Natural hazards · Picayune

Picayune, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Picayune comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 209 claims here since 1980. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Picayune?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Picayune to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes60%Inland flooding23%Tornadoes7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Picayune faces

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

Hurricanes

60% 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 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% 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 Picayune flood?

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

209paid claims since 1980

$4.1Mpaid to owners

28homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Katrina: 34 claims, $1.2M
Hurricane Isaac: 25 claims, $734K
2026-06-Arthur-TS: 8 claims, $465K

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Picayune is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Pearl River County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

15flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

8buildings retrofitted against wind

6storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Picayune

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PicayuneDeclared for Pearl River County only

2026

Tropical Storm Arthur

982 households applied for aid $2.6M aid approved

2026

Severe Winter Storm

4 households applied for aid

2021

Hurricane Ida

341 households applied for aid $553K aid approved $978K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

65 households applied for aid $210K aid approved

2012

Hurricane Isaac

1,491 households applied for aid $1.6M aid approved $23K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

10 households applied for aid $78K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

11,499 households applied for aid $20.8M aid approved $3.2M to the City of Picayune for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$10K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved $19K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods

72 households applied for aid $83K aid approved

2002

Tropical Storm Isidore

$10K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2001

Tropical Storm Allison

$19K to the City of Picayune for repairs

2001

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$4K to the City of Picayune for repairs

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. Picayune covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Picayune’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Picayune. 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 Picayune total about $6.1M 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.