Natural hazards · Madison

Madison, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Madison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 88 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Madison?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Madison to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding40%Tornadoes29%Cold waves12%Heat waves5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Madison faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 94 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Madison flood?

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

88paid claims since 1979

$770Kpaid to owners

4homes 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

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

Insurance rates: Madison County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

70storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Madison

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MadisonDeclared for Madison County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1 household applied for aid

2024

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

308 households applied for aid $176K aid approved

2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes.

$508K to the City of Madison for repairs

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1,001 households applied for aid $447K aid approved $974K to the City of Madison for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

53 households applied for aid $124K aid approved $32K to the City of Madison for repairs

Madison County has had 20 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. Madison covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Madison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Madison. 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 Madison total about $13.1M 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.