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Fort Oglethorpe Historic DistrictFort Oglethorpe Historic District · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0
C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Fort Oglethorpe · FEMA

FEMA puts Fort Oglethorpe’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 61% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fort Oglethorpe gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns, #211 of 264 in Georgia. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 137 claims here since 1989.

River and rain flooding 67%Tornadoes 15%Earthquakes 14%

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

more than 61%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#211 of 264 in Georgia
Hazard risk
C+#211 of 264
in Georgia · higher than 61% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
67% of expected building damage
Flood claims
137
paid since 1989 · $2.4M
Flooded more than once
20
properties · 7 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
1
of 14 declared for its 2 counties

What stands out about Fort Oglethorpe’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

137 paid flood claims since 1989$2.4M in all; 20 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 87% of U.S. towns.Moved out of harm’s way3 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 3 homes raised above flood level with FEMA grants.Remembers 200939 flood claims were paid for 2009 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Fort Oglethorpe 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

67%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

14%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Ice storms Winter storms Hurricanes Lightning Wildfire 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 cold waves at 18% of Fort Oglethorpe’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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Fort Oglethorpe’s grade

River and rain flooding is 67% of the building damage FEMA expects in Fort Oglethorpe, and Fort Oglethorpe’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 15%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Fort Oglethorpe sits
Fort Oglethorpe
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ #211 of 264 in Georgia; higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Fort Oglethorpe’s residents live in 9 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding67%Tornadoes15%Earthquakes14%Everything else5%

The typical Georgia town has lower expected damage than 72% of U.S. towns; within the state, Fort Oglethorpe has more expected damage per building than 80% of Georgia towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.5M a year in losses across Fort Oglethorpe: $2.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 9 census tracts by where Fort Oglethorpe’s 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 Fort Oglethorpe flood? Yes: 137 flood claims since 1989

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fort Oglethorpe, from FEMA’s records: 27.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1989: 2 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 8 claims1995: 6 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 12 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 11 claims2004: 4 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 39 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 14 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 9 claims2018: 1 claim2019: 0 claims2020: 14 claims2021: 1 claim2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 15 claims2026: 0 claims200920112025
19892026
Biggest named events
  • The Late summer storms39 claims · $872K
  • Tropical Storm Ivan3 claims · $39K
137
paid claims since 1989
$2.4M
paid to owners
20
homes flooded more than once
$17K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (7)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Catoosa County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
3homes raised above flood level
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Fort Oglethorpe

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

  1. 2009Severe Storms and Flooding91 households applied for aid$153K aid approved$61K to the City of Fort Oglethorpe for repairs39 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Fort Oglethorpeits 2 counties only

Its 2 counties have had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Fort Oglethorpe archive →
Next door

Fort Oglethorpe and its neighbors

Fort Oglethorpe is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Lakeview: hazard risk B−Fairview: hazard risk C+LakeviewFairviewFort Oglethorpe
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
LakeviewB−less damage than 53%river and rain flooding54
FairviewC+more damage than 55%river and rain flooding—
Fort OglethorpeC+more damage than 61%river and rain flooding137

Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.

Be ready

Get ready for what Fort Oglethorpe 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 Fort Oglethorpe

Is Fort Oglethorpe at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fort Oglethorpe has higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #211 of 264 in Georgia. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Fort Oglethorpe flood?

Flood insurance has paid 137 claims in Fort Oglethorpe since 1989, $2.4M in all, or 27.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 20 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late summer storms (39).

Is Fort Oglethorpe 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 Catoosa County, 22% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Fort Oglethorpe?

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

By FEMA money that reached Fort Oglethorpe, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): 91 households applied for aid, $153K approved, and $61K to the City of Fort Oglethorpe for repairs. By flood claims, Late summer storms: 39 paid, $872K.

Is Fort Oglethorpe at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (67%), and Fort Oglethorpe’s rate for it is higher than 64% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fort Oglethorpe.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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