Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Tennille

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Charles Madden HouseCharles Madden House · Photo: Cynthia Jennings · CC BY-SA 4.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Tennille · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Tennille than in 83% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Tennille gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%), then hurricanes (14%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 63%Hurricanes 14%Tornadoes 10%

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 83%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
A−
in Georgia · lower than 83% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
63% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 9 declared for Washington County
By hazard

What Tennille 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

63%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hurricanes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Earthquakes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Ice storms Wildfire Lightning Winter 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 drought at 14% of Tennille’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Tennille’s grade

River and rain flooding is 63% of the building damage FEMA expects in Tennille, and Tennille’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 78% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 14% (higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Tennille sits
Tennille
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Tennille’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding63%Hurricanes14%Tornadoes10%Everything else14%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $421K a year in losses across Tennille: $268K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Helene in 2024, FEMA took 1,181 aid registrations from Tennille addresses (the town has 878 homes).
A small-area figure. Tennille covers 2 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 Tennille flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Tennille

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

  1. 2024Hurricane Helene1,181 households applied for aid$762K aid approved$64K to the City of Tennille for repairs
  2. 2018Hurricane Michael$15K to the City of Tennille for repairs
  3. 2017Hurricane Irma$25K to the City of Tennille for repairs
  4. 2014Severe Winter Storm$36K to the City of Tennille for repairs
  5. 2004Tropical Storm Frances$6K to the City of Tennille for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in TennilleWashington County only

Washington 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Tennille archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Tennille 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 Tennille

Is Tennille at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Tennille has lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%) and hurricanes (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Tennille 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 Washington County, 13% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Tennille?

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

By FEMA money that reached Tennille, Hurricane Helene (2024): 1,181 households applied for aid, $762K approved, and $64K to the City of Tennille for repairs.

Is Tennille at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (63%), and Tennille’s rate for it is lower than 78% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Tennille.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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