Early County, GA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Early County has experienced 15 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Hurricane Helene in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Early County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, drought, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 30 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (94th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Early County has been designated in 15 declarations since 1977, covering 6 disaster types including hurricane (6), severe storm (4), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 15 total declarations since 1977.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 49.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 32.4 | 8 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 36.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 36.1 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 62.2 | 16 | 0 | $2.4M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 87.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 26.4 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 9.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 44 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 77.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 10.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Early County ranks in the 94th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 94th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 97th | High |
| Household characteristics | 68th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 90th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 85th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 50th | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 50th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 77.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 30 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 6 in 2016–20 vs 24 in 2021–25 .
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Early County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Early County, Georgia are hurricane, drought, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Early County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Early County has received 15 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (6 declarations).
Has Early County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Early County include Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Early County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Houston County, AL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Clay County, GA has the lowest (Very Low). Early County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Early County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Early County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Early County's composite score of 43 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 43% of US counties.