Natural hazards · Olive Branch

Olive Branch, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olive Branch comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 claims here since 2007. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olive Branch?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olive Branch to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes33%Inland flooding26%Tornadoes21%Cold waves9%Heat waves8%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Olive Branch faces

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

Earthquakes

33% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Olive Branch flood?

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

22paid claims since 2007

$732Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

20072026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 4 claims, $113K
Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $11K
Hurricane Isaac: 1 claim, $8K

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

Insurance rates: DeSoto County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

89storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Olive Branch

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Olive BranchDeclared for DeSoto County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1,261 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved

2011

Flooding

6 households applied for aid

2011

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

32 households applied for aid $157K aid approved

DeSoto County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Olive Branch

Olive Branch and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Memphismostly earthquakesHigh

Colliervillemostly inland floodingHigh

Olive Branchmostly earthquakesModerate

Bridgetownmostly inland floodingModerate

Southavenmostly earthquakesModerate

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. Olive Branch covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olive Branch’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Olive Branch. 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 Olive Branch total about $30.0M 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.