Photo: Chillin662 · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Lyon
Lyon isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lyon has 386 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1991.
What Lyon 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
Earthquakes
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.
Does Lyon flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1991
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lyon, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $63K
- The Late winter severe storms1 claim · $67K
Lyon isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Coahoma County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lyon
Disasters that paid out in Lyon itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Lyon), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2026Severe Winter Storm168 households applied for aid$873K aid approved
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding135 households applied for aid$715K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
- 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding15 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
- 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding51 households applied for aid$27K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
Coahoma County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods.
Old photos of Lyon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lyon archive →Lyon and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksdale | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 74 |
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 Lyon 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Lyon
Does Lyon flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Lyon since 1991, $163K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (1).
Is Lyon 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 Coahoma County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lyon?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lyon’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 Lyon?
By FEMA money that reached Lyon, Severe Winter Storm (2026): 168 households applied for aid, $873K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 1 paid, $63K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lyon.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lyon’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.