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Wilkinson County, Mississippi

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

Very Low overall risk
62nd of 82highest risk in Mississippi
$6Mexpected losses a year
30federal declarations
1 in 100homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Wilkinson County, Mississippi has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 66% of US counties. It ranks 62nd of 82 counties in Mississippi. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $6.2 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $719 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (21 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2026 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding). About 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (57 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $19 million on 1,394 claims here.

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

Top risks in Wilkinson County

$2.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 years.
  • 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.
$1.2 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.
$691,125 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 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
Inland floodingVery Low33.8
$2M
HurricaneLow80.9
$1M
TornadoLow49.0
$691K
Strong windModerate70.4
$567K
LightningHigh83.5
$492K
Cold waveLow46.0
$466K
Heat waveLow52.9
$246K
DroughtLow47.2
$70K
HailVery Low24.3
$51K
Ice stormLow44.2
$37K
EarthquakeVery Low28.3
$36K
WildfireVery Low37.5
$13K
LandslideLow72.3
$4K
Winter weatherVery Low4.7
$2K

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 very high and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Hurricane13
Severe Storm9
Flood3
Winter Storm2
Snowstorm1
Tornado1

Most recent

Jun 30, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 6, 2026Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Oct 22, 2021Hurricane IdaMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2021Hurricane IdaEmergency
May 4, 2021Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Oct 8, 2020Hurricane DeltaEmergency
Sep 14, 2020Hurricane SallyEmergency
Aug 23, 2020Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm LauraEmergency
Apr 23, 2020Severe Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Show all 30
Aug 29, 2012Hurricane IsaacMajor disaster
Aug 28, 2012Tropical Storm IsaacEmergency
May 11, 2011FloodingMajor disaster
May 4, 2011FloodingEmergency
May 12, 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 22, 2008Hurricane GustavMajor disaster
Aug 30, 2008Hurricane GustavEmergency
May 8, 2008Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 29, 2005Hurricane KatrinaMajor disaster
Sep 15, 2004Hurricane IvanMajor disaster
Feb 23, 2001Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Nov 25, 1992Severe Storms, High Winds & TornadoesMajor disaster
Feb 28, 1990Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 1, 1983Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 16, 1979Storms, Tornadoes, FloodsMajor disaster
Feb 22, 1977Drought & FreezingEmergency
Mar 27, 1973Heavy Rains, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 19, 1972Heavy Rains & FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 18, 1969Hurricane CamilleMajor disaster
Sep 25, 1965Hurricane BetsyMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1968

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 116 storm reports in Wilkinson County since 1968, with 2 deaths and 16 injuries and about $9.4 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on November 20, 1986.

20tornadoes
20hail reports, largest 1.75 inches
61damaging thunderstorm winds
14floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Nov 20, 1986F2–0 / 0
May 12, 1990F2–4 / 0
Apr 10, 2024EF2Turnbull0 / 0
May 6, 2026EF2Doloroso0 / 0
Jun 28, 1989F1–5 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 12, 2016Flash FloodDoloroso$6M
Mar 28, 2014Flash FloodRosetta$750K
Mar 25, 1993HailWoodville$500K
Apr 24, 2021Flash FloodLessley$500K
Nov 20, 1986Tornado–$250K
Jun 28, 1989Tornado–$250K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through May 6, 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 1856, 13 hurricanes and 26 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Wilkinson County, 18 of them since 1950. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1909, with top winds near 100 mph about 50 miles away.

13hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
26tropical storms
2021most recent: Ida

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 21, 1909UnnamedCategory 2, 100 mph50 mi
Sep 1, 1879UnnamedCategory 1, 90 mph63 mi
Sep 10, 1965BetsyCategory 1, 85 mph57 mi
Oct 2, 1860UnnamedCategory 1, 85 mph50 mi
Sep 19, 1947UnnamedCategory 1, 85 mph58 mi
Aug 30, 2021IdaCategory 1, 85 mph57 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 30, 2021IdaCategory 1, 85 mph57 mi
Oct 10, 2020DeltaTropical storm, 60 mph59 mi
Jun 8, 2020CristobalTropical storm, 40 mph58 mi
Aug 30, 2012IsaacTropical storm, 65 mph62 mi
Sep 1, 2008GustavCategory 1, 75 mph65 mi
Oct 3, 2002LiliTropical storm, 60 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 Wilkinson County

Check your address flood zone ›
1%of homes have federal flood insurance (57 policies)
11.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$18.6 millionpaid on 1,394 flood claims since 1978
2011costliest year, with $3.9 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 Wilkinson County

$90,000median 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
29.6%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; 4,608 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
Adams CountyLow25
East Feliciana Parish, LALow38
Concordia Parish, LAVery Low35
West Feliciana Parish, LAVery Low41
Amite CountyLow27
Franklin CountyVery Low23

Common questions about Wilkinson County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Wilkinson County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Wilkinson County, about $2.3 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Hurricane is second at $1.2 million.

How many federal disasters has Wilkinson County had?

Wilkinson County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 21 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in June 2026.

Is Wilkinson County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 62nd 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 Wilkinson County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 100 homes in Wilkinson 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 Wilkinson County had?

NOAA records list 20 tornadoes in Wilkinson County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on November 20, 1986. The weather service has also logged 20 hail reports and 14 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Wilkinson County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 13 hurricanes and 26 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Wilkinson County. The strongest was an unnamed hurricane in 1909, with winds near 100 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.