Cold Wave Risk in Mississippi
All Mississippi counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score
Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 82 of 82 Mississippi counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Lauderdale County carries the state's highest cold wave score at 98.2, with $15M in expected annual cold wave losses.
9 Mississippi counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $150M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Cold Wave
| # | County | Cold Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauderdale County | High | 0.95 / yr | $15M | |
| 2 | Lee County | High | 1.16 / yr | $8M | |
| 3 | DeSoto County | High | 1.47 / yr | $9M | |
| 4 | Yazoo County | High | 0.95 / yr | $5M | |
| 5 | Sunflower County | High | 1.26 / yr | $5M | |
| 6 | Monroe County | High | 1.11 / yr | $5M | |
| 7 | Hinds County | High | 0.89 / yr | $5M | |
| 8 | Lowndes County | High | 1.11 / yr | $5M | |
| 9 | Itawamba County | High | 1.16 / yr | $5M | |
| 10 | Madison County | Medium | 0.95 / yr | $7M | |
| 11 | Lafayette County | Medium | 1.16 / yr | $6M | |
| 12 | Harrison County | Medium | 0.95 / yr | $5M | |
| 13 | Rankin County | Medium | 0.89 / yr | $5M | |
| 14 | Alcorn County | Medium | 1.26 / yr | $3M | |
| 15 | Washington County | Medium | 1.26 / yr | $2M | |
| 16 | Oktibbeha County | Medium | 1.16 / yr | $3M | |
| 17 | Prentiss County | Medium | 1.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 18 | Jackson County | Medium | 0.95 / yr | $3M | |
| 19 | Panola County | Medium | 1.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 20 | Pontotoc County | Medium | 1.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 21 | Newton County | Medium | 0.95 / yr | $2M | |
| 22 | Union County | Medium | 1.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 23 | Leflore County | Medium | 1.21 / yr | $1M | |
| 24 | Neshoba County | Medium | 1.00 / yr | $2M | |
| 25 | Tishomingo County | Medium | 1.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 26 | Jones County | Medium | 0.74 / yr | $2M | |
| 27 | Holmes County | Medium | 1.05 / yr | $1M | |
| 28 | Marshall County | Medium | 1.21 / yr | $1M | |
| 29 | Tippah County | Medium | 1.21 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Clay County | Medium | 1.16 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Leake County | Medium | 1.00 / yr | $1M | |
| 32 | Warren County | Medium | 0.89 / yr | $1M | |
| 33 | Chickasaw County | Medium | 1.11 / yr | $1M | |
| 34 | Pearl River County | Medium | 0.95 / yr | $1M | |
| 35 | Wayne County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $1M | |
| 36 | Scott County | Low | 0.89 / yr | $1M | |
| 37 | Clarke County | Low | 0.79 / yr | $1M | |
| 38 | Hancock County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $1M | |
| 39 | Winston County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $889K | |
| 40 | Jasper County | Low | 0.79 / yr | $871K | |
| 41 | Grenada County | Low | 1.21 / yr | $855K | |
| 42 | Tate County | Low | 1.26 / yr | $1M | |
| 43 | Bolivar County | Low | 1.26 / yr | $742K | |
| 44 | Adams County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $770K | |
| 45 | Noxubee County | Low | 1.05 / yr | $675K | |
| 46 | Humphreys County | Low | 1.16 / yr | $650K | |
| 47 | Attala County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $771K | |
| 48 | Calhoun County | Low | 1.05 / yr | $759K | |
| 49 | Kemper County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $695K | |
| 50 | Tallahatchie County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $603K | |
| 51 | Coahoma County | Low | 1.16 / yr | $598K | |
| 52 | Copiah County | Low | 0.84 / yr | $588K | |
| 53 | Yalobusha County | Low | 1.05 / yr | $655K | |
| 54 | Smith County | Low | 0.79 / yr | $551K | |
| 55 | Lamar County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $729K | |
| 56 | Wilkinson County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $466K | |
| 57 | Simpson County | Low | 0.79 / yr | $587K | |
| 58 | Covington County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $477K | |
| 59 | Forrest County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $639K | |
| 60 | Carroll County | Low | 1.16 / yr | $465K | |
| 61 | Amite County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $387K | |
| 62 | Benton County | Low | 1.21 / yr | $402K | |
| 63 | Webster County | Low | 1.16 / yr | $456K | |
| 64 | Pike County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $354K | |
| 65 | Tunica County | Low | 1.42 / yr | $361K | |
| 66 | Montgomery County | Low | 1.16 / yr | $430K | |
| 67 | Marion County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $394K | |
| 68 | Choctaw County | Low | 1.16 / yr | $395K | |
| 69 | Sharkey County | Low | 1.05 / yr | $300K | |
| 70 | Greene County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $334K | |
| 71 | Quitman County | Low | 1.11 / yr | $256K | |
| 72 | Walthall County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $320K | |
| 73 | Lincoln County | Low | 0.74 / yr | $262K | |
| 74 | Stone County | Low | 1.00 / yr | $267K | |
| 75 | George County | Low | 0.95 / yr | $356K | |
| 76 | Claiborne County | Very Low | 0.84 / yr | $170K | |
| 77 | Jefferson County | Very Low | 0.74 / yr | $129K | |
| 78 | Franklin County | Very Low | 0.68 / yr | $131K | |
| 79 | Lawrence County | Very Low | 0.74 / yr | $143K | |
| 80 | Jefferson Davis County | Very Low | 0.74 / yr | $108K | |
| 81 | Perry County | Very Low | 1.11 / yr | $140K | |
| 82 | Issaquena County | Very Low | 1.00 / yr | $111K |
82 Mississippi counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all Mississippi counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Mississippi county has the highest cold wave risk?
Lauderdale County has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in Mississippi at 98.2 (High), with $15M in expected annual losses and about 0.95 events per year.
How many Mississippi counties face significant cold wave risk?
82 Mississippi counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 9 of them are rated High or Very High.