Forrest County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates Forrest County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 78.1 of 100, higher than 78% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, strong wind, lightning. Its storm record holds 817 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 | 92.7 | $7.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.5 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.1 | $1.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | $7.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.9 | $1.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78.0 | $681K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 62.6 | $130K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.5 | $83K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 81.7 | $414K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.6 | $11M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 68.5 | $629K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 43.1 | $639K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 42.2 | $71K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 52.0 | $1K |
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 | 355 | 2 | $7.3M | 1st of 82 | 114th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 178 | 0 | $12M | 2nd of 82 | 136th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 142 | 1 | $13M | 1st of 82 | 157th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 4 | $67M | 14th of 82 | 78th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 26 | 2 | $1.7M | 1st of 82 | 101st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 1 | $2.0M | 5th of 82 | 1182nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 14 | 0 | $1.3B | 4th of 82 | 223rd of 1,849 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | $3.4M | 50th of 82 | 1525th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 10 | 0 | $431K | 67th of 82 | 2661st of 3,077 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 44th of 82 | 1426th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | $406K | 47th of 82 | 2368th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 23rd of 82 | 1883rd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Forrest County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.