Mississippi heat wave risk
Hinds County has the highest heat wave risk in Mississippi, scoring 97.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded heat wave events across Mississippi have increased 422% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hinds County | 97.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | DeSoto County | 96.1 | Relatively Moderate | 102 |
| 3 | Harrison County | 94.8 | Relatively Moderate | 23 |
| 4 | Rankin County | 92.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 5 | Jackson County | 91.8 | Relatively Moderate | 24 |
| 6 | Lauderdale County | 90.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Washington County | 89.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 8 | Panola County | 89.2 | Relatively Moderate | 100 |
| 9 | Lee County | 88.9 | Relatively Moderate | 74 |
| 10 | Madison County | 88.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 11 | Warren County | 87.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 12 | Lowndes County | 87.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 13 | Adams County | 84.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Jones County | 84.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 15 | Bolivar County | 84 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Forrest County | 83.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 17 | Pearl River County | 83 | Relatively Moderate | 20 |
| 18 | Pike County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate | 18 |
| 19 | Monroe County | 82 | Relatively Moderate | 78 |
| 20 | Marshall County | 81.9 | Relatively Moderate | 71 |
| 21 | Lincoln County | 81.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Copiah County | 81.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Oktibbeha County | 81.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Lafayette County | 80.7 | Relatively Moderate | 70 |
| 25 | Lamar County | 80.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Leflore County | 79.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Coahoma County | 78.3 | Relatively Low | 121 |
| 28 | Hancock County | 78.1 | Relatively Low | 23 |
| 29 | Sunflower County | 78.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 30 | Yazoo County | 77.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 31 | Tate County | 76.3 | Relatively Low | 100 |
| 32 | Pontotoc County | 75.9 | Relatively Low | 70 |
| 33 | Alcorn County | 74.9 | Relatively Low | 69 |
| 34 | Scott County | 73 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 35 | Union County | 72.1 | Relatively Low | 66 |
| 36 | Simpson County | 71.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 37 | Itawamba County | 70.8 | Relatively Low | 73 |
| 38 | Jefferson County | 70.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Holmes County | 69.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 40 | Covington County | 69.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Neshoba County | 69.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Prentiss County | 69.6 | Relatively Low | 67 |
| 43 | Grenada County | 68.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Tallahatchie County | 68.3 | Relatively Low | 115 |
| 45 | Leake County | 67.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Tishomingo County | 67.3 | Relatively Low | 68 |
| 47 | Marion County | 67.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Calhoun County | 66.8 | Relatively Low | 79 |
| 49 | Chickasaw County | 66.5 | Relatively Low | 80 |
| 50 | Tippah County | 66.1 | Relatively Low | 62 |
| 51 | Newton County | 65 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Winston County | 63.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Noxubee County | 63 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Clay County | 62.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Amite County | 61.3 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 56 | Tunica County | 61.2 | Relatively Low | 115 |
| 57 | Claiborne County | 60.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Attala County | 60.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Jasper County | 59.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Yalobusha County | 57.8 | Relatively Low | 88 |
| 61 | Jefferson Davis County | 56.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Smith County | 56 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Franklin County | 55.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Wayne County | 55.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Quitman County | 54.1 | Relatively Low | 116 |
| 66 | Humphreys County | 54 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Clarke County | 53.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Lawrence County | 53.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 69 | Wilkinson County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 70 | Stone County | 52.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Walthall County | 51.8 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 72 | Carroll County | 51.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | Kemper County | 50.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 74 | George County | 50.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Benton County | 49.1 | Relatively Low | 61 |
| 76 | Greene County | 48.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 77 | Webster County | 46.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Montgomery County | 45.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 79 | Choctaw County | 41.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Perry County | 39.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Sharkey County | 39.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 82 | Issaquena County | 21.8 | Very Low | 0 |
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.
Heat Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Mississippi:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest heat wave risk county in Mississippi?
Hinds County, MS has the highest heat wave risk in Mississippi, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes heat wave risk in Mississippi?
Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.