Natural hazards · Horn Lake

Horn Lake, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Horn Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 78 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Horn Lake?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Horn Lake to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding29%Tornadoes24%Earthquakes17%Cold waves13%Heat waves12%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Horn Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

12% 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 Horn Lake flood?

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

78paid claims since 1978

$1.7Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 6 claims, $130K
Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $29K
Hurricane Isaac: 1 claim, $29K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: DeSoto County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Horn Lake

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Horn LakeDeclared for DeSoto County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1,540 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved $7K to the City of Horn Lake for repairs

2011

Flooding

8 households applied for aid

2011

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

21 households applied for aid $413 aid approved $7K to the City of Horn Lake for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$21K to the City of Horn Lake for repairs

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

Around Horn Lake

Horn Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Horn Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Southavenmostly earthquakesModerate

Lynchburgmostly tornadoesLow

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. Horn Lake covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Horn Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Horn Lake. 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 Horn Lake total about $8.7M 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.