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WoodlandsWoodlands · Photo: Altairisfar · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Whatley · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Whatley

Whatley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Whatley has 162 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 22 declared for Clarke County
By hazard

What Whatley faces

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

Hurricanes

51%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

River and rain flooding

36%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Hail Landslides top 2% Lightning top 3% Wildfire Ice storms Cold waves top 3% Winter storms Heat waves
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Whatley flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Whatley. 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

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

Insurance rates: Clarke County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Whatley

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

  1. 2020Hurricane Zeta137 households applied for aid$228K aid approved
  2. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding53 households applied for aid$43K aid approved
  3. 2005Hurricane Katrina170 households applied for aid$455K aid approved
  4. 2004Hurricane Ivan344 households applied for aid$586K aid approved
  5. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding65 households applied for aid$69K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WhatleyClarke County only

Clarke County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Whatley archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Whatley faces

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

Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
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 ↗
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 Whatley

Is Whatley 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 Clarke County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Whatley?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Whatley’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 Whatley?

By FEMA money that reached Whatley, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 344 households applied for aid, $586K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Whatley.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Whatley’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.