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C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in West Point · FEMA

For tornadoes, West Point’s building-damage rate is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Point gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns, #39 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%), then tornadoes (20%). Flood insurance has paid 60 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 50%Tornadoes 20%Earthquakes 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 57%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#39 of 101 in Mississippi
Hazard risk
C+#39 of 101
in Mississippi · higher than 57% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
50% of expected building damage
Flood claims
60
paid since 1979 · $913K
Flooded more than once
5
properties
Disasters paid out here
14
of 23 declared for Clay County

What stands out about West Point’s natural hazards

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

Made safer with FEMA grants127 storm safe rooms built with FEMA grants.Remembers 201119 flood claims were paid for 2011 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What West Point 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

50%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

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

Earthquakes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts

Hurricanes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 14 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail 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 15% of West Point’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.2%), 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 West Point’s grade

River and rain flooding is 50% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Point, and West Point’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 20%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where West Point sits
West Point
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ #39 of 101 in Mississippi; higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding50%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes18%Everything else13%

The typical Mississippi town has higher expected damage than 64% of U.S. towns; within the state, West Point has less expected damage per building than 62% of Mississippi towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.8M a year in losses across West Point: $2.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. West Point 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 West Point flood? Sometimes: 60 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Point, from FEMA’s records: 12.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 8 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 2 claims1983: 12 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 3 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 5 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 2 claims1995: 1 claim1996: 2 claims1997: 2 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 19 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 1 claim2018: 0 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197919832011
19792026
Biggest named events
  • Hurricane Katrina1 claim · $25K
60
paid claims since 1979
$913K
paid to owners
5
homes flooded more than once
$15K
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

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

Insurance rates: Clay County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
127storm safe rooms built
Disasters

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money to West Point

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm7 households applied for aid$5K to the City of West Point for repairs
  2. 2021Severe Winter Storms$37K to the City of West Point for repairs
  3. 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$11K to the City of West Point for repairs
  4. 2020Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$12K to the City of West Point for repairs
  5. 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$9K to the City of West Point for repairs
  6. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$14K to the City of West Point for repairs
Show all 14
  1. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding30 households applied for aid$31K aid approved$4K to the City of West Point for repairs
  2. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding93 households applied for aid$175K aid approved$14K to the City of West Point for repairs19 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2005Hurricane Katrina3 households applied for aid$133K to the City of West Point for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $25K
  4. 2004Hurricane Ivan$35K to the City of West Point for repairs
  5. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds12 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
  6. 2002Severe Storms and Tornadoes22 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  7. 2001Severe Storms and Tornadoes$12K to the City of West Point for repairs
  8. 1998Severe Winter Storms, Ice and Freezing Rain$60K to the City of West Point for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in West PointClay County only

Clay County has had 23 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the West Point archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what West Point 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 West Point

Is West Point at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Point has higher expected damage per building than 57% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #39 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%) and tornadoes (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does West Point flood?

Flood insurance has paid 60 claims in West Point since 1979, $913K in all, or 12.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 78% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 5 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Katrina (1).

Is West Point 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 Clay County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in West Point?

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

By FEMA money that reached West Point, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding (2011): 93 households applied for aid, $175K approved, and $14K to the City of West Point for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Katrina: 1 paid, $25K.

Is West Point at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (50%), and West Point’s rate for it is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Point.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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