Natural hazards · Petal

Petal, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Petal comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 300 claims here since 1979. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Petal?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Petal to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding39%Tornadoes21%Hurricanes21%Strong wind5%Heat waves5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Petal faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

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

Hurricanes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Petal flood?

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

300paid claims since 1979

$2.9Mpaid to owners

40homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Katrina: 6 claims, $248K
Late winter severe storms: 2 claims, $6K
Hurricane Isaac: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Forrest County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Petal

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PetalDeclared for Forrest County only

2017

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

600 households applied for aid $684K aid approved

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $94K aid approved

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

362 households applied for aid $501K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Isaac

53 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

6,727 households applied for aid $7.7M aid approved

2004

Hurricane Ivan

4 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

Forrest County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Petal

Petal and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Petalmostly inland floodingHigh

Hattiesburgmostly 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. Petal covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Petal’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Petal. 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 Petal 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.