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Georgia lightning risk

159 counties scored 5 rated Very High

Gwinnett County has the highest lightning risk in Georgia, scoring 98.7 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Georgia have decreased 47% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Gwinnett County 98.7 Very High 11
2 DeKalb County 98.6 Very High 2
3 Fulton County 98.3 Very High 0
4 Lumpkin County 97.6 Very High 2
5 Cobb County 97.2 Very High 1
6 Chatham County 95.4 Relatively High 23
7 Muscogee County 94.1 Relatively High 1
8 Richmond County 94.1 Relatively High 2
9 Brooks County 93.5 Relatively High 0
10 Hall County 92.4 Relatively High 3
11 Dougherty County 91.5 Relatively High 1
12 Lowndes County 90.5 Relatively High 5
13 Clayton County 90 Relatively High 0
14 Bibb County 87.8 Relatively High 0
15 Decatur County 87 Relatively High 0
16 Whitfield County 86.8 Relatively High 1
17 Fayette County 86.7 Relatively High 1
18 Forsyth County 86.6 Relatively High 4
19 Houston County 85.9 Relatively High 0
20 Paulding County 84.9 Relatively High 3
21 Henry County 84.6 Relatively High 0
22 Cherokee County 84.5 Relatively High 5
23 Colquitt County 81.6 Relatively Moderate 2
24 Liberty County 81.5 Relatively Moderate 2
25 Tift County 81.1 Relatively Moderate 1
26 Rabun County 80.6 Relatively Moderate 1
27 Gilmer County 80.3 Relatively Moderate 1
28 Tattnall County 80.3 Relatively Moderate 1
29 Clarke County 80 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Chattahoochee County 79.9 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Barrow County 79.6 Relatively Moderate 1
32 Thomas County 77.8 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Bartow County 77.4 Relatively Moderate 1
34 Habersham County 76.7 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Toombs County 76.7 Relatively Moderate 1
36 Douglas County 76.1 Relatively Moderate 4
37 Floyd County 73.2 Relatively Moderate 6
38 Rockdale County 72.8 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Glynn County 72.7 Relatively Moderate 1
40 Troup County 72 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Walton County 71.4 Relatively Moderate 2
42 Coweta County 70.7 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Harris County 69.8 Relatively Moderate 1
44 Irwin County 69.7 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Pickens County 69.6 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Union County 69.6 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Columbia County 69.2 Relatively Moderate 2
48 Carroll County 68.8 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Bulloch County 68.5 Relatively Moderate 0
50 Coffee County 68.2 Relatively Moderate 0
51 Dawson County 67.9 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Jackson County 67.2 Relatively Moderate 3
53 Grady County 67.1 Relatively Moderate 0
54 Catoosa County 65.7 Relatively Moderate 1
55 Murray County 65.7 Relatively Moderate 0
56 Gordon County 65.5 Relatively Moderate 3
57 White County 65.2 Relatively Moderate 2
58 Sumter County 64.7 Relatively Moderate 0
59 Ware County 64.7 Relatively Moderate 4
60 Polk County 62.8 Relatively Moderate 1
61 Spalding County 62.7 Relatively Moderate 1
62 Marion County 62.6 Relatively Moderate 0
63 Mitchell County 62.5 Relatively Moderate 0
64 Fannin County 61.7 Relatively Moderate 1
65 Laurens County 61.6 Relatively Moderate 2
66 Walker County 61.5 Relatively Moderate 1
67 Newton County 60.3 Relatively Moderate 0
68 Berrien County 59.1 Relatively Moderate 0
69 Stephens County 58.1 Relatively Moderate 1
70 Cook County 56.9 Relatively Moderate 2
71 Worth County 56.3 Relatively Low 0
72 Stewart County 55.5 Relatively Low 0
73 Lee County 55.3 Relatively Low 0
74 Upson County 52.6 Relatively Low 1
75 Crisp County 52.2 Relatively Low 0
76 Camden County 52.1 Relatively Low 3
77 Wayne County 51.3 Relatively Low 2
78 Franklin County 51 Relatively Low 0
79 Effingham County 50.9 Relatively Low 14
80 Peach County 50.5 Relatively Low 1
81 Towns County 50.5 Relatively Low 0
82 Madison County 49.7 Relatively Low 0
83 Ben Hill County 49 Relatively Low 0
84 Emanuel County 47.8 Relatively Low 0
85 Hart County 47.6 Relatively Low 0
86 Dodge County 47 Relatively Low 0
87 Chattooga County 46.1 Relatively Low 0
88 Appling County 44.6 Relatively Low 1
89 Early County 44 Relatively Low 0
90 Seminole County 43.8 Relatively Low 0
91 Jeff Davis County 42.9 Relatively Low 0
92 Monroe County 42.5 Relatively Low 0
93 Charlton County 42.1 Relatively Low 1
94 Lanier County 41.7 Relatively Low 1
95 Meriwether County 41.6 Relatively Low 0
96 Talbot County 41.5 Relatively Low 0
97 Telfair County 41.5 Relatively Low 0
98 Terrell County 41.4 Relatively Low 0
99 Haralson County 40.6 Relatively Low 1
100 Macon County 39.7 Relatively Low 0
101 Banks County 38.9 Relatively Low 0
102 Turner County 37.5 Relatively Low 0
103 Pierce County 36.3 Relatively Low 3
104 Brantley County 36 Relatively Low 0
105 Bryan County 35.8 Relatively Low 0
106 Clinch County 35.4 Relatively Low 1
107 Oconee County 35.3 Relatively Low 0
108 Pike County 35.2 Relatively Low 1
109 Elbert County 32.6 Relatively Low 1
110 McDuffie County 32.6 Relatively Low 0
111 McIntosh County 32.3 Relatively Low 1
112 Bacon County 32.2 Relatively Low 0
113 Burke County 31.9 Relatively Low 1
114 Taylor County 31.8 Relatively Low 0
115 Wilcox County 31.8 Relatively Low 0
116 Evans County 31.6 Relatively Low 0
117 Lamar County 31.1 Relatively Low 0
118 Heard County 30.7 Relatively Low 0
119 Butts County 30 Relatively Low 0
120 Randolph County 29.6 Relatively Low 0
121 Baldwin County 29.5 Relatively Low 4
122 Johnson County 29.2 Relatively Low 0
123 Miller County 28.5 Relatively Low 1
124 Montgomery County 28.2 Relatively Low 0
125 Calhoun County 27.6 Relatively Low 0
126 Putnam County 27.4 Relatively Low 0
127 Long County 27.3 Relatively Low 2
128 Morgan County 26.4 Relatively Low 0
129 Screven County 26.1 Relatively Low 0
130 Wheeler County 25.9 Relatively Low 0
131 Bleckley County 25.8 Relatively Low 0
132 Candler County 25.6 Relatively Low 3
133 Washington County 25.5 Relatively Low 1
134 Dade County 25.3 Relatively Low 0
135 Pulaski County 24.8 Relatively Low 0
136 Crawford County 24.4 Relatively Low 1
137 Dooly County 24.3 Relatively Low 0
138 Jones County 23.5 Very Low 0
139 Jefferson County 23.3 Very Low 0
140 Atkinson County 23 Very Low 0
141 Quitman County 19.4 Very Low 0
142 Greene County 18.5 Very Low 0
143 Clay County 16.6 Very Low 0
144 Jenkins County 16.1 Very Low 1
145 Baker County 15 Very Low 0
146 Wilkes County 14.5 Very Low 0
147 Jasper County 14.3 Very Low 0
148 Treutlen County 13.2 Very Low 0
149 Webster County 12.8 Very Low 0
150 Oglethorpe County 12.7 Very Low 0
151 Echols County 12 Very Low 0
152 Schley County 11.1 Very Low 1
153 Twiggs County 10.4 Very Low 0
154 Lincoln County 9.4 Very Low 0
155 Hancock County 8.5 Very Low 0
156 Wilkinson County 8.3 Very Low 0
157 Warren County 6.7 Very Low 0
158 Glascock County 2.9 Very Low 0
159 Taliaferro County 1.8 Very Low 0

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Lightning risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Georgia:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailStrong WindWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest lightning risk county in Georgia?

Gwinnett County, GA has the highest lightning risk in Georgia, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.7 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

How many counties in Georgia are rated Very High for lightning risk?

5 of 159 scored Georgia counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.

What causes lightning risk in Georgia?

Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.