Lee County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lee County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.3 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, lightning. Its storm record holds 881 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 | 92.9 | $7.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.9 | $898K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $8.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.9 | $2.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | $4.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.2 | $199K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.6 | $723K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 72.0 | $12M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 68.8 | $451K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 68.0 | $4K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 65.5 | $388K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 56.6 | $190K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 33.4 | $30K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.6 | $18K |
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 | 343 | 0 | $3.0M | 6th of 82 | 180th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 241 | 0 | $1.4M | 1st of 82 | 57th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 95 | 3 | – | 8th of 82 | 82nd of 3,076 |
| Floods | 74 | 1 | $2.2M | 8th of 82 | 450th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 6 | $149M | 24th of 82 | 154th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 28 | 0 | $130K | 16th of 82 | 2076th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 23 | 0 | – | 11th of 82 | 921st of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $271K | 9th of 82 | 1363rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | $25K | 15th of 82 | 1525th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $266K | 13th of 82 | 471st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $76K | 50th of 82 | 621st of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | $18K | 22nd of 82 | 1854th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $10K | 2nd of 82 | 835th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Lee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.