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C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Ackerman · FEMA

Ackerman’s building-damage rate from tornadoes is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ackerman gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%), then tornadoes (18%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2006.

River and rain flooding 55%Tornadoes 18%Earthquakes 10%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 64%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C+
in Mississippi · higher than 64% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
55% of expected building damage
Flood claims
3
paid since 2006 · $81K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
7
of 16 declared for Choctaw County
By hazard

What Ackerman faces

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

River and rain flooding

55%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

10%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts

Hurricanes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Ice storms Cold waves top 1% Lightning Wildfire Winter storms Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts strong wind at 15% of Ackerman’s expected losses. Strong wind does little damage to buildings (3.9%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Ackerman’s grade

River and rain flooding is 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ackerman, and Ackerman’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 18%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Ackerman sits
Ackerman
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ higher expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Ackerman’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding55%Tornadoes18%Earthquakes10%Everything else17%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $854K a year in losses across Ackerman: $474K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Ackerman covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Ackerman flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2006

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ackerman, from FEMA’s records: 3.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 1 claim2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 1 claim2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200620202023
20062026
3
paid claims since 2006
$81K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$27K
average claim
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

Ackerman isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Choctaw County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
47storm safe rooms built
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ackerman

Disasters that paid out in Ackerman itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Ackerman), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding26 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
  2. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding67 households applied for aid$50K aid approved
  3. 2010Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorms$18K to the Town of Ackerman for repairs
  4. 2005Hurricane Katrina153 households applied for aid$95K aid approved$86K to the Town of Ackerman for repairs
  5. 2004Tropical Depression Ivan$48K to the Town of Ackerman for repairs
  6. 2001Severe Storms and Tornadoes$30K to the Town of Ackerman for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 1998Severe Winter Storms, Ice and Freezing Rain$14K to the Town of Ackerman for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AckermanChoctaw County only

Choctaw County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

Old photos of Ackerman after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Ackerman archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Ackerman faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hurricane season
  • The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
  • Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
  • Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Ackerman

Is Ackerman at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ackerman has higher expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%) and tornadoes (18%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Ackerman flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Ackerman since 2006, $81K in all, or 3.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.

Is Ackerman in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Choctaw County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Ackerman?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ackerman’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Ackerman?

By FEMA money that reached Ackerman, Hurricane Katrina (2005): 153 households applied for aid, $95K approved, and $86K to the Town of Ackerman for repairs.

Is Ackerman at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and Ackerman’s rate for it is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ackerman.

Town Square →
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Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ackerman’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.