Natural hazards · Water Valley

Water Valley, MS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Water Valley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 31 claims here since 1982. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Water Valley?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Water Valley to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes17%Earthquakes15%Cold waves12%Lightning10%Heat waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Water Valley faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 79 years in the area

Earthquakes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lightning

10% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 19 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windDrought

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 Water Valley flood?

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

31paid claims since 1982

$271Kpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19822026

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

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

Insurance rates: Yalobusha County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

104storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Water Valley

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Water ValleyDeclared for Yalobusha County only

2026

Severe Winter Storm

958 households applied for aid $2.1M aid approved $1.2M to the City of Water Valley for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina

$22K to the City of Water Valley for repairs

Yalobusha 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. Water Valley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Water Valley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Water Valley. 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 Water Valley total about $1.9M 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.