Lauderdale County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lauderdale County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.0 of 100, higher than 86% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 973 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98.2 | $15M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.4 | $7.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.0 | $947K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.6 | $2.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | $30K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 83.3 | $2.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | $324K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | $14M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | $769K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 74.2 | $110K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 73.9 | $461K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 81.7 | $1.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 52.1 | $116K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 57.7 | $51K |
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 | 491 | 1 | $11M | 9th of 82 | 233rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 235 | 0 | $1.8M | 7th of 82 | 332nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 95 | 0 | $89M | 11th of 82 | 668th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 67 | 3 | $56M | 22nd of 82 | 132nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 0 | $400K | 10th of 82 | 1459th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 0 | $3.5M | 53rd of 82 | 2529th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | $5.4M | 62nd of 82 | 1648th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | – | 34th of 82 | 2111th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 1 | $757M | 29th of 82 | 446th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 71st of 82 | 1696th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | $1.2M | 48th of 82 | 2372nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 76th of 82 | 2101st 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 Lauderdale County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.