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Asbury and Sallie Hodgson HouseAsbury and Sallie Hodgson House · Photo: Blastoids · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Dillard · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Dillard

Dillard isn’t graded for hazard risk: Dillard has 326 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2007.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2007 · $37K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 16 declared for Rabun County
By hazard

What Dillard 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

76%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 53% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

5%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Ice storms Hail Strong wind Lightning top 2% Wildfire Cold waves Landslides Winter storms
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHeat wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 22% of Dillard’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 Dillard flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2007

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dillard, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2007: 1 claim2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2007
20072026
1
paid claims since 2007
$37K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$37K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Rabun County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Dillard

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Helene4 households applied for aid$1K aid approved$5K to the City of Dillard for repairs
  2. 2004Hurricane Ivan5 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$13K to the City of Dillard for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in DillardRabun County only

Rabun County has had 16 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 Dillard after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Dillard archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Dillard 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 ↗
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 Dillard

Does Dillard flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Dillard since 2007, $37K in all.

Is Dillard 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 Rabun County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Dillard?

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

By FEMA money that reached Dillard, Hurricane Ivan (2004): 5 households applied for aid, $2K approved, and $13K to the City of Dillard for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Dillard.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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