Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Maben

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Maben · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Maben

Maben isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Maben yet.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 15 declared for Oktibbeha County
By hazard

What Maben 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
Below average · lower than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

19%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Earthquakes

11%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Hurricanes Ice storms Cold waves top 1% Lightning top 2% 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 15% of Maben’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.5%), 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 Maben flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Maben. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Oktibbeha County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
54storm safe rooms built
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Maben

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

  1. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding171 households applied for aid$433K aid approved
  2. 2005Hurricane Katrina19 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MabenOktibbeha County only

Oktibbeha County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Maben archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Maben 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 ↗
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 Maben

Is Maben 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 Oktibbeha County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Maben?

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

By FEMA money that reached Maben, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding (2011): 171 households applied for aid, $433K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Maben.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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