Natural hazards · Hernando

Hernando, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hernando comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hernando?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hernando to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and tornadoes.

Earthquakes28%Tornadoes24%Inland flooding22%Cold waves11%Heat waves10%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Hernando faces

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

Earthquakes

28% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Hernando flood?

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

4paid claims since 1979

$131Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Hernando is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: DeSoto County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

58storm safe rooms built

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Hernando

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HernandoDeclared for DeSoto County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

324 households applied for aid $589K aid approved $9K to the City of Hernando for repairs

2011

Flooding

6 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2011

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

16 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

2 households applied for aid $12K to the City of Hernando for repairs

DeSoto County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Hernando

Hernando and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Southavenmostly earthquakesModerate

Hernandomostly earthquakesModerate

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. Hernando covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hernando’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hernando. 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 Hernando total about $1.9M 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.