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Geraldine-water-tower-alPhoto: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Geraldine · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Geraldine

Geraldine isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Geraldine yet.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 30 declared for DeKalb County
By hazard

What Geraldine faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

78%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

11%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 17 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Hurricanes Ice storms Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Lightning Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 14% of Geraldine’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.1%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Geraldine flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Geraldine. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Geraldine isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: DeKalb County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
13storm safe rooms built
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Geraldine

Disasters that paid out in Geraldine itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Geraldine), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding51 households applied for aid$5K aid approved$1K to the Town of Geraldine for repairs
  2. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding51 households applied for aid$60K aid approved$8K to the Town of Geraldine for repairs
  3. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$6K to the Town of Geraldine for repairs
  4. 2000Severe Winter Storms$7K to the Town of Geraldine for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in GeraldineDeKalb County only

DeKalb County has had 30 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in DeKalb County, 1999–1999.

Were you here?

Old photos of Geraldine after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Geraldine archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Geraldine faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Geraldine

Is Geraldine in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In DeKalb County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Geraldine?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Geraldine’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Geraldine?

By FEMA money that reached Geraldine, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2010): 51 households applied for aid, $60K approved, and $8K to the Town of Geraldine for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Geraldine.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Geraldine’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.