Natural hazards · Lexington

Lexington, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lexington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 46 claims here since 1983. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lexington?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lexington to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes26%Cold waves13%Strong wind6%Heat waves5%Earthquakes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Lexington faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Lexington flood?

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

46paid claims since 1983

$1.0Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19832026

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

Insurance rates: Holmes County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

18storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Lexington

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LexingtonDeclared for Holmes County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1,723 households applied for aid $7.1M aid approved

2011

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

62 households applied for aid $167K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

217 households applied for aid $840K aid approved $9K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

519 households applied for aid $247K aid approved $22K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

8 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$83K to the City of Lexington for repairs

Holmes County has had 25 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. Lexington 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 Lexington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lexington. 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.