Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Pearl River County, MS

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
28109
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2029-02-21. Plan: MEMA District 9 Regional (FEMA plan 109240), approved 2024-02-22.

Since the plan was approved on 2024-02-22: 3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents) and 56 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Hurricane ($23,389,296 a year), Inland Flooding ($11,098,297) and Tornado ($3,353,482).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2029-02-21
Plan:
MEMA District 9 Regional (FEMA plan 109240)
Approved:
2024-02-22
Days to expiry:
875

What changed since your last plan (approved 2024-02-22)

New federal declarations:
3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): EM-3640-MS (Severe Winter Storm), DR-4899-MS (Severe Winter Storm), DR-4930-MS (Tropical Storm Arthur)
Storm Events records since approval:
56 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 13, SRL 24 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 96
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
Pearl River County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2029-02-21MEMA District 9 Regional (FEMA plan 109240)2024-02-222029-02-21875this jurisdiction approved 2024-07-16
Picayune cityCityApproved, expires 2029-02-21MEMA District 9 Regional (FEMA plan 109240)2024-02-222029-02-21875this jurisdiction approved 2024-07-16
Poplarville cityCityApproved, expires 2029-02-21MEMA District 9 Regional (FEMA plan 109240)2024-02-222029-02-21875
Pearl River Community CollegeCollege/UniversityApproved, expires 2029-02-01Pearl River Community College (FEMA plan 109256)2024-02-022029-02-01855

Plan 109240 covers 19 other participants, named in the Excel file.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1HurricaneRelatively HighRelatively High$21,824,891$185,487$1,378,917$23,389,29617Includes 1 Tropical Depression record (outside NRI's Hurricane definition).
2Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$11,076,419$1,389$20,490$11,098,29748
3TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,272,658$1,388$2,079,435$3,353,48237
4Heat WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$126$82$1,327,385$1,327,59320
5Cold WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$22,422$503$1,272,240$1,295,1654
6WildfireRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$887,091$349$165,701$1,053,1410No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
7Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$227,707$597$570,915$799,219152Includes 1 Strong Wind record (a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
8LightningRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$21,583n/a$558,261$579,8446
9HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$357,209$215$885$358,31054
10DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Lown/a$297,097n/a$297,0975
11EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$117,376n/a$50,868$168,244Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
12Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$58,409n/a$19,505$77,9140No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$6,145$15$36,760$42,9198Includes 1 Sleet record (outside NRI's Winter Weather definition).
14Coastal FloodingVery LowVery Low$3,242n/a$575$3,8170No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15LandslideVery LowVery Low$844n/a$29$8740No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
TsunamiInsufficient DataInsufficient Datan/an/an/an/a0No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire, landslide and tsunami records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Coastal Flooding and Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 9503 (Relatively Low, 49.7); tract 9506 (Relatively Low, 48.3); tract 9507.01 (Relatively Low, 44.2)
Hurricanetract 9505.04 (Very High, 98.9); tract 9507.01 (Very High, 98.8); tract 9506 (Very High, 98.8)
Landslidetract 9502.01 (Relatively Low, 86.7); tract 9504.04 (Relatively Low, 86.0); tract 9501.01 (Relatively Low, 82.2)
Tornadotract 9507.01 (Relatively High, 91.9); tract 9506 (Relatively High, 89.1); tract 9505.04 (Relatively High, 88.3)
Tsunamino tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Wildfiretract 9505.04 (Relatively Moderate, 96.0); tract 9504.03 (Relatively Moderate, 95.0); tract 9502.02 (Relatively Moderate, 94.9)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9503 is Census Tract 9503). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tidenone in data (flood depth: FIRM)0Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill4 records, 1996 to 2026 (4 zone-level)1 day to 4 days (median 2.5 days); 4 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 1996-12-18 to 1996-12-21, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)5 records, 2023 to 2026 (5 zone-level)12 days to 62 days (median 31 days); 3 with a recorded value62 days (about 2.0 months), 2023-09-01 to 2023-11-01, a run of 3 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)76 records, 1968 to 20260.25 in to 2 in (median 1 in); 76 with a recorded value2 in hail, 2017-02-07Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Poplarville city (17 records), Picayune city (14 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)20 records, 2023 to 2025 (20 zone-level)1 day to 11 days (median 2 days); 7 with a recorded value11 consecutive days, 2023-08-04 to 2023-08-14, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson17 records, 1998 to 2024 (17 zone-level)Strongest recorded: Hurricane record (NOAA event type 'Hurricane (Typhoon)'), 2021-08-29 to 2021-08-30, category 1, $1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars); NWS zone MSZ077Most damaging recorded: Hurricane (Typhoon), 2005-08-28, $1,100,000,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2005 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)0
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)48 records, 1997 to 2026 (2 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2012-08-29, $1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Picayune city (14 records), Poplarville city (3 records). Zone-level records (2) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)6 records, 1996 to 2004Lightning, 1998-03-07, $90,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Picayune city (3 records), Poplarville city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)1 record, 2010 (1 zone-level)45 kt (52 mph); 1 with a recorded value45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust, Strong Wind, 2010-03-01; NWS zone MSZ077Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)189 records, 1960 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 84 kt (97 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 109 with a recorded value84 kt (97 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1979-07-01Thunderstorm Wind, 2002-10-29, $5,000,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Poplarville city (45 records), Picayune city (29 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)56 records, 1956 to 2026F/EF0 to F/EF3 (median F/EF1); 56 with a recorded valueEF3 tornado, 2012-12-25, 24.05 mi within this county, 175 yd wide, $2,500,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars), 8 direct injuriesEvent records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Poplarville city (11 records), Picayune city (3 records).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Tsunaminone (count and damage only)0
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)8 records, 2008 to 2025 (8 zone-level)No damage reported in 8 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow, lightning and tsunami.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 37 declarations covering 29 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-08-032026-06-18DR-4930-MSMajor disasterTropical Storm ArthurHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingnot yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)new since last plan; within last 5 years
2026-02-062026-01-23DR-4899-MSMajor disasterSevere Winter StormWinter Weathernone placed in this county by FEMA's record; $103,887.07 for this declaration is not placed in any county (see the state page)new since last plan; within last 5 years
2026-01-242026-01-23EM-3640-MSEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4899
2021-10-222021-08-28DR-4626-MSMajor disasterHurricane IdaHurricane$977,661.35within last 5 years
2021-08-282021-08-28EM-3569-MSEmergencyHurricane IdaHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4626
2020-10-282020-10-27EM-3550-MSEmergencyHurricane ZetaHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2020-10-082020-10-07EM-3548-MSEmergencyHurricane DeltaHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2020-09-142020-09-14EM-3544-MSEmergencyHurricane SallyHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2020-08-232020-08-23EM-3539-MSEmergencyHurricane Marco and Tropical Storm LauraHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2020-04-052020-01-20DR-4528-MSMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$131,811.45
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3474-MSEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4528
2017-10-072017-10-06EM-3393-MSEmergencyHurricane NateHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
2016-03-252016-03-09DR-4268-MSMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$61,821.17
2012-08-292012-08-26DR-4081-MSMajor disasterHurricane IsaacHurricane$853,817.69
2012-08-282012-08-26EM-3348-MSEmergencyTropical Storm IsaacHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4081
2008-09-222008-08-28DR-1794-MSMajor disasterHurricane GustavHurricane$325,592.71
2008-08-302008-08-28EM-3291-MSEmergencyHurricane GustavHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1794
2005-08-292005-08-29DR-1604-MSMajor disasterHurricane KatrinaHurricane$110,937,611.55
2005-08-282005-08-27EM-3213-MSEmergencyHurricane KatrinaHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1604
2005-07-102005-07-10DR-1594-MSMajor disasterHurricane DennisHurricane$20,858
2004-09-152004-09-13DR-1550-MSMajor disasterHurricane IvanHurricane$48,803.77
2003-04-242003-04-06DR-1459-MSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, FloodsInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
2002-10-012002-09-23DR-1436-MSMajor disasterTropical Storm IsidoreHurricane$98,038.48
2001-06-212001-06-06DR-1382-MSMajor disasterTropical Storm AllisonHurricane; Inland Flooding$221,884.13
2001-02-232001-02-16DR-1360-MSMajor disasterSevere Storms and TornadoesTornado$166,188.10
1998-10-011998-09-25DR-1251-MSMajor disasterHurricane GeorgesHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
1998-09-281998-09-28EM-3132-MSEmergencyHurricane GeorgesHurricaneno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1251
1995-05-121995-05-08DR-1051-MSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
1991-05-171991-04-26DR-906-MSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
1985-09-041985-08-29DR-741-MSMajor disasterHurricane ElenaHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
1983-04-161983-04-16DR-678-MSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding & TornadoesInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1979-09-131979-09-13DR-599-MSMajor disasterHurricane FredericHurricaneno Public Assistance recorded
1978-04-241978-04-24EM-3063-MSEmergencyTornadoesTornadoPA not declared for this county
1977-02-221977-02-22EM-3032-MSEmergencyDrought & FreezingWinter Weather (primary); also designated: Droughtno Public Assistance recorded
1974-04-181974-04-18DR-430-MSMajor disasterHeavy Rains & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1969-08-181969-08-18DR-271-MSMajor disasterHurricane CamilleHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1965-09-251965-09-25DR-210-MSMajor disasterHurricane BetsyHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

School districts and special districts in this county: $5,951,001.74 (included in the county total above). Public Assistance matched by applicant name to the school districts and special districts FEMA lists as plan participants in this county. They have no row of their own in the jurisdiction table, so their total is listed here. These dollars are already included in the county PA column of the declarations table (the FEMA record places each applicant in this county), so this line is not added to it.

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1962-10-101962-10-10DR-135-MSMajor disasterChlorine Barge AccidentNon-natural, not counted
1961-02-271961-02-27DR-108-MSMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1953-12-061953-12-06DR-14-MSMajor disasterTornadoTornado

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Public Assistance not placed in any Mississippi county: 3 rows, $3,519,904.13; listed on the Mississippi state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Coastal Flooding0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave4202001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought5145101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail765311001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave2011920001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane171011911996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Tropical Depression record.
Ice Storm0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Inland Flooding48250251011996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning6000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind190191131001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Strong Wind record.
Tornado56115601950 to 2026-06-30
Tsunami0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather8101211996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Sleet record.

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2023-08-04Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2023 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MSZ077 (PEARL RIVER), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2021-08-29Hurricane (NOAA event type 'Hurricane (Typhoon)')category 1$1,000,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2021 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MSZ077 (PEARL RIVER), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical Depression
2021-04-24Thunderstorm Wind50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust$20,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars)1, 0HILLSDALEdeaths or injuries recorded
2017-02-07Hail2 in$0 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars)0, 0PICAYUNE ARPTB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2012-12-25TornadoEF3, 24.05 mi within this county, 175 yd wide$2,500,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)0, 8MILL CREEK to SILVER RUNB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
2012-08-29Flash Flood$1,000,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars)0, 0NICHOLSON to CYBURB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2012-08-28Tropical Storm$300,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2012 dollars)1, 1NWS zone MSZ077 (PEARL RIVER), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2010-03-01Strong Wind45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust$5,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MSZ077 (PEARL RIVER), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1998-03-07Lightning$90,000 property; crops not reported (1998 dollars)0, 0POPLARVILLEB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
1996-12-18Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone MSZ077 (PEARL RIVER), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1996-02-19TornadoF2, 23 mi within this county, 430 yd wide$700,000 property; crops not reported (1996 dollars)0, 10WHITE SAND to HILLSDALEdeaths or injuries recorded
1979-07-01Thunderstorm Wind84 kt (97 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (430 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Coastal Flooding0.01events per year at a location (modeled)about 0.01 per year at a given location in the countyStorm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Cold Wave0.948event-days per yearabout 0.948 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)182005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought17.7event-days per yearabout 17.7 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)6022000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00105annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.105%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail2.53events per yearabout 2.53 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)96.1 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave13.3event-days per yearabout 13.3 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)2242005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.201events per yearabout 1 in 5 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)641851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.759event-days per yearabout 0.759 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)511946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNo Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025
Inland Flooding0.714event-days per yearabout 0.714 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 14 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (46.7%)201996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.26events per year (modeled)about 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning84.3days per year with a strikeabout 84.3 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind2.01events per yearabout 2.01 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)771986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.905events per yearabout 0.91 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Tsunamiannual probability at the most exposed location (used in place of a county value)Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Wildfire0.00606annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.606%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather1.21event-days per yearabout 1.21 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)232005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202532301.07
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202590303
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20254300.133
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202545301.5
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202534301.13
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Coastal Flooding5 of 1670.975.581.5Relatively Low 2, Very Low 3, No Rating 11
Cold Wave16 of 1653.666.280.0Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 15
Drought7 of 1684.292.895.0Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 2, No Rating 9
Earthquake16 of 1617.829.949.7Relatively Low 3, Very Low 13
Hail16 of 1663.473.280.8Relatively Moderate 11, Relatively Low 5
Heat Wave16 of 1664.878.589.8Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 11
Hurricane16 of 1693.897.498.9Very High 9, Relatively High 7
Ice Storm16 of 1638.153.968.3Relatively Low 16
Inland Flooding16 of 1624.358.794.3Relatively High 6, Relatively Moderate 4, Relatively Low 6
Landslide16 of 1620.669.186.7Relatively Low 4, Very Low 12
Lightning16 of 1675.788.696.9Very High 1, Relatively High 13, Relatively Moderate 2
Strong Wind16 of 1669.482.590.4Relatively High 8, Relatively Moderate 8
Tornado16 of 1666.380.091.9Relatively High 12, Relatively Moderate 4
Tsunami0 of 16Insufficient Data 16
Wildfire16 of 1685.894.396.0Relatively Moderate 14, Relatively Low 2
Winter Weather16 of 1643.754.169.0Relatively Moderate 13, Relatively Low 3

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Pearl River County (unincorporated area)UnincorporatedApproved, expires 2029-02-21FMA RL 11, SRL 20; any 66$100,909,406.850 total; 0 since its planIncludes $25,385.31 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4528-MS).
Picayune cityCityApproved, expires 2029-02-21FMA RL 2, SRL 4; any 28$4,305,463.7563 total; 13 since its plan
Poplarville cityCityApproved, expires 2029-02-21FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$727,622.2077 total; 3 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2024-02-22county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Coastal Flooding$217,551,585n/a1,117$3,242n/a$5750.00149%
Cold Wave$9,882,107,297$22,503,22756,090$22,422$503$1,272,2400.000227%$0
Droughtn/a$8,611,275n/an/a$297,097n/a3.45% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$16,586,957,385n/a56,145$117,376n/a$50,8680.000708%
Hail$9,882,107,404$22,503,22756,090$357,209$215$8850.00361%$0
Heat Wave$9,882,107,297$22,503,22756,090$126$82$1,327,385under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$9,882,107,297$22,503,22756,090$21,824,891$185,487$1,378,9170.221%$40,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Ice Storm$9,881,985,508n/a56,089$58,409n/a$19,5050.000591%
Inland Flooding$9,864,956,086$601,7903,668$11,076,419$1,389$20,490n/a (see note)$360,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$59,498,986n/a351$844n/a$290.00142%
Lightning$9,882,107,404n/a56,090$21,583n/a$558,2610.000218%
Strong Wind$9,882,107,404$22,503,22756,090$227,707$597$570,9150.0023%$241,000
Tornado$9,882,107,404$22,503,22756,090$1,272,658$1,388$2,079,4350.0129%$10,000
Tsunamin/an/an/an/an/an/aNRI publishes no building exposure for this county
Wildfire$1,722,272,556$7,677,60019,172$887,091$349$165,7010.0515%
Winter Weather$9,882,107,297$22,503,22756,090$6,145$15$36,760under 0.0001%$0no Public Assistance recorded (2 declarations)

Totals since 2024-02-22 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 50 county-coded records, 50 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $611,000; 6 zone-level records, 6 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $40,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: none recorded on the 3 counted declarations.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population56,090
Building value (total, not at risk)$9,882,107,404
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$22,503,227
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Moderate
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$36,363,242
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$7,481,967
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
Community resilience ratingRelatively Low
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)13Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)24
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition88Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition18

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total1324881896728
of which: Hattiesburg city (plan jurisdiction listed on the Forrest County and Lamar County page)0010100
of which: Pearl River County (unincorporated area)1120581466723
of which: Picayune city242842805
of which: Unknown (community ID Unknown in FEMA data)0010100
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file1141403

1 of the county's repeat-flood properties belong to NFIP communities whose plan jurisdiction is not listed on this page (the community rows above name the page that lists it).

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Pearl River County (unincorporated area)2801291120581466723
Picayune city280130242842805
Poplarville city2803650000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential1222801688727
2 to 4 unit residential0010100
other residential1121201
non-residential0151500
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 4 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 79 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Pearl River County, MS: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 28109). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ms/28109/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]