Mississippi cold wave risk
Lauderdale County has the highest cold wave risk in Mississippi, scoring 98.2 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauderdale County | 98.2 | Relatively High |
| 2 | Lee County | 92.9 | Relatively High |
| 3 | DeSoto County | 91.7 | Relatively High |
| 4 | Yazoo County | 91.3 | Relatively High |
| 5 | Sunflower County | 91.2 | Relatively High |
| 6 | Monroe County | 90 | Relatively High |
| 7 | Hinds County | 89.8 | Relatively High |
| 8 | Lowndes County | 89.8 | Relatively High |
| 9 | Itawamba County | 89.5 | Relatively High |
| 10 | Madison County | 88.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 11 | Lafayette County | 88.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 12 | Harrison County | 87.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 13 | Rankin County | 84.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 14 | Alcorn County | 81.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 15 | Washington County | 80.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 16 | Oktibbeha County | 79.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 17 | Prentiss County | 78.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 18 | Jackson County | 78 | Relatively Moderate |
| 19 | Panola County | 77.5 | Relatively Moderate |
| 20 | Pontotoc County | 74.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 21 | Newton County | 74.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 22 | Union County | 73 | Relatively Moderate |
| 23 | Leflore County | 72.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 24 | Neshoba County | 72.7 | Relatively Moderate |
| 25 | Tishomingo County | 72.2 | Relatively Moderate |
| 26 | Jones County | 72 | Relatively Moderate |
| 27 | Holmes County | 71.1 | Relatively Moderate |
| 28 | Marshall County | 71 | Relatively Moderate |
| 29 | Tippah County | 69.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 30 | Clay County | 69.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 31 | Leake County | 67.4 | Relatively Moderate |
| 32 | Warren County | 67.3 | Relatively Moderate |
| 33 | Chickasaw County | 66 | Relatively Moderate |
| 34 | Pearl River County | 65.6 | Relatively Moderate |
| 35 | Wayne County | 65.2 | Relatively Low |
| 36 | Scott County | 64.8 | Relatively Low |
| 37 | Clarke County | 61.2 | Relatively Low |
| 38 | Hancock County | 61 | Relatively Low |
| 39 | Winston County | 60.8 | Relatively Low |
| 40 | Jasper County | 60.1 | Relatively Low |
| 41 | Grenada County | 58.4 | Relatively Low |
| 42 | Tate County | 57.2 | Relatively Low |
| 43 | Bolivar County | 56.6 | Relatively Low |
| 44 | Adams County | 56.1 | Relatively Low |
| 45 | Noxubee County | 55.7 | Relatively Low |
| 46 | Humphreys County | 53.7 | Relatively Low |
| 47 | Attala County | 53.2 | Relatively Low |
| 48 | Calhoun County | 52.8 | Relatively Low |
| 49 | Kemper County | 51.9 | Relatively Low |
| 50 | Tallahatchie County | 50.2 | Relatively Low |
| 51 | Coahoma County | 49 | Relatively Low |
| 52 | Copiah County | 48.6 | Relatively Low |
| 53 | Yalobusha County | 47.6 | Relatively Low |
| 54 | Smith County | 47 | Relatively Low |
| 55 | Lamar County | 46.4 | Relatively Low |
| 56 | Wilkinson County | 46 | Relatively Low |
| 57 | Simpson County | 45.1 | Relatively Low |
| 58 | Covington County | 44.3 | Relatively Low |
| 59 | Forrest County | 43.1 | Relatively Low |
| 60 | Carroll County | 41.3 | Relatively Low |
| 61 | Amite County | 40.6 | Relatively Low |
| 62 | Benton County | 40 | Relatively Low |
| 63 | Webster County | 38.9 | Relatively Low |
| 64 | Pike County | 36.9 | Relatively Low |
| 65 | Tunica County | 35.9 | Relatively Low |
| 66 | Montgomery County | 35.3 | Relatively Low |
| 67 | Marion County | 35.2 | Relatively Low |
| 68 | Choctaw County | 35.1 | Relatively Low |
| 69 | Sharkey County | 32.8 | Relatively Low |
| 70 | Greene County | 32.4 | Relatively Low |
| 71 | Quitman County | 30.6 | Relatively Low |
| 72 | Walthall County | 29 | Relatively Low |
| 73 | Lincoln County | 27.8 | Relatively Low |
| 74 | Stone County | 26.9 | Relatively Low |
| 75 | George County | 24.9 | Relatively Low |
| 76 | Claiborne County | 22.1 | Very Low |
| 77 | Jefferson County | 19 | Very Low |
| 78 | Franklin County | 18.9 | Very Low |
| 79 | Lawrence County | 17.6 | Very Low |
| 80 | Jefferson Davis County | 17.5 | Very Low |
| 81 | Perry County | 16.6 | Very Low |
| 82 | Issaquena County | 15.6 | Very Low |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Cold Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Mississippi:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest cold wave risk county in Mississippi?
Lauderdale County, MS has the highest cold wave risk in Mississippi, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.2 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes cold wave risk in Mississippi?
Cold wave risk captures expected losses from extended periods of extreme cold, including wind chill. The northern Plains, Great Lakes, and interior New England see the most severe and frequent cold events. Cold extremes cause significant excess mortality, especially among unhoused populations, the elderly, and those with inadequate heating or insulation. Cold and wind chill events are reported at forecast-zone level in NOAA Storm Events and are not included in county-level counts.