Photo: Legohead · CC BY-SA 3.0More hazard damage per building is expected in St. Marys than in 78% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Marys gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns, #234 of 264 in Georgia. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (58%), then river and rain flooding (24%). Flood insurance has paid 73 claims here since 1992.
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 stands out about St. Marys’ natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What St. Marys faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Hurricanes
River and rain flooding
Coastal flooding
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 St. Marys’ grade
Hurricanes are 58% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Marys, and St. Marys’ rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 10%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #234 of 264 in Georgia; higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Marys’ residents live in 7 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, St. Marys has more expected damage per building than 89% of Georgia towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.7M a year in losses across St. Marys: $5.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Marys flood? Sometimes: 73 flood claims since 1992
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Marys, from FEMA’s records: 9.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Irma30 claims · $591K
- Hurricane Matthew10 claims · $161K
- Hurricane Nicole4 claims · $131K
St. Marys is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Camden County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Marys
Disasters that paid out in St. Marys itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of St. Marys), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Hurricane Helene938 households applied for aid$391K aid approved$402K to the City of St. Marys for repairs
- 2023Hurricane Idalia$7K to the City of St. Marys for repairs
- 2017Hurricane Irma1,685 households applied for aid$462K aid approved$1.2M to the City of St. Marys for repairs30 flood claims paid for it, $591K
- 2016Hurricane Matthew$244K to the City of St. Marys for repairs10 flood claims paid for it, $161K
- 2004Tropical Storm Frances$72K to the City of St. Marys for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 1999Hurricane Floyd Emergency Declarations$14K to the City of St. Marys for repairs
Camden County has had 14 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.
Old photos of St. Marys after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Marys archive →St. Marys and its neighbors
St. Marys is 3rd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Bay Base | C+more damage than 63% | hurricanes | — |
| Kingsland | C−more damage than 77% | hurricanes | 70 |
| St. Marys | C−more damage than 78% | hurricanes | 73 |
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 St. Marys faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- 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.
- St. Marys residents get 20% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in St. Marys
Is St. Marys at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Marys has higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #234 of 264 in Georgia. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (58%) and river and rain flooding (24%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. Marys flood?
Flood insurance has paid 73 claims in St. Marys since 1992, $1.2M in all, or 9.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 7 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (30).
Is St. Marys 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 Camden County, 75% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 14.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in St. Marys?
St. Marys is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6), which takes 20% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in St. Marys?
By FEMA money that reached St. Marys, Hurricane Irma (2017): 1,685 households applied for aid, $462K approved, and $1.2M to the City of St. Marys for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 30 paid, $591K.
Is St. Marys at risk from hurricanes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (58%), and St. Marys’ rate for it is in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Marys.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Marys’ 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.