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B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Kosciusko · FEMA

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

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kosciusko gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns, #29 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (44%), then tornadoes (20%). Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 44%Tornadoes 20%Earthquakes 14%

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 53%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#29 of 101 in Mississippi
Hazard risk
B−#29 of 101
in Mississippi · higher than 53% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
44% of expected building damage
Flood claims
20
paid since 1979 · $417K
Flooded more than once
3
properties
Disasters paid out here
6
of 18 declared for Attala County

What stands out about Kosciusko’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Made safer with FEMA grants16 storm safe rooms built with FEMA grants.Remembers 20018 flood claims were paid for 2001 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Kosciusko 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

44%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

14%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Ice storms Cold waves top 2% 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 cold waves at 10% of Kosciusko’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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Kosciusko’s grade

River and rain flooding is 44% of the building damage FEMA expects in Kosciusko, and Kosciusko’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 20%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Kosciusko sits
Kosciusko
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− #29 of 101 in Mississippi; higher expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Kosciusko’s residents live in 5 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding44%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes14%Everything else22%

The typical Mississippi town has higher expected damage than 64% of U.S. towns; within the state, Kosciusko has less expected damage per building than 72% of Mississippi towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.1M a year in losses across Kosciusko: $1.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Winter Storm in 2026, FEMA took 374 aid registrations from Kosciusko addresses (the town has 2,886 homes).
A small-area figure. Kosciusko covers 5 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 Kosciusko flood? Sometimes: 20 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Kosciusko, from FEMA’s records: 6.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 67% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 1 claim1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 1 claim1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 8 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 2 claims2006: 2 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 1 claim2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 2 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 1 claim2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 2 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200120052006
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $26K
  • Hurricane Katrina1 claim · $22K
20
paid claims since 1979
$417K
paid to owners
3
homes flooded more than once
$21K
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

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

Insurance rates: Attala County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
16storm safe rooms built
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kosciusko

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm374 households applied for aid$1.3M aid approved
  2. 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding8 households applied for aid$57K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  3. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding30 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
  4. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding50 households applied for aid$56K aid approved
  5. 2005Hurricane Katrina632 households applied for aid$274K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $22K
  6. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Floods10 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in KosciuskoAttala County only

Attala County has had 18 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Kosciusko archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Kosciusko 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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Kosciusko

Is Kosciusko at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Kosciusko has higher expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #29 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (44%) and tornadoes (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Kosciusko flood?

Flood insurance has paid 20 claims in Kosciusko since 1979, $417K in all, or 6.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 67% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).

Is Kosciusko 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 Attala County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Kosciusko?

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

By FEMA money that reached Kosciusko, Severe Winter Storm (2026): 374 households applied for aid, $1.3M approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $26K.

Is Kosciusko at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (44%), and Kosciusko’s rate for it is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kosciusko.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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