DeSoto County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates DeSoto County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.0 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, cold wave, lightning. Its storm record holds 782 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.8 | $19M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 91.7 | $9.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.3 | $1.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.2 | $24M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.1 | $8.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | $22M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 76.5 | $1.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.3 | $276K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.5 | $12K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 67.9 | $164K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 61.3 | $434K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.7 | $146K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 43.3 | $57K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 49.7 | $80K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 213 | 1 | $13M | 36th of 82 | 723rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 167 | 0 | $189K | 10th of 82 | 419th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 139 | 1 | – | 4th of 82 | 42nd of 3,076 |
| Floods | 88 | 2 | $16M | 4th of 82 | 389th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 68 | 2 | $405K | 2nd of 82 | 1455th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 33 | 0 | – | 13th of 82 | 978th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 1 | $79M | 47th of 82 | 669th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 2 | $50K | 1st of 82 | 959th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 0 | $192K | 14th of 82 | 1575th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $1.0M | 9th of 82 | 394th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 1 | $141K | 2nd of 82 | 982nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $30K | 65th of 82 | 755th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full DeSoto County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.