Natural hazards · Philadelphia

Philadelphia, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Philadelphia comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1983. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Philadelphia?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Philadelphia to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes29%Inland flooding28%Cold waves9%Earthquakes9%Hurricanes8%Hail5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Philadelphia faces

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

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once 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

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Hurricanes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Philadelphia flood?

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

4paid claims since 1983

$45Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Neshoba County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

43storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Philadelphia

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PhiladelphiaDeclared for Neshoba County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

21 households applied for aid $300 aid approved

2024

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

182 households applied for aid $486K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms

$134K to the City of Philadelphia for repairs

2011

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

149 households applied for aid $86K aid approved $116K to the City of Philadelphia for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1,970 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $158K to the City of Philadelphia for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$1K to the City of Philadelphia for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

$9K to the City of Philadelphia for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

9 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

Neshoba County has had 21 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. Philadelphia covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Philadelphia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Philadelphia. 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 Philadelphia total about $3.8M 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.