Natural hazards · Jonestown

Jonestown, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jonestown comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2002. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jonestown?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding27%Earthquakes23%Tornadoes23%Drought9%Heat waves6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Jonestown faces

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

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Jonestown flood?

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

5paid claims since 2002

$69Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20022026

Biggest named events

Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $18K

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. Jonestown isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Coahoma County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Jonestown

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JonestownDeclared for Coahoma County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

241 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

52 households applied for aid $56K aid approved

2015

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

18 households applied for aid

2011

Flooding

26 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2011

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

216 households applied for aid $65K aid approved

Coahoma County has had 18 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. Jonestown 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 Jonestown’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Jonestown. 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.