Natural hazards · Monticello

Monticello, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Monticello comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1983. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Monticello?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Monticello to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes17%Hurricanes15%Hail5%Strong wind5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Monticello faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Monticello flood?

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

5paid claims since 1983

$70Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lawrence County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

43storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Monticello

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MonticelloDeclared for Lawrence County only

2026

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

473 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved

2020

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

14 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$3K to the Town of Monticello for repairs

2012

Hurricane Isaac

$8K to the Town of Monticello for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$750 to the Town of Monticello for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

2,017 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved $359K to the Town of Monticello for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

266 households applied for aid $223K aid approved

Lawrence County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

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. Monticello 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 Monticello’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Monticello. 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.