Natural hazards · Pontotoc

Pontotoc, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pontotoc comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pontotoc?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pontotoc to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and tornadoes.

Earthquakes33%Tornadoes21%Inland flooding19%Cold waves12%Heat waves6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Pontotoc 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 84% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 85 years in the area

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 7% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 16 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 Pontotoc flood?

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

1paid claims since 2019

$41Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20192026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pontotoc County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

742storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Pontotoc

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PontotocDeclared for Pontotoc County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1,058 households applied for aid $980K aid approved $243K to the City of Pontotoc for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved $26K to the City of Pontotoc for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$1K to the City of Pontotoc for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2001

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$1.7M to the City of Pontotoc for repairs

Pontotoc County has had 16 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. Pontotoc covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pontotoc’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pontotoc. 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 Pontotoc total about $3.1M 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.