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Ashburn City Hall SE cornerPhoto: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Ashburn · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Ashburn faces less hazard damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ashburn gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns, #86 of 264 in Georgia. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (52%), then hurricanes (22%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

less than 78%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#86 of 264 in Georgia
By hazard

What Ashburn 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

52%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Hurricanes

22%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

6%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 56% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Wildfire Hail Lightning Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves 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 strong wind at 17% of Ashburn’s expected losses. Strong wind does little damage to buildings (3.1%), 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Ashburn’s grade

River and rain flooding is 52% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ashburn, and Ashburn’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 22% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Ashburn sits
Ashburn
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− #86 of 264 in Georgia; lower expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Ashburn’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding52%Hurricanes22%Tornadoes14%Everything else11%

The typical Georgia town has lower expected damage than 72% of U.S. towns; within the state, Ashburn has less expected damage per building than 68% of Georgia towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.8M a year in losses across Ashburn: $666K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Michael in 2018, FEMA took 522 aid registrations from Ashburn addresses (the town has 1,979 homes).
A small-area figure. Ashburn covers 3 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Ashburn flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

Insurance rates: Turner County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ashburn

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

  1. 2018Hurricane Michael522 households applied for aid$172K aid approved$217K to the City of Ashburn for repairs
  2. 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding207 households applied for aid$404K aid approved
  3. 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-line Winds1 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$18K to the City of Ashburn for repairs
  4. 2004Tropical Storm Frances$19K to the City of Ashburn for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AshburnTurner County only

Turner County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Ashburn archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Ashburn 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Ashburn

Is Ashburn at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ashburn has lower expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #86 of 264 in Georgia. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (52%) and hurricanes (22%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Ashburn 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 Turner County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Ashburn?

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

By FEMA money that reached Ashburn, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2017): 207 households applied for aid, $404K approved.

Is Ashburn at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (52%), and Ashburn’s rate for it is lower than 83% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ashburn.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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