Pearl River County, MS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Pearl River County has experienced 37 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Pearl River County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, wildfire, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 119% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Pearl River County has been designated in 37 declarations since 1965, covering 8 disaster types including hurricane (22), severe storm (6), flood (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Arthur |
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Marco And Tropical Storm Laura |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
Showing the 10 most recent of 37 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.2 | 7 | 0 | $1.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 30.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 46.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83 | 20 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.8 | 11 | 0 | $69K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 66.7 | 14 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 73.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 65.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 65.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Pearl River County ranks in the 69th percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 69th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 76th | High |
| Household characteristics | 84th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 52nd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 34th | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 91st | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 88th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 87.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 51 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 16 in 2016–20 vs 35 in 2021–25 (+119% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Pearl River County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Pearl River County, Mississippi are hurricane, wildfire, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Pearl River County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Pearl River County has received 37 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (22 declarations).
Has Pearl River County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Pearl River County include Tropical Storm Arthur (2026), Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Winter Storm (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Pearl River County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, St. Tammany Parish, LA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Stone County, MS has the lowest (Relatively Low). Pearl River County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Pearl River County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Pearl River County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Pearl River County's composite score of 86 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 86% of US counties.