Natural hazards · Nicholson

Nicholson, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Nicholson comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2005. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Nicholson?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Nicholson to be higher than in 92% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes55%Inland flooding23%Tornadoes8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Nicholson faces

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

Hurricanes

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Nicholson flood?

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

8paid claims since 2005

$202Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20052026

Biggest named events

2026-06-Arthur-TS: 5 claims, $141K
Hurricane Katrina: 1 claim, $25K
Tropical Storm Claudette: 1 claim, $25K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pearl River County.

Disasters that hit Nicholson

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NicholsonDeclared for Pearl River County only

2021

Hurricane Ida

1 household applied for aid

2012

Hurricane Isaac

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

200 households applied for aid $521K aid approved

Pearl River County has had 29 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. Nicholson covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Nicholson’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Nicholson. 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 Nicholson total about $3.3M 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.