Hazards

These hazards can be intensified by societal behavior and practices, such as building in a floodplain, along a seacoast, or an earthquake fault. All these hazards may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage, if the extent, magnitude, and impact is significant. While it is impossible to prevent and mitigate all hazards, the impacts can, at a minimum, be mitigated or, in some instances, prevented entirely. 

Georgia is not immune to any of these hazard types. Tropical cyclones and related coastal flooding, winter storms, and river flooding affect Georgia on a recurring basis. The coastal counties in the state are vulnerable to hurricane storm surge. Other damages associated with hurricanes and tropical storms include inland flooding, damaging winds and tornadoes. This type of flooding poses an additional health risk as it involves the overflow of storm sewer systems and is usually caused by inadequate drainage following heavy rain, or an extreme storm surge. In addition, Georgia is home to numerous pieces of critical infrastructure that are vulnerable to both human-caused hazards, such as a cyber compromise or terrorism, and technological hazards, such as an infrastructure failure or transportation accidents. 

Click here for a listing of the hazards that impact Georgia most frequently and have the potential to cause fatalities, injuries, property and infrastructure damage, agricultural loss, damage to the environment, interruption of business, or other types of harm or loss.