On FEMA’s figures, Hephzibah faces less hazard damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hephzibah gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #94 of 264 in Georgia. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then hurricanes (14%). 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
What Hephzibah 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
Hurricanes
Earthquakes
Tornadoes
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.
What’s behind Hephzibah’s grade
River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hephzibah, and Hephzibah’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 14% (higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #94 of 264 in Georgia; lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Hephzibah’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Georgia town has lower expected damage than 72% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hephzibah has less expected damage per building than 65% of Georgia towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $962K a year in losses across Hephzibah: $597K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hephzibah flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hephzibah. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Hephzibah isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Richmond County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hephzibah
Disasters that paid out in Hephzibah itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Hephzibah), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Helene12,728 households applied for aid$15.0M aid approved$3.2M to the City of Hephzibah for repairs
- 2014Severe Winter Storm$134K to the City of Hephzibah for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms and Tornadoes10 households applied for aid$35K aid approved
Richmond County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Hephzibah after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hephzibah archive →Hephzibah and its neighbors
Hephzibah has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hephzibah | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Augusta | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | — |
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.
Get ready for what Hephzibah faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Hephzibah
Is Hephzibah at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hephzibah has lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #94 of 264 in Georgia. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and hurricanes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Hephzibah 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 Richmond County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hephzibah?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hephzibah’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 Hephzibah?
By FEMA money that reached Hephzibah, Hurricane Helene (2024): 12,728 households applied for aid, $15.0M approved, and $3.2M to the City of Hephzibah for repairs.
Is Hephzibah at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Hephzibah’s rate for it is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hephzibah.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hephzibah’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.