Flood Help Guide

Washington County flood history

Mississippi · From FEMA's flood insurance and disaster data · Updated 2026-10-08

1,955NFIP flood claims since 1978
$37.0 millionPaid on those claims
$28,971Average paid claimlast 10 years
6.5%Homes with NFIP flood insurance
8Flood disaster declarationssince 2000

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data lists 1,955 flood insurance claims in Washington County, Mississippi since 1978. The NFIP paid $37.0 million on them (building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments, in the dollars of the year paid).

The year with the most claims was 2008, with 421, mostly from Hurricane Gustav.

In the last ten years (2017–2026) there were 167 claims, and the average paid claim was $28,971.

17% of the claims with a recorded flood zone came from buildings outside FEMA's high-risk zones (rated zones B, C and X).

About 6.5% of homes in Washington County, Mississippi had an NFIP flood policy in FEMA's latest count (1,236 of 19,157 residential buildings). In the high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), it was 21% (979 of 4,658).

Since 2000, FEMA has made 8 flood-related disaster declarations covering Washington County, Mississippi. The most recent was DR-4874-MS (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared May 21, 2025.

NFIP claims by year

NFIP flood claims per year in Washington County, Mississippi01252503755001978: 5 claims, $8,266 paid1979: 105 claims, $969,652 paid1980: 1 claims, $0 paid19801981: 1 claims, $10,900 paid1982: 16 claims, $31,892 paid1983: 131 claims, $1.4 million paid1984: 78 claims, $372,480 paid1985: 6 claims, $26,015 paid1986: 3 claims, $0 paid1987: 2 claims, $16,596 paid1988: 1 claims, $0 paid1989: 9 claims, $40,370 paid1990: 8 claims, $73,561 paid19901991: 176 claims, $1.0 million paid1992: 1 claims, $1,615 paid1993: 6 claims, $30,526 paid1994: 61 claims, $550,278 paid1995: 92 claims, $962,314 paid1996: 9 claims, $72,394 paid1997: 100 claims, $1.7 million paid1998: 34 claims, $236,851 paid1999: 15 claims, $126,928 paid2000: 14 claims, $36,655 paid20002001: 24 claims, $134,303 paid2002: 45 claims, $260,942 paid2003: 11 claims, $18,642 paid2004: 12 claims, $29,864 paid2005: 22 claims, $145,801 paid2006: 4 claims, $19,292 paid2007: 2 claims, $1,088 paid2008: 421 claims, $9.2 million paid2009: 30 claims, $350,596 paid2010: 4 claims, $5,070 paid20102011: 117 claims, $11.2 million paid2012: 6 claims, $28,621 paid2013: 10 claims, $88,004 paid2014: 6 claims, $35,256 paid2015: 3 claims, $21,289 paid2016: 197 claims, $4.0 million paid2017: 5 claims, $40,109 paid2018: 35 claims, $1.2 million paid2019: 96 claims, $2.1 million paid2020: 20 claims, $325,824 paid20202021: 3 claims, $0 paid2022: 1 claims, $9,213 paid2023: 2 claims, $0 paid2024: 1 claims, $0 paid2025: 4 claims, $60,355 paid
Claims per year of loss. Hover or tap a bar for details.
Show as a table
YearClaimsPaid
20254$60,355
20241$0
20232$0
20221$9,213
20213$0
202020$325,824
201996$2.1 million
201835$1.2 million
20175$40,109
2016197$4.0 million
20153$21,289
20146$35,256
201310$88,004
20126$28,621
2011117$11.2 million
20104$5,070
200930$350,596
2008421$9.2 million
20072$1,088
20064$19,292
200522$145,801
200412$29,864
200311$18,642
200245$260,942
200124$134,303
200014$36,655
199915$126,928
199834$236,851
1997100$1.7 million
19969$72,394
199592$962,314
199461$550,278
19936$30,526
19921$1,615
1991176$1.0 million
19908$73,561
19899$40,370
19881$0
19872$16,596
19863$0
19856$26,015
198478$372,480
1983131$1.4 million
198216$31,892
19811$10,900
19801$0
1979105$969,652
19785$8,266

Named flood events

EventYearClaimsPaid
Mid-spring storms2011110$11.1 million
Hurricane Gustav2008327$5.8 million
Late winter severe storms2016183$3.9 million
Flooding198360$674,824
Flooding199154$317,064
Flooding197931$254,016
Flooding19977$120,898
Hurricane Ike20087$55,097

How many homes have flood insurance

FEMA counts 1,236 residential NFIP policies in Washington County, against 19,157 residential buildings (6.5%). Of the 4,658 residential buildings in high-risk flood zones (Special Flood Hazard Areas), 979 have an NFIP policy (21%). Private flood policies aren't in these counts.

Whether you're required to carry flood insurance depends on your flood zone and your mortgage. See do I need flood insurance?

Flood-related disaster declarations

DeclarationDeclaredEventHelp for individuals
DR-4874-MS May 21, 2025 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding Yes
DR-4478-MS Mar 12, 2020 Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding No
DR-4429-MS Apr 23, 2019 Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding Yes
DR-4268-MS Mar 25, 2016 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1983-MS May 11, 2011 Flooding Yes
EM-3320-MS May 4, 2011 Flooding No
DR-1753-MS May 8, 2008 Severe Storms and Flooding Yes
DR-1398-MS Dec 7, 2001 Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding Yes

Check your own address

County numbers can't tell you about a single building. Look up your property on FEMA's flood map, then read what your flood zone means. More counties: all of Mississippi.

Where these numbers come from

All figures on this page are calculated from FEMA's public OpenFEMA datasets:

FEMA's redacted claims data doesn't identify properties, and FEMA notes that some records lack a county or flood zone. See how we use the data.