Storms, floods and disasters in Vernonburg
Vernonburg isn’t graded for hazard risk: Vernonburg has 133 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1994.
What Vernonburg 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.
Does Vernonburg flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1994
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Vernonburg, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Irma4 claims · $556K
- Hurricane Helene1 claim · $139K
Vernonburg isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Chatham County.The storms Vernonburg remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Chatham County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Vernonburg itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20174 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Irma, declared for Chatham County
- 19941 flood claims paidThe year of Heavy Rains, Tornados, Flooding, High Winds, declared for Chatham County
- 20241 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Helene, declared for Chatham County
Chatham County has had 12 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 Vernonburg after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Vernonburg archive →Vernonburg and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah | D−more damage than 96% | hurricanes | 1,854 |
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 Vernonburg 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Vernonburg
Does Vernonburg flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Vernonburg since 1994, $710K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Irma (4).
Is Vernonburg 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 Chatham County, 81% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 20.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Vernonburg?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Vernonburg’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 Vernonburg?
By flood claims, Hurricane Irma: 4 paid, $556K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Vernonburg.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Vernonburg’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.