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B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Winona · FEMA

FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Winona as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winona gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns, #21 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%), then tornadoes (17%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 55%Tornadoes 17%Earthquakes 12%

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 51%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#21 of 101 in Mississippi
Hazard risk
B−#21 of 101
in Mississippi · lower than 51% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
55% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 16 declared for Montgomery County
By hazard

What Winona 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 62% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

12%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hurricanes Ice storms Cold waves top 1% 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 10% of Winona’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.8%), 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 Winona’s grade

River and rain flooding is 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in Winona, and Winona’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 17%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Winona sits
Winona
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− #21 of 101 in Mississippi; lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Winona’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 flooding55%Tornadoes17%Earthquakes12%Everything else16%

The typical Mississippi town has higher expected damage than 64% of U.S. towns; within the state, Winona has less expected damage per building than 80% of Mississippi towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.8M a year in losses across Winona: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Winter Storm in 2026, FEMA took 1,023 aid registrations from Winona addresses (the town has 2,271 homes).
A small-area figure. Winona 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 Winona flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
37storm safe rooms built
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Winona

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

  1. 2026Severe Winter Storm1,023 households applied for aid$2.3M aid approved
  2. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding45 households applied for aid$108K aid approved
  3. 2023Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes983 households applied for aid$1.1M aid approved
  4. 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid$37K aid approved
  5. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding10 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WinonaMontgomery County only

Montgomery County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Winona archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Winona 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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Winona

Is Winona at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winona has lower expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #21 of 101 in Mississippi. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%) and tornadoes (17%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Winona 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 Montgomery County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Winona?

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

By FEMA money that reached Winona, Severe Winter Storm (2026): 1,023 households applied for aid, $2.3M approved.

Is Winona at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and Winona’s rate for it is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Winona.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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