Jackson County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jackson County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.3 of 100, higher than 92% 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 532 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 | 97.8 | $62M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.1 | $1.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 84.8 | $3.4M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $2.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.8 | $3.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 90.0 | $6.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | $27M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 78.0 | $2.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 66.9 | $170K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.3 | $87K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 51.8 | $536K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 61.0 | $360K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 51.8 | $151K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 57.9 | $376K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 34.4 | $395 |
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 | 156 | 0 | $643K | 65th of 82 | 1576th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 86 | 0 | $5K | 67th of 82 | 1865th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 79 | 1 | $11M | 17th of 82 | 85th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 49 | 13 | $5.8B | 3rd of 82 | 107th of 1,849 |
| Floods | 48 | 0 | $5.6M | 39th of 82 | 1426th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 48 | 3 | – | 27th of 82 | 673rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 20 | 0 | – | 69th of 82 | 1806th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 18 | 1 | $411K | 10th of 82 | 417th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 10 | 1 | – | 81st of 82 | 2861st of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $188K | 31st of 82 | 2217th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 12th of 82 | 1457th 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 Jackson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.