Hortense, GA
Hortense wildfire risk explained
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Hortense at the 75th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 197 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Hortense at the 75th national percentile — 1 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Hortense's building exposure, zone by zone
99% of Hortense's 197 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 195 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 1% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
How Hortense compares
There's little gap between Hortense's 75th national percentile and its 81st percentile inside Georgia, which means the state comparison mostly confirms what the national score already shows. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Hortense ranks 7,938 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 24,953 by building count (1 is largest). Within Georgia alone, it ranks 127 of 669 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Georgia on its state page.
What this risk score means for insurance
At the 75th percentile nationally, Hortense carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Lowering exposure, not just insuring around it
Because Direct exposure dominates in Hortense (99%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 197 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Hortense. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Hortense, see the exposure-zones guide.