TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
ColumbiaGood night
Natural hazards · Columbia

Columbia, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Columbia comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 298 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Columbia?

75
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Columbia to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes35%Inland flooding32%Tornadoes13%Hail8%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Columbia faces

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

Hurricanes

35% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Hail

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Columbia flood?

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

298paid claims since 1979
$3.9Mpaid to owners
50homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Isaac: 8 claims, $274K
  • Late winter severe storms: 4 claims, $202K
  • Hurricane Katrina: 3 claims, $38K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Columbia isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Marion County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Columbia

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ColumbiaDeclared for Marion County only
2026

Severe Winter Storm

3 households applied for aid
2025

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

1,304 households applied for aid $9.1M aid approved
2020

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$247K to the City of Columbia for repairs
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

86 households applied for aid $259K aid approved
2014

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$436K to the City of Columbia for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $51K aid approved $3K to the City of Columbia for repairs
2012

Hurricane Isaac

778 households applied for aid $442K aid approved $131K to the City of Columbia for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina

6,193 households applied for aid $7.4M aid approved $3.1M to the City of Columbia for repairs
2004

Hurricane Ivan

$1K to the City of Columbia for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

1,159 households applied for aid $758K aid approved
2001

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$177K to the City of Columbia for repairs
Marion County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
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. Columbia covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Columbia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Columbia. 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 Columbia total about $5.0M 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Columbia, MSView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Columbia is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map