"The Walking Dead," which is filmed in Georgia, may be a fictional tale. But in reality, the state is quite apocalyptic. Zombies aren't the reason though; it's the weather, according to a recent study.

U.S. climate officials recently released a series of maps, created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to illustrate how climate disasters have affected America over the last several years.

Since 1980, there have been 203 disasters, which have caused $1.1 trillion of damage, and Georgia was responsible for 67 of them.

That’s the second-highest in the nation since 1980, second only to Texas and tied with Illinois and Oklahoma.

In 2016 alone, there were 15 weather and climate events including wildfires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and more. The Peach State experienced both wildfires and hurricanes.

In fact, last year was the second-worst year for billion-dollar disasters, which was right behind 2011. There were 16 events that year.

Scientists believe that the number of costly weather occurrences is on the rise and climate change may be a contributor.

» Atlanta weather: Forecast, news and updates

About the Author

Keep Reading

Ernie Suggs, a reporter at the AJC since 1997, reviews a selection of articles he has contributed to during his time with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as of Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images