How much flood risk does Gilmer County actually carry?
Gilmer County lands at the 75.3th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Moderate" territory — a middling flood hazard by national standards — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 1 years. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Gilmer County
22.7% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Gilmer County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 160 policies against 706 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Gilmer County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 1.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Gilmer County compares nationally
Gilmer County sits at rank 812 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1359 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Gilmer County, Georgia is home to about 33,327 people across 426.181 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Gilmer County
207 of Gilmer County's 17,398 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Gilmer County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.