More hazard damage per building is expected in Arnold Line than in 74% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arnold Line gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then hurricanes (24%). Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 2014.
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
What Arnold Line 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
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
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.
What’s behind Arnold Line’s grade
River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Arnold Line, and Arnold Line’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts. Next is hurricanes at 24% (higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts).
C higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Arnold Line’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $967K a year in losses across Arnold Line: $769K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Arnold Line flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Arnold Line, from FEMA’s records: 18.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 83% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ida1 claim · $2K
Arnold Line isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lamar County.The storms Arnold Line remembers
None of the 20 disasters declared for Lamar County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Arnold Line itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20173 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, declared for Lamar County
- 20182 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20202 flood claims paidThe year of Hurricane Zeta, declared for Lamar County
Lamar County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.
Old photos of Arnold Line after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Arnold Line archive →Arnold Line and its neighbors
Arnold Line is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hattiesburg | C+more damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 932 |
| Arnold Line | Cmore damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 16 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Arnold Line faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Arnold Line
Is Arnold Line at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arnold Line has higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and hurricanes (24%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Arnold Line flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Arnold Line since 2014, $243K in all, or 18.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 83% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Ida (1).
Is Arnold Line 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 Lamar County, 48% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Arnold Line?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Arnold Line’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 Arnold Line?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ida: 1 paid, $2K.
Is Arnold Line at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Arnold Line’s rate for it is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Arnold Line.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Arnold Line’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.