Screven County, Georgia
A shallow water table limits basements on 70% of Screven County's mapped land, a higher share than 82% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.
10.6% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 36.8% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 5 flood losses here since 2016. 46% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1982.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Screven County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 0.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 70.3% |
| Septic fields very limited | 86.3% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 1.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.0% |
| Mapped soil | 419,200 acres |
How we count · survey areas GA251 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 70% of Screven County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 29.39 in, 17.31 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 46.70 in.
USDA rates 86% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
10.6% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 35 weeks, most recently on the June 16, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 68.9% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 10.6% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
5 flood losses since 2016, $182,290 paid. The worst year was 2024, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 46.70 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 29.39 in (-17.31) |
| 2025 | 40.55 in (-6.15) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 64.85 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1931: 29.59 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at BROOKLET 1 W (26 mi away) | 14.1 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,567 |
| Median year built | 1982 |
| Built before 1980 | 46% |
| Built 2000 or later | 16% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $124,300 |
| Single-family detached | 62% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenkins County, GA | 21 mi | 9% | 65% |
| Allendale County, SC | 22 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Bulloch County, GA | 25 mi | under 1% | 76% |
| Hampton County, SC | 28 mi | 0% | 99% |
| Effingham County, GA | 31 mi | 2% | 92% |
| Burke County, GA | 31 mi | under 1% | 53% |
| Candler County, GA | 35 mi | 0% | 58% |
| Barnwell County, SC | 37 mi | 0% | 65% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status