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FEMA - 37538 - Pass Christian Harbor with docked boats in MississippiPhoto: Jennifer Smits · Public domain
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Pass Christian · FEMA

FEMA puts Pass Christian’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pass Christian gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #98 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (51%), then coastal flooding (28%). Flood insurance has paid 2,723 claims here since 1978.

Hurricanes 51%Coastal flooding 28%River and rain flooding 18%

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 96%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#98 of 101 in Mississippi
Hazard risk
D−#98 of 101
in Mississippi · higher than 96% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
51% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2,723
paid since 1978 · $326M
Flooded more than once
152
properties · 43 “severe repetitive loss”
Flood insurance
10% off
Community discount (class 8)

What stands out about Pass Christian’s natural hazards

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

2,723 paid flood claims since 1978$326M in all; 152 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 100% of U.S. towns.10% off flood insuranceFlood-proofing work earns Pass Christian residents a discount through FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8).Coastal flooding: the top 1% of U.S. tractsFEMA’s building-damage rate for coastal flooding here ranks in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts; it is 27.7% of the damage it expects.Made safer with FEMA grants71 buildings retrofitted against wind; 7 homes raised above flood level; 7 storm safe rooms built; 1 flood-prone property bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Pass Christian faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

51%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Coastal flooding

28%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

18%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 55% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Wildfire Hail Earthquakes Strong wind Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
AvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Pass Christian’s grade

Hurricanes are 51% of the building damage FEMA expects in Pass Christian, and Pass Christian’s rate of hurricanes damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 28%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Pass Christian sits
Pass Christian
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− #98 of 101 in Mississippi; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Pass Christian’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes51%Coastal flooding28%River and rain flooding18%Everything else4%

The typical Mississippi town has higher expected damage than 64% of U.S. towns; within the state, Pass Christian has more expected damage per building than 97% of Mississippi towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $5.9M a year in losses across Pass Christian: $5.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Hurricane Zeta in 2020, FEMA took 786 aid registrations from Pass Christian addresses (the town has 3,390 homes) and flood insurance paid 159 claims for $1.2M.
A small-area figure. Pass Christian covers 4 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 Pass Christian flood? Yes: 2,723 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pass Christian, from FEMA’s records: 803.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 100% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 5 claims1979: 24 claims1980: 27 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 11 claims1983: 39 claims1984: 6 claims1985: 50 claims1986: 1 claim1987: 0 claims1988: 3 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 7 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 2 claims1994: 1 claim1995: 10 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 4 claims1998: 78 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 9 claims2002: 138 claims2003: 1 claim2004: 0 claims2005: 1,985 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 87 claims2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 47 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 9 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 170 claims2021: 6 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200220052020
19782026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Katrina1,971 claims · $318M
  • Hurricane Zeta159 claims · $1.2M
  • Tropical Storm Isidore128 claims · $1.5M
2,723
paid claims since 1978
$326M
paid to owners
152
homes flooded more than once
$120K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
Each house = 3 homesFEMA “severe repetitive loss” (43)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount10% off flood insurance

Pass Christian is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Harrison County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
71buildings retrofitted against wind
7homes raised above flood level
7storm safe rooms built
1flood-prone property bought out and cleared
Disasters

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pass Christian

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

  1. 2026Tropical Storm Arthur246 households applied for aid$715K aid approved
  2. 2024Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$300 aid approved
  3. 2021Hurricane Ida107 households applied for aid$354K aid approved$1.4M to the City of Pass Christian for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2020Hurricane Zeta786 households applied for aid$931K aid approved$3.7M to the City of Pass Christian for repairs159 flood claims paid for it, $1.2M
  5. 2020Hurricane Sally$17K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs
  6. 2017Hurricane Nate$48K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs9 flood claims paid that year
Show all 14
  1. 2012Hurricane Isaac398 households applied for aid$203K aid approved$789K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs46 flood claims paid for it, $334K
  2. 2008Hurricane Gustav159 households applied for aid$102K aid approved$574K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs85 flood claims paid for it, $699K
  3. 2005Hurricane Katrina2 households applied for aid$6K aid approved1,971 flood claims paid for it, $318M
  4. 2005Hurricane Katrina9,422 households applied for aid$64.3M aid approved$50.5M to the City of Pass Christian for repairs1,971 flood claims paid for it, $318M
  5. 2005Hurricane Dennis$10K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs
  6. 2004Hurricane Ivan49 households applied for aid$47K aid approved$59K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs
  7. 2002Tropical Storm Isidore$151K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs128 flood claims paid for it, $1.5M
  8. 2001Tropical Storm Allison$37K to the City of Pass Christian for repairs9 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Pass ChristianHarrison County only

Harrison County has had 27 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Pass Christian archive →
Next door

Pass Christian and its neighbors

Pass Christian is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Henderson Point: not gradedLong Beach: hazard risk DHenderson PointLong BeachPass Christian
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Long BeachDmore damage than 92%hurricanes1,545
Pass ChristianD−more damage than 96%hurricanes2,723
Henderson Point—237 residents; we grade 1,000+

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Pass Christian faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Hurricane season
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the tide surges
  • Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
  • Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
  • Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
More from Ready.gov ↗
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 ↗
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.
  • Pass Christian residents get 10% off flood insurance.
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 Pass Christian

Is Pass Christian at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pass Christian has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #98 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (51%) and coastal flooding (28%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Pass Christian flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2,723 claims in Pass Christian since 1978, $326M in all, or 803.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 100% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 152 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Katrina (1,971).

Is Pass Christian 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 Harrison County, 62% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 14.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Pass Christian?

Pass Christian is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8), which takes 10% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Pass Christian?

By FEMA money that reached Pass Christian, Hurricane Katrina (2005): 9,422 households applied for aid, $64.3M approved, and $50.5M to the City of Pass Christian for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Katrina: 1,971 paid, $318M.

Is Pass Christian at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (51%), and Pass Christian’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pass Christian.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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