Georgia braces for hurricane season: What North Georgia residents should know

Published On: June 7, 2025

As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins this weekend, Georgia emergency officials are urging residents across the state to prepare now, not later.

With the National Hurricane Center predicting a 60 percent chance of an above normal season, state leaders are sounding the alarm early, especially after last year’s destructive Hurricane Helene. That storm delivered 11.2 inches of rain to Atlanta, winds reaching up to 95 miles per hour in South Georgia, and flooding impacts that stretched deep into the foothills, including here in North Georgia.

Not Just a Coastal Concern

While hurricanes typically make landfall along Georgia’s coastline, their path and destruction can extend hundreds of miles inland. In 2024, widespread flooding from Hurricane Helene reached into the Northeast Georgia region, prompting school closures, downed trees, power outages, and emergency water rescues in parts of Habersham and White counties.

Emergency management officials want to remind residents that even if you do not live near the ocean, you are not in the clear.

How to Prepare Now

Both GEMA and the Georgia Department of Insurance are encouraging residents to take the following steps before the first storm forms:

Make a Family Plan
Know your evacuation route and meeting place
Discuss how to communicate if phones go down
Plan for children, elderly family members, and pets
Build a Ready Kit
Store at least three days’ worth of food and water, one gallon per person or pet per day
Include flashlights, batteries, medication, a first aid kit, and important documents
Review Your Insurance
Make sure you are covered for wind, tree damage, and temporary housing
Flood damage is not included in standard policies; consider separate flood coverage
Know your wind deductible and what is required to file a claim
Create a Home Inventory
Take photos or video of your belongings, especially in basements or flood-prone areas
Save copies digitally in case paper records are lost
Stay Informed
Sign up for local emergency alerts like CodeRED or Alert Habersham
Follow trusted sources like the National Weather Service and local emergency management
Do not rely on social media rumors during storms; get updates from official channels

What North Georgia Has Learned

Over the past decade, storms like Helene, Irma, and Zeta have proven that North Georgia’s rivers, steep terrain, and aging infrastructure make the region especially vulnerable to flash flooding, landslides, and long term power outages.

In 2020, portions of Clarkesville and Demorest saw major flood damage following tropical storm remnants. In 2021, roads in White County were washed out. Just last year, heavy rains from Helene caused minor landslides in Tallulah Falls and water damage to homes in Cornelia.