$29.02K · 1 claim

Storm history

Since 1996: 229 events, 0 deaths, $577K in damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind115
  • Hail48
  • Heavy Rain20
  • Drought13
  • Tornado10
  • Flash Flood5
  • Tropical Storm4
  • Funnel Cloud3
  • Flood3
  • Wildfire3

Events per year

Storm events per year in Charlton County
8
12
7
9
7
9
2
5
4
3
4
4
6
4
2
1
7
5
16
17

11 tornadoes on record (EF0 3, EF1 1, F0 5, F1 2).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind08/13/2008

    Homeland, Charlton County

    2 injured

    What happened

    A tree fell on a trailer home and injured two residents inside. The victims were taken to the local hospital. The extent of their injuries was unknown.

  • Flash Flood10/07/1996

    Folkston, Charlton County

    $160K damage

  • Lightning07/22/2019

    Folkston, Charlton County

    $100K damage

  • TornadoF1, 0.5 mi path, 30 yd wide12/24/2002

    Winokur, Charlton County

    $100K damage

Latest storm reports

Newest first

  • Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/23/2026

    St George, Charlton County

    $5,000 damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/23/2026

    Homeland, Charlton County

  • Flood06/21/2026

    Folkston, Charlton County

  • Heavy Rain06/19/2026

    Folkston Davis Arpt, Charlton County

  • Thunderstorm Wind43 kt wind06/15/2026

    Homeland, Charlton County

    $2,000 damage

  • Drought06/01/2026

    Western Charlton

  • Drought06/01/2026

    Northeastern Charlton

  • Drought05/01/2026

    Western Charlton

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Storms whose track crossed Charlton County, with the wind when it passed

Drinking water

4 community water systems serve about 6,875 people. Violations since 2021.

None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.

  • FolkstonServes 5,390 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
  • HomelandServes 1,085 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
  • The Farm at OkefenokeeServes 365 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
  • Homeland Robin Lane Water SystemServes 35 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations

Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.

Climate

1991-2020 normals at Folkston 9 SW, 2.1 mi from the county center

Summer highs peak around 94°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 44°F in Jan. About 53.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year.

MonthHighLowRain
Jan67°F44°F3.83 in
Feb70°F47°F3.37 in
Mar76°F51°F3.73 in
Apr83°F57°F3.50 in
May88°F64°F3.28 in
Jun93°F70°F6.96 in
Jul94°F73°F7.07 in
Aug93°F73°F7.76 in
Sep90°F70°F5.59 in
Oct83°F61°F3.41 in
Nov75°F52°F1.89 in
Dec68°F46°F2.77 in
Year70°F average53.2 in

Pollution sites

0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Charlton County

No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Charlton County in our data.

Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Charlton County for natural disasters?
FEMA rates Charlton County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $5.43M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hurricane (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low), heat wave (relatively low).
What storms are most common in Charlton County?
Since 1996, NOAA recorded 229 storm events affecting Charlton County, most often thunderstorm wind (115), hail (48), heavy rain (20).
How many tornadoes have hit Charlton County?
11 tornadoes have been recorded in Charlton County since 1950.
How many homes in Charlton County have flood insurance?
28 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Charlton County, covering about 0.6% of homes. The program has paid $1.22M on 39 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Charlton County?
At Folkston 9 SW, average highs reach 94°F in Jul and lows fall to 44°F in Jan, with 53.2 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.