Mississippi flood insurance and flood history
From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 64,589 flood insurance claims in Mississippi since 1978. The NFIP paid $3.1 billion on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).
The year with the most claims was 2005, with 19,764, mostly from Hurricane Katrina.
In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 4,732 claims, and the average paid claim was $33,518.
26% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).
About 3.5% of homes in Mississippi had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (40,942 of 1,163,888 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 33% (28,904 of 88,283).
Since 2000, FEMA has made 29 flood-related disaster declarations covering parts of Mississippi. The most recent was DR-4930-MS (Tropical Storm Arthur), declared August 3, 2026.
Flood insurance claims in Mississippi by year
Show as a table
| Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 361 | $14.2 million |
| 2025 | 76 | $2.5 million |
| 2024 | 106 | $2.4 million |
| 2023 | 78 | $1.7 million |
| 2022 | 188 | $5.6 million |
| 2021 | 794 | $22.0 million |
| 2020 | 1,410 | $26.6 million |
| 2019 | 651 | $19.7 million |
| 2018 | 374 | $11.4 million |
| 2017 | 694 | $19.4 million |
| 2016 | 899 | $21.6 million |
| 2015 | 176 | $2.5 million |
| 2014 | 312 | $5.7 million |
| 2013 | 489 | $11.0 million |
| 2012 | 2,381 | $45.5 million |
| 2011 | 1,358 | $54.4 million |
| 2010 | 197 | $5.8 million |
| 2009 | 801 | $14.2 million |
| 2008 | 1,900 | $31.1 million |
| 2007 | 81 | $744,352 |
| 2006 | 100 | $2.1 million |
| 2005 | 19,764 | $2.5 billion |
| 2004 | 307 | $3.2 million |
| 2003 | 1,066 | $19.2 million |
| 2002 | 2,236 | $20.0 million |
| 2001 | 1,011 | $11.8 million |
| 2000 | 154 | $728,180 |
| 1999 | 260 | $2.5 million |
| 1998 | 4,406 | $53.3 million |
| 1997 | 938 | $11.4 million |
| 1996 | 273 | $1.5 million |
| 1995 | 1,557 | $16.6 million |
| 1994 | 683 | $4.8 million |
| 1993 | 591 | $6.0 million |
| 1992 | 153 | $528,050 |
| 1991 | 1,752 | $12.1 million |
| 1990 | 1,147 | $9.3 million |
| 1989 | 287 | $1.1 million |
| 1988 | 145 | $641,609 |
| 1987 | 581 | $6.0 million |
| 1986 | 114 | $283,328 |
| 1985 | 1,164 | $4.0 million |
| 1984 | 784 | $3.1 million |
| 1983 | 5,558 | $47.4 million |
| 1982 | 951 | $3.3 million |
| 1981 | 225 | $527,670 |
| 1980 | 2,102 | $6.5 million |
| 1979 | 2,776 | $25.5 million |
| 1978 | 178 | $321,787 |
Biggest flood events by NFIP payments
The flood events FEMA's claims data names most often for Mississippi, ranked by what the NFIP paid. FEMA names events in its claims records; claims without an event name aren't included here.
| Event | Year | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005 | 19,051 | $2.5 billion |
| Mid-spring storms | 2011 | 926 | $46.5 million |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998 | 3,187 | $45.4 million |
| Hurricane Isaac | 2012 | 2,198 | $43.0 million |
| Flooding | 1983 | 3,098 | $32.7 million |
| Flooding | 1979 | 1,154 | $17.0 million |
| Tropical Storm Isidore | 2002 | 1,685 | $16.4 million |
| Hurricane Gustav | 2008 | 1,224 | $15.3 million |
| Late winter severe storms | 2016 | 537 | $14.4 million |
| 2026-06-Arthur-TS | 2026 | 286 | $12.1 million |
What flood insurance costs in Mississippi
On June 30, 2026, 48,402 NFIP flood insurance policies were in force in Mississippi. For the 37,876 single-family homes among them, the typical (median) yearly cost was about $1,210; the average was $1,340.
| Rated flood zone | Policies | Typical yearly cost, single-family home | Average cost | Average building coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-risk zones (A and V) | 33,973 | $1,340 | $1,470 | $191,000 |
| Moderate- and low-risk zones (B, C and X) | 14,429 | $1,090 | $1,050 | $217,000 |
Cost here is what FEMA's data lists as the policy cost: the premium plus the reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge. It covers single-family homes only (not condos, apartments or businesses), with costs rounded to the nearest $10 and shown only where at least 20 homes back the figure. Your own price depends on your building and the coverage you choose; see how flood insurance is priced. Private flood insurance isn't included.
Policies and average cost by exact flood zone
Flood history by county
Every Mississippi county in FEMA's data, sorted by number of NFIP claims since 1978. "Insured" is the share of homes with an NFIP policy; "typical NFIP cost" is the median yearly cost for single-family homes.
| County | Claims | Paid | Insured | Typical NFIP cost | Flood declarations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County | 15,939 | $1.3 billion | 14.4% | $1,240 | 2 |
| Jackson County | 11,325 | $720.7 million | 18.6% | $1,340 | 2 |
| Hancock County | 9,927 | $745.6 million | 33.1% | $1,310 | 3 |
| Hinds County | 4,716 | $70.8 million | 2.8% | $1,290 | 5 |
| Warren County | 2,690 | $35.6 million | 1.7% | $790 | 9 |
| Washington County | 1,955 | $37.0 million | 6.5% | $890 | 8 |
| Forrest County | 1,755 | $12.8 million | 1.8% | $1,040 | 4 |
| Wilkinson County | 1,394 | $18.7 million | 1.0% | $990 | 6 |
| Lowndes County | 1,186 | $7.2 million | 2.5% | $890 | 2 |
| Madison County | 1,003 | $10.1 million | 1.9% | $860 | 4 |
| Bolivar County | 994 | $21.7 million | 2.5% | $1,010 | 7 |
| Rankin County | 978 | $20.9 million | 2.3% | $860 | 2 |
| Pearl River County | 828 | $18.1 million | 2.6% | $940 | 4 |
| Marion County | 685 | $7.3 million | 1.3% | $790 | 7 |
| Tunica County | 449 | $4.9 million | 2.4% | $990 | 6 |
| Leflore County | 443 | $4.4 million | 5.1% | $840 | 5 |
| Yazoo County | 410 | $7.8 million | 2.9% | $760 | 8 |
| Lamar County | 399 | $5.9 million | 1.2% | $1,110 | 4 |
| Humphreys County | 343 | $3.9 million | 3.1% | $910 | 6 |
| Coahoma County | 333 | $6.8 million | 1.3% | $1,060 | 8 |
| Grenada County | 320 | $3.7 million | 1.7% | $890 | 6 |
| Lauderdale County | 292 | $4.4 million | 1.1% | $990 | 2 |
| DeSoto County | 280 | $6.7 million | 0.8% | $860 | 5 |
| Quitman County | 253 | $2.3 million | 3.1% | $740 | 7 |
| Jones County | 248 | $2.5 million | 0.8% | $840 | 5 |
| Simpson County | 246 | $2.6 million | 0.6% | $1,110 | 5 |
| Sharkey County | 238 | $2.8 million | 6.0% | $740 | 6 |
| Walthall County | 233 | $2.9 million | 0.6% | $1,240 | 5 |
| Claiborne County | 223 | $2.9 million | 0.5% | n/a | 7 |
| Sunflower County | 191 | $1.7 million | 1.4% | $1,010 | 6 |
| Pike County | 190 | $4.3 million | 0.3% | $1,090 | 3 |
| Adams County | 187 | $1.4 million | 0.3% | $1,090 | 3 |
| Lee County | 174 | $3.9 million | 0.8% | $940 | 6 |
| Monroe County | 148 | $1.4 million | 2.1% | $990 | 5 |
| Issaquena County | 127 | $2.0 million | 10.5% | $710 | 8 |
| Perry County | 123 | $1.7 million | 0.6% | $910 | 5 |
| Clay County | 121 | $1.3 million | 1.6% | $940 | 7 |
| Holmes County | 117 | $1.4 million | 0.4% | $710 | 10 |
| Tallahatchie County | 102 | $766,584 | 1.1% | $890 | 6 |
| Panola County | 87 | $1.2 million | 0.6% | $890 | 8 |
| Clarke County | 80 | $1.3 million | 1.1% | $810 | 6 |
| Lincoln County | 75 | $514,295 | 0.2% | $790 | 4 |
| Covington County | 71 | $936,696 | 0.7% | $840 | 7 |
| Alcorn County | 67 | $4.3 million | 0.4% | $1,010 | 4 |
| George County | 67 | $436,268 | 0.8% | $1,110 | 4 |
| Jefferson County | 67 | $851,811 | 0.1% | n/a | 4 |
| Stone County | 55 | $1.8 million | 0.4% | $1,090 | 2 |
| Leake County | 54 | $981,994 | 0.4% | n/a | 7 |
| Wayne County | 53 | $849,945 | 0.3% | $910 | 8 |
| Greene County | 45 | $651,043 | 0.4% | $960 | 6 |
| Oktibbeha County | 44 | $678,064 | 1.7% | $960 | 4 |
| Lawrence County | 43 | $671,867 | 0.7% | $760 | 6 |
| Yalobusha County | 39 | $363,829 | 0.2% | n/a | 2 |
| Calhoun County | 38 | $807,240 | 0.6% | $790 | 5 |
| Tate County | 38 | $1.5 million | 0.4% | $840 | 4 |
| Copiah County | 37 | $239,057 | 0.3% | $1,060 | 2 |
| Scott County | 36 | $1.1 million | 0.5% | $660 | 5 |
| Lafayette County | 31 | $736,691 | 0.7% | $860 | 5 |
| Winston County | 28 | $544,669 | 0.3% | $840 | 2 |
| Attala County | 26 | $455,466 | 0.2% | n/a | 5 |
| Amite County | 24 | $194,534 | 0.0% | n/a | 3 |
| Webster County | 24 | $108,563 | 0.1% | n/a | 4 |
| Union County | 19 | $503,825 | 0.1% | n/a | 4 |
| Tishomingo County | 18 | $269,386 | 0.2% | n/a | 4 |
| Choctaw County | 17 | $154,781 | 0.4% | n/a | 5 |
| Carroll County | 16 | $268,443 | 0.3% | n/a | 6 |
| Noxubee County | 15 | $155,453 | 0.2% | n/a | 3 |
| Jasper County | 13 | $112,374 | 0.3% | $1,040 | 5 |
| Marshall County | 13 | $226,736 | 0.1% | n/a | 4 |
| Franklin County | 12 | $98,730 | 0.1% | n/a | 2 |
| Newton County | 12 | $120,593 | 0.1% | n/a | 5 |
| Smith County | 11 | $78,381 | 0.1% | n/a | 6 |
| Neshoba County | 9 | $58,493 | 0.3% | $990 | 5 |
| Tippah County | 7 | $36,752 | 0.1% | n/a | 5 |
| Jefferson Davis County | 6 | $5,025 | 0.1% | n/a | 8 |
| Benton County | 3 | $798 | 0.1% | n/a | 4 |
| Chickasaw County | 3 | $8,170 | 0.1% | n/a | 6 |
| Itawamba County | 3 | $51,649 | 0.2% | n/a | 7 |
| Pontotoc County | 3 | $48,137 | 0.1% | n/a | 3 |
| Prentiss County | 2 | $46,011 | 0.1% | n/a | 8 |
| Kemper County | 0 | $0 | 0.1% | n/a | 3 |
| Montgomery County | 0 | $0 | 0.2% | n/a | 6 |
Flood-related FEMA disaster declarations in Mississippi
Declarations since 2000 that FEMA lists as involving flooding. "Help for individuals" means FEMA's Individual Assistance was approved for at least part of the area.
| Declaration | Declared | Event | Help for individuals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4930-MS | Aug 3, 2026 | Tropical Storm Arthur | Yes |
| DR-4922-MS | Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4874-MS | May 21, 2025 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4790-MS | Jun 10, 2024 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4551-MS | Jul 9, 2020 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4538-MS | Apr 23, 2020 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides | No |
| DR-4536-MS | Apr 16, 2020 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4478-MS | Mar 12, 2020 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4470-MS | Dec 6, 2019 | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4450-MS | Jun 20, 2019 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4429-MS | Apr 23, 2019 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4415-MS | Feb 14, 2019 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornado | No |
| DR-4314-MS | May 22, 2017 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | No |
| DR-4295-MS | Jan 25, 2017 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4268-MS | Mar 25, 2016 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4248-MS | Jan 4, 2016 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4175-MS | Apr 30, 2014 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-4101-MS | Feb 13, 2013 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1983-MS | May 11, 2011 | Flooding | Yes |
| EM-3320-MS | May 4, 2011 | Flooding | No |
| DR-1972-MS | Apr 29, 2011 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1916-MS | May 14, 2010 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1906-MS | Apr 29, 2010 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | Yes |
| DR-1837-MS | May 12, 2009 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | No |
| DR-1753-MS | May 8, 2008 | Severe Storms and Flooding | Yes |
Showing the 25 most recent of 29.
What to do with this
A county's history doesn't tell you your own building's risk. To see your property's flood zone, use FEMA's flood map lookup. To weigh coverage, start with do I need flood insurance? and what flood insurance costs.
Where these numbers come from
All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:
- NFIP Redacted Claims (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP claims since 1978, downloaded 2026-10-08. Dollar amounts are what the NFIP paid, not adjusted for inflation. Claims filed under private flood insurance aren't included.
- NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (v1) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP residential policy contracts in force (as of August 3, 2026) divided by FEMA's count of residential buildings from the National Structure Inventory. FEMA notes that inventory is incomplete in some counties, which can inflate the rate. Private flood policies aren't counted.
- NFIP Redacted Policies (v3) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): NFIP policies in force on June 30, 2026 (a policy counts if its term covers that date and it wasn't cancelled), downloaded 2026-10-08. Policy counts are FEMA's insured units, so a condominium association policy counts each unit. Costs are FEMA's "policy cost" (premium plus reserve fund assessment, federal policy fee and HFIAA surcharge) for single-family homes only. Policies FEMA's data doesn't place in a county count toward the state only.
- Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2) (FEMA (OpenFEMA)): disaster declarations, downloaded 2026-10-08. We count a declaration as flood-related when FEMA lists flooding (or a dam or levee break) as its incident type or a designated incident type, or the declaration's title mentions flooding.
FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.