Sunflower County, Mississippi: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sunflower County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 69.6 of 100, higher than 69% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 509 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 | 91.2 | $5.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 88.7 | $962K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 81.1 | $2.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 77.1 | $476K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 67.2 | $119K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 64.5 | $520K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.0 | $1.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.1 | $864K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 73.8 | $529K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 55.0 | $4.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 52.0 | $158K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 21.8 | $88 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 19.3 | $5K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 16.0 | $8K |
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 | 233 | 0 | $13M | 47th of 82 | 1085th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 129 | 0 | $10M | 33rd of 82 | 1018th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 46 | 0 | $6.0M | 40th of 82 | 1448th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 28 | $30M | 69th of 82 | 1332nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 32 | 1 | $4.1M | 32nd of 82 | 2361st of 3,077 |
| Drought | 13 | 0 | $7.0M | 65th of 82 | 1689th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 6 | 1 | – | 53rd of 82 | 1567th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $33K | 64th of 82 | 2618th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | $677K | 46th of 82 | 2366th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $8.6M | 69th of 82 | 845th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $273K | 57th of 82 | 1641st 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 Sunflower County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.