Natural hazards · Southaven

Southaven, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Southaven comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 82 claims here since 1992. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Southaven?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Southaven to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes28%Inland flooding25%Tornadoes23%Cold waves10%Heat waves10%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Southaven faces

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

Earthquakes

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 22 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 Southaven flood?

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

82paid claims since 1992

$2.4Mpaid to owners

16homes flooded more than once

19922026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Isaac: 3 claims, $49K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: DeSoto County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

44storm safe rooms built

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Southaven

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SouthavenDeclared for DeSoto County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1,912 households applied for aid $2.2M aid approved

2011

Flooding

7 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2011

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

30 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$8K to the City of Southaven for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$345K to the City of Southaven for repairs

DeSoto County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Southaven

Southaven and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Memphismostly earthquakesHigh

Horn Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Olive Branchmostly earthquakesModerate

Bridgetownmostly inland floodingModerate

Southavenmostly earthquakesModerate

Hernandomostly earthquakesModerate

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. Southaven covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Southaven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Southaven. 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 Southaven total about $23.3M 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.