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CurrentLamarCountyCourthousePhoto: The diva777 · Public domain
B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Purvis · FEMA

FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Purvis as in the typical U.S. town, led by hurricanes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Purvis gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is hurricanes (42%), then river and rain flooding (39%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

Hurricanes 42%River and rain flooding 39%Tornadoes 6%

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

less than 53%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B−
in Mississippi · lower than 53% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Hurricanes
42% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
7
of 20 declared for Lamar County
By hazard

What Purvis faces

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

Hurricanes

42%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

River and rain flooding

39%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts

Wildfire

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hail Strong wind Ice storms Lightning Cold waves Winter storms Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Purvis’ grade

Hurricanes are 42% of the building damage FEMA expects in Purvis, and Purvis’ rate of hurricanes damage is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 6%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Purvis sits
Purvis
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Purvis’ residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Hurricanes42%River and rain flooding39%Tornadoes6%Everything else12%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $692K a year in losses across Purvis: $514K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in 2026, FEMA took 151 aid registrations from Purvis addresses (the town has 781 homes).
A small-area figure. Purvis covers 2 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 Purvis flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Purvis. 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

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

Insurance rates: Lamar County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
20storm safe rooms built
19buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Purvis

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

  1. 2026Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding151 households applied for aid$474K aid approved
  2. 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding72 households applied for aid$25K aid approved
  3. 2013Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding10 households applied for aid$974 aid approved
  4. 2012Hurricane Isaac28 households applied for aid$40K aid approved
  5. 2005Hurricane Katrina3,728 households applied for aid$4.4M aid approved$117K to the City of Purvis for repairs
  6. 2004Hurricane Ivan$5K to the City of Purvis for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2001Severe Storms and Tornadoes$18K to the City of Purvis for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PurvisLamar County only

Lamar County has had 20 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often hurricanes and tropical storms, then severe storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Purvis archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Purvis 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 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 ↗
Wildfire
  • Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
  • Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
  • Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
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 Purvis

Is Purvis at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Purvis has lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is hurricanes (42%) and river and rain flooding (39%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Purvis 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 Lamar County, 48% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Purvis?

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

By FEMA money that reached Purvis, Hurricane Katrina (2005): 3,728 households applied for aid, $4.4M approved, and $117K to the City of Purvis for repairs.

Is Purvis at risk from hurricanes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (42%), and Purvis’ rate for it is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Purvis.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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