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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Courtland · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Courtland

Courtland isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Courtland yet. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2016 · $76K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 22 declared for Panola County
By hazard

What Courtland 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

43%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

31%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hurricanes Strong wind Hail Wildfire Ice storms Cold waves top 2% Lightning 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 cold waves at 12% of Courtland’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.3%), 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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Courtland flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2016

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2016
20162026
1
paid claims since 2016
$76K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$76K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Panola County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
55storm safe rooms built
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Courtland

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm757 households applied for aid$1.9M aid approved
  2. 2023Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes180 households applied for aid$109K aid approved
  3. 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding9 households applied for aid$22K aid approved
  4. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding3 households applied for aid$416 aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  5. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding26 households applied for aid$36K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in CourtlandPanola County only

Panola County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Courtland archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Courtland 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Courtland

Does Courtland flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Courtland since 2016, $76K in all.

Is Courtland 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 Panola County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Courtland?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Courtland’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 Courtland?

By FEMA money that reached Courtland, Severe Winter Storm (2026): 757 households applied for aid, $1.9M approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Courtland.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Courtland’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.