Natural hazards · Morton

Morton, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Morton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1993. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Morton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Morton to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding28%Tornadoes23%Hail11%Cold waves8%Earthquakes7%Strong wind7%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Morton faces

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

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Hail

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Morton flood?

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

4paid claims since 1993

$4Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19932026

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

Insurance rates: Scott County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

44storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Morton

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MortonDeclared for Scott County only

2024

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

235 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1,038 households applied for aid $700K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

21 households applied for aid $122K aid approved

Scott 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. Morton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Morton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Morton. 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 Morton total about $1.2M 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.