Hancock County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hancock County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.7 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 455 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 95.2 | $18M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.2 | $1000K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.2 | $3.3M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | $1.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 76.6 | $2.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.1 | $1.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 67.2 | $9.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 61.0 | $1.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $168K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 55.2 | $251K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 36.9 | $36K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 35.3 | $29K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.3 | $274K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44.7 | $157K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 17.8 | $69 |
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 | 126 | 0 | $532K | 58th of 82 | 1376th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 67 | 0 | $97M | 4th of 82 | 27th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | – | 57th of 82 | 1621st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 53 | 56 | $7.5B | 1st of 82 | 32nd of 1,849 |
| Floods | 49 | 0 | $1.5M | 21st of 82 | 1049th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 44 | 0 | – | 23rd of 82 | 542nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | – | 75th of 82 | 1885th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 10 | 0 | – | 74th of 82 | 2741st of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 9 | 2 | $587K | 8th of 82 | 391st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 25th of 82 | 1922nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 4th of 82 | 1195th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $27K | 62nd of 82 | 2588th 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 Hancock County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.