FEMA declarations
98
High volume
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Mississippi Natural Disasters
Mississippi's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 98 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by severe storm, with $1.1B in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 14,100 recorded weather events resulting in 130 fatalities, figures the state uses to prioritize disaster-preparedness planning.
- 98
- FEMA declarations
- 14,100
- NOAA storm events
- 130
- Storm fatalities
- $1.1B
- Property + crop damage
The Mississippi risk picture
1 of the 82 counties FEMA scores, 1%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Mississippi has 77 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 794 injuries statewide.
- 1%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 98
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $1.1B
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 62,837
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
79%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
14,100
Observed severe-weather records
How does Mississippi compare?
Mississippi vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
98 Top 27% higher than 73% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Mississippi county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
50.9 Top 50% higher than 50% of 82 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-03
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Mississippi sits at the 71st percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 62nd percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Mississippi's record?
FEMA declaration types in Mississippi
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
43 declarations
- Hurricane
Hurricane
24 declarations
- Tornado 12
Tornado
12 declarations
- Flood 10
Flood
10 declarations
- Winter Storm 2
Winter Storm
2 declarations
- Biological 2
Biological
2 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 2
Severe Ice Storm
2 declarations
- Snowstorm 1
Snowstorm
1 declarations
What this shows Severe Storm leads Mississippi's FEMA declaration mix with 43 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in Mississippi
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2023 (1,942 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
72 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Mississippi · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) High
17/30
98 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.1x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) High
16/25
14100 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (1.3x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Very High
19/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (1.9x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
10 different disaster types declared in Mississippi
What does Mississippi's hazard record show?
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 80Mississippi counties have filed 62,837 NFIP claims totaling $3.1B, or an average of $49.7K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $0.5B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Mississippi recorded 14,100 individual storm events, causing 130 fatalities and 794 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $1.1B. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (5,557 events), Flash Flood (1,551 events), Hail (1,411 events). Across the 82counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 1 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 50.9/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
Mississippi (MS) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 98 FEMA declaration records, including 77 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Severe Storm, followed by Hurricane (24), Tornado (12), Flood (10). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Disaster Types in Mississippi
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Severe Storm
43.9%
43 declarations
Hurricane
24.5%
24 declarations
Tornado
12.2%
12 declarations
Flood
10.2%
10 declarations
Winter Storm
2.0%
2 declarations
Biological
2.0%
2 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
2.0%
2 declarations
Snowstorm
1.0%
1 declarations
Other
1.0%
1 declarations
Toxic Substances
1.0%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Mississippi (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,557 | 17 | 60 | $93.9M |
| Flash Flood | 1,551 | 6 | 9 | $83.6M |
| Hail | 1,411 | 0 | 0 | $90.1M |
| Heat | 1,340 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Tornado | 1,097 | 68 | 610 | $562.0M |
| Excessive Heat | 733 | 2 | 2 | $0 |
| Drought | 725 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | 302 | 8 | 62 | $667.0K |
| Strong Wind | 268 | 5 | 1 | $3.3M |
| Winter Storm | 217 | 6 | 5 | $4.1M |
| Heavy Snow | 161 | 2 | 2 | $2.2M |
| Flood | 135 | 3 | 2 | $8.7M |
| Lightning | 108 | 4 | 16 | $5.5M |
| Tropical Storm | 95 | 0 | 2 | $23.7M |
| Sleet | 89 | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| Ice Storm | 48 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 45 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 41 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| High Wind | 37 | 0 | 1 | $318.0K |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 33 | 1 | 0 | $20.2M |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,671 | 15 | 45 | $42.3M |
| 2024 | 1,363 | 12 | 61 | $30.6M |
| 2023 | 1,942 | 31 | 279 | $372.4M |
| 2022 | 1,474 | 1 | 19 | $64.2M |
| 2021 | 1,165 | 7 | 18 | $50.3M |
| 2020 | 1,060 | 17 | 126 | $248.2M |
| 2019 | 1,139 | 11 | 46 | $56.7M |
| 2018 | 1,124 | 4 | 59 | $28.4M |
| 2017 | 1,039 | 10 | 64 | $57.1M |
| 2016 | 1,260 | 4 | 9 | $37.2M |
| 2015 | 863 | 18 | 68 | $20.2M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 98 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 98 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
98 unique disaster declarations in Mississippi.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4922 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2026-06-30 |
| 4899 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2026-02-06 |
| 3640 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4874 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-05-21 |
| 4790 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-06-10 |
| 4727 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES. | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-08-12 |
| 4697 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-03-26 |
| 3582 | WATER CRISIS | EM | Other | 2022-08-30 |
| 4626 | HURRICANE IDA | DR | Hurricane | 2021-10-22 |
| 3569 | HURRICANE IDA | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-28 |
| 4598 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-05-04 |
| 4576 | HURRICANE ZETA | DR | Hurricane | 2020-12-31 |
| 3550 | HURRICANE ZETA | EM | Hurricane | 2020-10-28 |
| 3548 | HURRICANE DELTA | EM | Hurricane | 2020-10-08 |
| 3544 | HURRICANE SALLY | EM | Hurricane | 2020-09-14 |
| 3539 | HURRICANE MARCO AND TROPICAL STORM LAURA | EM | Hurricane | 2020-08-23 |
| 4551 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-07-09 |
| 4538 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-04-23 |
| 4536 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-04-16 |
| 4528 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-05 |
| 3474 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4478 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-03-12 |
| 4470 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-12-06 |
| 4450 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-06-20 |
| 4429 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-04-23 |
| 4415 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADO | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-02-14 |
| 4350 | HURRICANE NATE | DR | Hurricane | 2017-11-22 |
| 3393 | HURRICANE NATE | EM | Hurricane | 2017-10-07 |
| 4314 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-05-22 |
| 4295 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 2017-01-25 |
| 4268 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-03-25 |
| 4248 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2016-01-04 |
| 4205 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 2015-01-07 |
| 4175 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-04-30 |
| 4101 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-02-13 |
| 4081 | HURRICANE ISAAC | DR | Hurricane | 2012-08-29 |
| 3348 | TROPICAL STORM ISAAC | EM | Hurricane | 2012-08-28 |
| 1983 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-05-11 |
| 3320 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2011-05-04 |
| 1972 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND ASSOCIATED FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-04-29 |
| 1916 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-05-14 |
| 1906 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-04-29 |
| 1837 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-05-12 |
| 1794 | HURRICANE GUSTAV | DR | Hurricane | 2008-09-22 |
| 3291 | HURRICANE GUSTAV | EM | Hurricane | 2008-08-30 |
| 1764 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-05-28 |
| 1753 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-05-08 |
| 1604 | HURRICANE KATRINA | DR | Hurricane | 2005-08-29 |
| 3213 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-08-28 |
| 1594 | HURRICANE DENNIS | DR | Hurricane | 2005-07-10 |
Showing 50 of 98 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Mississippi counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
50.9/100
High Risk Counties
1
of 82 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$0.5B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$500.1M EAL
#2
Hurricane
$296.4M EAL
#3
Tornado
$270.6M EAL
#4
Cold Wave
$149.8M EAL
#5
Earthquake
$121.3M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Mississippi from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
62,837
Total Paid
$3.1B
Avg Per Claim
$49.7K
Counties With Claims
80
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Mississippi
82 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marion County | 37 | Relatively Low | 25 |
| 2 | Pearl River County | 36 | Relatively Moderate | 22 |
| 3 | Jackson County | 36 | Relatively Moderate | 23 |
| 4 | Harrison County | 36 | Relatively High | 23 |
| 5 | Pike County | 34 | Relatively Low | 23 |
| 6 | Jones County | 33 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 7 | George County | 33 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 8 | Warren County | 33 | Relatively Moderate | 24 |
| 9 | Jefferson Davis County | 33 | Very Low | 22 |
| 10 | Lawrence County | 33 | Very Low | 22 |
| 11 | Perry County | 32 | Very Low | 21 |
| 12 | Greene County | 32 | Very Low | 22 |
| 13 | Covington County | 32 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 14 | Forrest County | 32 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 15 | Hancock County | 32 | Relatively Moderate | 19 |
| 16 | Lincoln County | 32 | Relatively Low | 22 |
| 17 | Wilkinson County | 32 | Very Low | 22 |
| 18 | Wayne County | 31 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 19 | Yazoo County | 31 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 20 | Stone County | 30 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 21 | Simpson County | 30 | Relatively Low | 24 |
| 22 | Washington County | 30 | Relatively Moderate | 23 |
| 23 | Holmes County | 30 | Relatively Low | 24 |
| 24 | Walthall County | 29 | Very Low | 19 |
| 25 | Amite County | 29 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 26 | Claiborne County | 29 | Very Low | 21 |
| 27 | Copiah County | 28 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 28 | Issaquena County | 27 | Very Low | 18 |
| 29 | Lamar County | 27 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 30 | Jasper County | 27 | Very Low | 21 |
| 31 | Tallahatchie County | 27 | Very Low | 22 |
| 32 | Clay County | 27 | Very Low | 23 |
| 33 | Leake County | 27 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 34 | Hinds County | 27 | Relatively Moderate | 18 |
| 35 | Grenada County | 27 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 36 | Adams County | 27 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 37 | Madison County | 26 | Relatively Moderate | 19 |
| 38 | Jefferson County | 26 | Very Low | 17 |
| 39 | Sharkey County | 26 | Very Low | 17 |
| 40 | Itawamba County | 26 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 41 | Panola County | 26 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 42 | Monroe County | 26 | Relatively Low | 21 |
| 43 | Neshoba County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 44 | Franklin County | 25 | Very Low | 17 |
| 45 | Leflore County | 25 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 46 | Smith County | 25 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 47 | Humphreys County | 25 | Very Low | 17 |
| 48 | Clarke County | 25 | Very Low | 18 |
| 49 | Newton County | 24 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 50 | Bolivar County | 24 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 51 | Carroll County | 24 | Very Low | 18 |
| 52 | Rankin County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 53 | Lauderdale County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 54 | Coahoma County | 23 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 55 | Attala County | 23 | Very Low | 17 |
| 56 | Lowndes County | 23 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 57 | Chickasaw County | 23 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 58 | Prentiss County | 22 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 59 | Calhoun County | 22 | Very Low | 18 |
| 60 | Quitman County | 22 | Very Low | 18 |
| 61 | Webster County | 22 | Very Low | 17 |
| 62 | Scott County | 22 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 63 | Sunflower County | 22 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 64 | Lee County | 22 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 65 | Kemper County | 21 | Very Low | 16 |
| 66 | Noxubee County | 21 | Very Low | 16 |
| 67 | Lafayette County | 21 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 68 | Montgomery County | 21 | Very Low | 15 |
| 69 | Tippah County | 20 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 70 | Pontotoc County | 20 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 71 | Choctaw County | 20 | Very Low | 16 |
| 72 | Yalobusha County | 20 | Very Low | 15 |
| 73 | Oktibbeha County | 19 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 74 | Union County | 19 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 75 | Tishomingo County | 19 | Very Low | 14 |
| 76 | Winston County | 18 | Very Low | 13 |
| 77 | Marshall County | 18 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 78 | Tunica County | 18 | Very Low | 12 |
| 79 | Alcorn County | 18 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 80 | Benton County | 17 | Very Low | 12 |
| 81 | Tate County | 17 | Very Low | 12 |
| 82 | DeSoto County | 16 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Mississippi are Harrison (Relatively High), Hinds (Relatively Moderate), Jackson (Relatively Moderate), DeSoto (Relatively Moderate), Lauderdale (Relatively Moderate). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 82 counties in Mississippi are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Mississippi: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. Mississippi: 50.9 across 82 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. Mississippi: 98. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Mississippi?
Mississippi is affected by severe storm, hurricane, tornado, flood. The state's leading disaster type is Severe Storm, based on 98 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Mississippi had?
Mississippi has received 98 FEMA disaster declarations, including 77 major disaster declarations. These declarations span multiple disaster types including Severe Storm (43), Hurricane (24), Tornado (12).
What severe weather events are most common in Mississippi?
The most common severe weather events in Mississippi include thunderstorm wind (5,557 events), flash flood (1,551 events), hail (1,411 events). Over that 2015-2025 NOAA record, these events resulted in 130 fatalities and $1.1B in property and crop damage.
How active is Mississippi's federal disaster declaration record?
Mississippi has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 98 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 130 fatalities and 794 injuries. NOAA-listed property and crop damage totals $1.1B.
How many flood insurance claims has Mississippi had?
Mississippi has 62,837 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $3.1B total paid out. The average claim payment is $49.7K, with 80 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Mississippi have the most disaster declarations?
Among 82 counties in Mississippi, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Marion (37 declarations), Pearl River (36 declarations), Jackson (36 declarations). County-level records show where federal declarations have concentrated across the state.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Mississippi
Marion alone accounts for 38% of Mississippi's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 82 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Marion and Pearl River carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Mississippi ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.