Natural hazards · Pearl

Pearl, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pearl comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 183 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pearl?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pearl to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding35%Tornadoes21%Hail13%Cold waves9%Heat waves8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Pearl faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

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

Hail

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Pearl flood?

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

183paid claims since 1979

$2.5Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late winter severe storms: 1 claim, $4K
2026-06-Arthur-TS: 1 claim, $4K

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

Insurance rates: Rankin County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Pearl

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PearlDeclared for Rankin County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1 household applied for aid

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

340 households applied for aid $320K aid approved $182K to the City of Pearl for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

2,575 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $559K to the City of Pearl for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

5 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

Rankin County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Pearl

Pearl and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Jacksonmostly inland floodingVery high

Flowoodmostly inland floodingHigh

Pearlmostly inland floodingHigh

Brandonmostly inland floodingModerate

Richlandmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Pearl covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pearl’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pearl. 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 Pearl total about $8.2M 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.