Drought Risk in Mississippi
All Mississippi counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 82 of 82 Mississippi counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Warren County carries the state's highest drought score at 99.5, with $15M in expected annual drought losses.
3 Mississippi counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $39M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren County | Very High | 14.46 / yr | $15M | |
| 2 | Humphreys County | High | 14.52 / yr | $1M | |
| 3 | Washington County | High | 14.88 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Yazoo County | Medium | 18.43 / yr | $1M | |
| 5 | Sharkey County | Medium | 17.99 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Bolivar County | Medium | 13.03 / yr | $942K | |
| 7 | Leflore County | Medium | 14.41 / yr | $951K | |
| 8 | Sunflower County | Medium | 12.62 / yr | $962K | |
| 9 | Issaquena County | Medium | 22.72 / yr | $903K | |
| 10 | Tallahatchie County | Medium | 13.43 / yr | $794K | |
| 11 | Holmes County | Medium | 15.28 / yr | $671K | |
| 12 | Hinds County | Medium | 14.07 / yr | $719K | |
| 13 | Coahoma County | Medium | 11.78 / yr | $615K | |
| 14 | Chickasaw County | Medium | 15.38 / yr | $578K | |
| 15 | Quitman County | Medium | 11.90 / yr | $473K | |
| 16 | Calhoun County | Medium | 13.38 / yr | $520K | |
| 17 | Tunica County | Medium | 12.71 / yr | $418K | |
| 18 | Noxubee County | Medium | 13.94 / yr | $365K | |
| 19 | Lowndes County | Medium | 14.92 / yr | $462K | |
| 20 | Madison County | Medium | 14.92 / yr | $678K | |
| 21 | Monroe County | Medium | 16.11 / yr | $418K | |
| 22 | Carroll County | Medium | 16.60 / yr | $314K | |
| 23 | Stone County | Medium | 19.58 / yr | $344K | |
| 24 | Covington County | Medium | 12.71 / yr | $257K | |
| 25 | Rankin County | Medium | 13.59 / yr | $440K | |
| 26 | Pearl River County | Medium | 17.69 / yr | $297K | |
| 27 | Leake County | Medium | 14.44 / yr | $238K | |
| 28 | Panola County | Medium | 11.57 / yr | $247K | |
| 29 | Claiborne County | Medium | 15.78 / yr | $247K | |
| 30 | Newton County | Low | 16.27 / yr | $223K | |
| 31 | Clay County | Low | 14.10 / yr | $209K | |
| 32 | Scott County | Low | 14.88 / yr | $195K | |
| 33 | Webster County | Low | 15.47 / yr | $221K | |
| 34 | Smith County | Low | 13.53 / yr | $194K | |
| 35 | Attala County | Low | 14.51 / yr | $213K | |
| 36 | Harrison County | Low | 18.70 / yr | $212K | |
| 37 | Jefferson Davis County | Low | 10.37 / yr | $149K | |
| 38 | Winston County | Low | 13.65 / yr | $153K | |
| 39 | Simpson County | Low | 10.07 / yr | $181K | |
| 40 | Neshoba County | Low | 14.97 / yr | $172K | |
| 41 | Lee County | Low | 13.37 / yr | $190K | |
| 42 | Pike County | Low | 13.30 / yr | $133K | |
| 43 | Hancock County | Low | 20.74 / yr | $168K | |
| 44 | Clarke County | Low | 10.78 / yr | $170K | |
| 45 | Kemper County | Low | 15.25 / yr | $141K | |
| 46 | Copiah County | Low | 11.57 / yr | $131K | |
| 47 | Jones County | Low | 11.22 / yr | $145K | |
| 48 | Jasper County | Low | 14.74 / yr | $112K | |
| 49 | Oktibbeha County | Low | 11.95 / yr | $150K | |
| 50 | Wayne County | Low | 10.78 / yr | $123K | |
| 51 | George County | Low | 17.38 / yr | $190K | |
| 52 | Jefferson County | Low | 11.19 / yr | $108K | |
| 53 | Pontotoc County | Low | 11.05 / yr | $133K | |
| 54 | Lauderdale County | Low | 11.87 / yr | $116K | |
| 55 | Jackson County | Low | 17.87 / yr | $151K | |
| 56 | Lincoln County | Low | 9.99 / yr | $114K | |
| 57 | Walthall County | Low | 13.54 / yr | $133K | |
| 58 | Choctaw County | Low | 14.52 / yr | $117K | |
| 59 | Tate County | Low | 12.69 / yr | $130K | |
| 60 | Amite County | Low | 14.14 / yr | $83K | |
| 61 | Grenada County | Low | 13.58 / yr | $87K | |
| 62 | Lawrence County | Low | 11.25 / yr | $103K | |
| 63 | DeSoto County | Low | 12.28 / yr | $146K | |
| 64 | Adams County | Low | 13.67 / yr | $81K | |
| 65 | Marshall County | Low | 10.91 / yr | $82K | |
| 66 | Montgomery County | Low | 14.90 / yr | $101K | |
| 67 | Wilkinson County | Low | 17.67 / yr | $70K | |
| 68 | Marion County | Low | 14.85 / yr | $87K | |
| 69 | Tippah County | Low | 12.48 / yr | $80K | |
| 70 | Prentiss County | Low | 13.34 / yr | $74K | |
| 71 | Union County | Low | 11.25 / yr | $78K | |
| 72 | Alcorn County | Low | 13.24 / yr | $77K | |
| 73 | Yalobusha County | Low | 12.96 / yr | $76K | |
| 74 | Franklin County | Low | 12.35 / yr | $64K | |
| 75 | Forrest County | Low | 14.58 / yr | $71K | |
| 76 | Itawamba County | Low | 17.98 / yr | $53K | |
| 77 | Benton County | Low | 11.15 / yr | $38K | |
| 78 | Tishomingo County | Low | 15.66 / yr | $40K | |
| 79 | Lamar County | Low | 14.00 / yr | $43K | |
| 80 | Perry County | Low | 16.83 / yr | $39K | |
| 81 | Greene County | Low | 14.40 / yr | $33K | |
| 82 | Lafayette County | Low | 10.23 / yr | $32K |
82 Mississippi counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Mississippi counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Mississippi county has the highest drought risk?
Warren County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Mississippi at 99.5 (Very High), with $15M in expected annual losses and about 14.46 events per year.
How many Mississippi counties face significant drought risk?
82 Mississippi counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 3 of them are rated High or Very High.