Charlton County, Georgia, faces significant threats from hurricanes and flooding, yet lacks updated community risk and structural vulnerability data. By working with local partners, we are identifying and mapping hazard and risk to improve emergency evacuation planning and strengthen local infrastructure. This assessment will help the county better prepare for disasters to improve local response and recovery.
Why We Care
Charlton County, Georgia, is home to the ecologically important Okefenokee Swamp and serves as a vital infrastructure corridor connecting Florida and Georgia. Though not coast-adjacent, the county is tidally influenced via the Satilla River and is defined as a coastal county by the Coastal Zone Management Act and Georgia Department of Natural Resources. This rural area faces widespread environmental threats that strain its limited resources, including tropical storms and hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornados, hail, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires.
Between 2017 and 2021, five tropical storms and hurricanes caused repeated damage and flooding. Similarly, from 1950 to 2021, the total cost for flood-related damages is estimated at $3,700,000. In a future Category 1 hurricane scenario, Charlton County is expected to experience $4.7 million in economic losses from wind damage alone. This is further compounded by the county’s limited inclusion in FEMA Disaster Declarations despite its close proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of America.
Managing varied environmental hazards and associated risks is complicated by the county’s unique geographic location and infrastructural traits:
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- Located one county inland from the coast, Charlton County is a key evacuation route for coastal areas but faces a limited funding base, and emergency management plans suffer from outdated data and needed revisions.
- A major rail line traverses the county with limited crossings, creating persistent traffic flow challenges and safety concerns regarding community isolation during weather emergencies.
- Reliance on extensive, silty, unpaved rural roads leaves the community vulnerable to wash outs during heavy rain and flooding, frequently impeding safe passage and emergency access.
What We Are Doing
In partnership with the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration’s Disaster Preparedness Program, we are extending NCCOS’ Community Risk Assessment Framework to support Charlton County’s Emergency Management Agency. Through close collaboration with local partners, we will determine key assessment components, develop indicators, assess vulnerability, hazard, and risk, and develop products, data, and information for community use related to:
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- Population and critical infrastructure;
- Hazard profiles;
- Unique research themes to address local disaster planning and preparedness; and
- Areas and assets most at risk.
This assessment will also incorporate non-spatial statistical analysis to address related critical infrastructure information gaps. An in-person workshop is scheduled for August 2026, and products are planned for the fall of 2027.
Benefits of Our Work
Despite its role as an essential regional connector, Charlton County lacks comprehensive risk assessments and other studies for its critical infrastructure and environmental hazards. Our work will provide the necessary data-driven foundation to modernize emergency planning, strengthen infrastructure, and improve community safety in the face of frequent and repeating environmental threats.