Liberty County, GA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Liberty County has experienced 18 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Hurricane Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Liberty County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 56% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (90th 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. Liberty County has been designated in 18 declarations since 1977, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (9), tropical storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Matthew |
Showing the 10 most recent of 18 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 | Relatively Low | 76.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 52.3 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 51.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 75.6 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 74.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35.9 | 6 | 0 | $5.1M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 56.8 | 16 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 31.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 23 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 52.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 33.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | 2 | 0 | $755K |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 3.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Liberty County ranks in the 90th 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 | 90th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 82nd | High |
| Household characteristics | 84th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 93rd | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 86th | 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 | 71st | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 78th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 60.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 26 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 18 in 2016–20 vs 8 in 2021–25 (-56% — frequency decreasing).
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 Liberty County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Liberty County, Georgia are hurricane, lightning, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Liberty County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Liberty County has received 18 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (9 declarations).
Has Liberty County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Liberty County include Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Liberty County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Chatham County, GA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Long County, GA has the lowest (Very Low). Liberty County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Liberty County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Liberty 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. Liberty County's composite score of 83 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 83% of US counties.