Natural hazards · Florence

Florence, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Florence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 38 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Florence?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Florence to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes18%Hail11%Cold waves10%Heat waves9%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Florence faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 26 years in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Florence flood?

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

38paid claims since 1979

$2.4Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Rankin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

33storm safe rooms built

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Florence

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FlorenceDeclared for Rankin County only

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

2,416 households applied for aid $1.3M aid approved $135K to the City of Florence for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

1 household applied for aid

Rankin County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Florence

Florence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Florencemostly inland floodingHigh

Clearymostly inland floodingModerate

Richlandmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Florence is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.