Natural hazards · Starkville

Starkville, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Starkville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Starkville?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Starkville to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes20%Cold waves14%Earthquakes12%Heat waves7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Starkville faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 12 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 Starkville flood?

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

20paid claims since 1979

$612Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Starkville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Oktibbeha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

96storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Starkville

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into StarkvilleDeclared for Oktibbeha County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

12 households applied for aid

2010

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

68 households applied for aid $154K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina

1,300 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

47 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

Oktibbeha County has had 15 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. Starkville covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Starkville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Starkville. 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 Starkville total about $8.3M 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.