Natural hazards · Brookhaven

Brookhaven, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brookhaven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1983. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Brookhaven?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brookhaven to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes26%Hurricanes11%Heat waves9%Strong wind7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Brookhaven faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Brookhaven flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brookhaven, from FEMA’s records.

17paid claims since 1983

$233Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19832026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Brookhaven isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lincoln County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9storm safe rooms built

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Brookhaven

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Brookhaven itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Brookhaven.

Brought FEMA money into BrookhavenDeclared for Lincoln County only

2026

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

856 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved

2026

Severe Winter Storm

3 households applied for aid

2021

Hurricane Ida

$174K to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

$68K to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

682 households applied for aid $133K aid approved $127K to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$993 to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$16K to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

5,142 households applied for aid $3.5M aid approved $201K to the City of Brookhaven for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

789 households applied for aid $590K aid approved

Lincoln County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Brookhaven covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brookhaven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brookhaven. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Brookhaven total about $3.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.