Natural hazards · Tupelo

Tupelo, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tupelo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 75 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tupelo?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding33%Earthquakes26%Cold waves16%Tornadoes13%Heat waves5%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Tupelo faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% 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 Tupelo flood?

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

75paid claims since 1979

$1.6Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $35K

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

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

Insurance rates: Lee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

267storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Tupelo

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TupeloDeclared for Lee County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

1,023 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $278K to the City of Tupelo for repairs

2025

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

$41K to the City of Tupelo for repairs

2019

Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$180K to the City of Tupelo for repairs

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1,208 households applied for aid $518K aid approved $4.1M to the City of Tupelo for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$104K to the City of Tupelo for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds

4 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$247K to the City of Tupelo for repairs

1998

Severe Winter Storms, Ice and Freezing Rain

$122K to the City of Tupelo for repairs

Lee County has had 18 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. Tupelo covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tupelo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tupelo. 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 Tupelo total about $18.2M 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.