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Marion County, Mississippi

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
30th of 82highest risk in Mississippi
$16Mexpected losses a year
35federal declarations
1 in 77homes with flood insurance
Photo: CC0

Marion County, Mississippi has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 60% of US counties. It ranks 30th of 82 counties in Mississippi. The costliest hazards here are hurricanes, inland flooding and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $16 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $643 per resident. Since 1969 it has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (24 major disasters). The most recent was in February 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 77 homes here carry federal flood insurance (141 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $7.3 million on 685 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Marion County

Hurricane

Moderate
$5.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 years.
  • Know your evacuation zone and route before June 1.
  • Ask about roof age, shutters and the separate wind or hurricane deductible on your home policy.
$4.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Tornado

Moderate
$2.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 1 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
HurricaneModerate89.9
$6M
Inland floodingLow48.1
$5M
TornadoModerate73.4
$2M
HailModerate89.5
$1M
Heat waveLow67.1
$587K
Strong windModerate55.3
$473K
Cold waveLow35.2
$394K
WildfireLow75.8
$208K
EarthquakeVery Low49.9
$203K
LightningLow51.3
$180K
DroughtLow46.8
$87K
Ice stormLow53.0
$72K
Winter weatherLow33.5
$26K
LandslideVery Low54.5
$1K

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively high and community resilience is very low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Marion County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Hurricane15
Severe Storm12
Flood3
Tornado2
Winter Storm2
Snowstorm1

Most recent

Feb 6, 2026Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
May 21, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 22, 2021Hurricane IdaMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2021Hurricane IdaEmergency
Oct 8, 2020Hurricane DeltaEmergency
Sep 14, 2020Hurricane SallyEmergency
Aug 23, 2020Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm LauraEmergency
Apr 23, 2020Severe Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Dec 6, 2019Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 35
Feb 14, 2019Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoMajor disaster
Mar 25, 2016Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 7, 2015Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Feb 13, 2013Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2012Hurricane IsaacMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2012Tropical Storm IsaacEmergency
Sep 22, 2008Hurricane GustavMajor disaster
Aug 30, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
Aug 29, 2005Hurricane KatrinaMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2005Hurricane KatrinaEmergency
Sep 15, 2004Hurricane IvanMajor disaster
Apr 24, 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, FloodsMajor disaster
Feb 23, 2001Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Oct 1, 1998Hurricane GeorgesMajor disaster
Sep 28, 1998Hurricane GeorgesEmergency
Feb 28, 1990Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 16, 1983Severe Storms, Flooding & TornadoesMajor disaster
Apr 19, 1980Storms, Flood, Mudslides & TornadoesMajor disaster
Apr 16, 1979Storms, Tornadoes, FloodsMajor disaster
Apr 24, 1978TornadoesEmergency
Feb 22, 1977Drought & FreezingEmergency
Apr 18, 1974Heavy Rains & FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 27, 1973Heavy Rains, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 19, 1972Heavy Rains & FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 18, 1969Hurricane CamilleMajor disaster

Mississippi also had 11 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1950

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 493 storm reports in Marion County since 1950, with 4 deaths and 69 injuries and about $89.2 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF4 tornado on April 19, 2020 near St Paul.

55tornadoes
141hail reports, largest 4 inches
206damaging thunderstorm winds
85floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 19, 2020EF4St Paul0 / 1
Dec 23, 2014EF3Columbia50 / 3
Dec 10, 1971F3–5 / 0
Mar 15, 2025EF3White Bluff0 / 0
Apr 12, 2020EF2White Bluff0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Dec 23, 2014TornadoColumbia$25M
Apr 15, 2022HailPickwick$25M
Jun 18, 1997Flash FloodColumbia$15M
May 26, 2008Flash FloodFortenberry$5M
Mar 12, 2004Flash FloodPinebur$3M
Apr 12, 2020TornadoWhite Bluff$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Apr 24, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1855, 10 hurricanes and 35 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Marion County, 19 of them since 1950. The strongest was Hurricane Camille (1969), with top winds near 165 mph about 64 miles away.

10hurricanes
2major hurricanes (Category 3+)
35tropical storms
2024most recent: Francine

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 18, 1969CamilleCategory 5, 165 mph64 mi
Aug 29, 2005KatrinaCategory 3, 115 mph62 mi
Sep 2, 1985ElenaCategory 2, 105 mph56 mi
Sep 16, 1855UnnamedCategory 2, 105 mph61 mi
Oct 29, 2020ZetaCategory 1, 95 mph46 mi
Sep 27, 1906UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph62 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 12, 2024FrancineTropical storm, 50 mph58 mi
Aug 30, 2021IdaTropical storm, 65 mph64 mi
Jun 19, 2021ClaudetteTropical storm, 40 mph58 mi
Oct 29, 2020ZetaCategory 1, 95 mph46 mi
Jun 8, 2020CristobalTropical storm, 40 mph63 mi
Sep 5, 2018GordonTropical storm, 50 mph59 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Marion County

Check your address flood zone ›
1.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (141 policies)
13.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$7.3 millionpaid on 685 flood claims since 1978
2016costliest year, with $1.2 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Marion County

$122,800median home value (Mississippi $169,800, US $332,700)
1980median year homes were built (Mississippi 1986, US 1980)
49%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
23.2%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 11,163 housing units.

Compare in Mississippi

All 82 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Hinds CountyModerateInland flooding
Harrison CountyHighHurricane
DeSoto CountyModerateEarthquake
Rankin CountyModerateInland flooding
Jackson CountyModerateHurricane
Madison CountyModerateInland flooding
Lee CountyModerateInland flooding
Forrest CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Lamar CountyLow25
Pearl River CountyModerate35
Washington Parish, LAModerate39
Walthall CountyVery Low27
Lawrence CountyVery Low31
Jefferson Davis CountyVery Low31

Common questions about Marion County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Marion County?

Hurricane has the highest expected yearly losses in Marion County, about $5.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $4.6 million.

How many federal disasters has Marion County had?

Marion County has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1969, including 24 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in February 2026.

Is Marion County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 30th highest of 82 in Mississippi. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Marion County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 77 homes in Marion County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Marion County had?

NOAA records list 55 tornadoes in Marion County since 1950. The strongest was an EF4 tornado on April 19, 2020 near St Paul. The weather service has also logged 141 hail reports and 85 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Marion County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 10 hurricanes and 35 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Marion County, including 2 major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger). The strongest was Hurricane Camille (1969), with winds near 165 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.