Smith County, MS Environment & Hazard Risk

• HurricaneRelatively Moderate$2.1M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years
• HailRelatively Moderate$648K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.8 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Moderate$1.7M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• LandslideRelatively Low$2,393/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• Strong windRelatively Moderate$504K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.9 events a year
• DroughtRelatively Low$194K/yr expected annual loss, about 14 events a year
• Heat waveRelatively Low$321K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
• Ice stormRelatively Low$64.7K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.0 events a year
• LightningRelatively Low$166K/yr expected annual loss, about 74 events a year
• EarthquakeVery Low$169K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 573 years
• WildfireVery Low$26.5K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,034 years
• Cold waveRelatively Low$551K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• Winter weatherRelatively Low$21.7K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.2 events a year

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

9 of 7,358 (0.1%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

112

Insured in high-risk zones

7 (6%)

Flood claims since 1978

11

Claims paid since 1978

$78.4K

• Thunderstorm Wind307
• Hail104
• Tornado67 · 1 death
• Flash Flood40
• Drought16
• Heavy Snow8
• Ice Storm4
• Strong Wind4
• Heat4
• Tropical Storm4

• Hurricane (Typhoon)08/29/2005

  Smith

  $150M damage

  What happened

  Hurricane Katrina will likely go down as the worst and costliest natural disaster in United States history. The amount of destruction, the cost of damaged property/agriculture and the large loss of life across the affected region has been overwhelming. Catastrophic damage was widespread across a large portion of the Gulf Coast region. The devastation was not only confined to the coastal region, widespread and significant damage occurred well inland up to the Hattiesburg area and northward past Interstate 20. This hurricane has changed life as we know it across the Gulf Coast region which will take many years to return to normal.Hurricane Katrina was a very large and powerful storm which set several unfortunate records. This storm began as Tropical Depression 12 during the late afternoon and evening of August 23rd. The storm slowly moved northwest, became more organized, and was upgraded to Tropical Storm during the late morning of August 24th as it moved across the Central Bahamas. The Tropical Storm continued to become better organized as it moved slowly west toward Southern Florida. Katrina became a Category 1 Hurricane late in the afternoon on August 25th just before moving...

• TornadoEF3, 11.16 mi path, 1,050 yd wide04/27/2011

  Raleigh, Smith County

  1 death, $1M damage

  What happened

  This tornado started by downing some trees just southeast of Raleigh, near and across Highway 18. As the tornado moved northeast along Bailey Road and crossed County Road 130, it intensified and produced high end EF-1 damage, snapping and uprooting trees, taking shingles off roofs, and blowing skirting out from mobile homes. The tornado continued to strengthen as it moved northeast, and along County Roads 136, 107, and 105, it produced damage indicative of high end EF-2. A few mobile homes were destroyed and several homes and buildings sustained significant roof damage, along with extensive tree damage. Along County Road 105, a mobile home was picked up by the tornado, bounced along the ground a couple of times, and was then thrown into woods across the road, with debris scattered for at least a mile downstream, including the frame of the mobile home. The occupant of the mobile home was the first fatality of this tornado. The tornado continued northeast, and reached its most intense and widest point in the Smith County portion of the tornado just before crossing the county line at County Road 103. Here, in the central core of the tornado there was an area of completely mowed...

• TornadoF3, 26 mi path, 600 yd wide04/06/2005

  Mize, Smith County

  $8.6M damage

  What happened

  This strong tornado developed from a long lived supercell thunderstorm, which had a history of producing tornadoes, that moved across a large portion of Southern and Central Mississippi. The tornado touched down just N of Mount Olive, in Covington county, and stayed on the ground for 28 miles across most of Smith county, where it dissipated around the Ted community just inside Jasper county. Where the tornado first touched down it was weak, F0, and only downed a few trees. As it moved NE, into Smith county, it quickly gained strength. F1 to F2 type damaged occurred across SW Smith county where hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted and several homes and outbuildings had part or all of their roofs blown off. As the strong tornado approached Mize, MS, it became stronger and reached it maximum intensity, F3. Here the tornado was 600 yards wide and was significantly damaging nearly all the trees in its path. One mile to the SW of Mize, a mobile home was destroyed. The most significant damage occurred in Mize where the Attendance Center was nearly demolished. The top floor of the Attendance Center was almost completely taken off, 3 portable classrooms were destroyed along with...

• TornadoF2, 12.5 mi path, 600 yd wide11/24/2004

  Raleigh, Smith County

  2 injured, $3.5M damage

  What happened

  This tornado touched down just south of Raleigh on State Highway 35 and tracked northeast to the Jasper Smith county line, 7 miles northeast of Sylvarena, where it then moved into Jasper county. Along its path it uprooted and destroyed a few thousand trees. Thirteen chicken houses were destroyed and six others were damaged. Three mobile homes and one residential home were destroyed along with five other homes sustaining major damage. Two people were injured when a mobile home was blown off its foundation and destroyed 10 miles northeast of Raleigh. At 210 AM the strong tornado moved into northwest Jasper county. The total path length of this tornado was 38 miles across Smith, Jasper and Newton counties.

• Ice Storm02/03/2011

  Smith

  3 injured, $400K damage

  What happened

  A quarter inch of ice accumulated across the county with nearly all bridges iced over. Some accidents were reported.

• TornadoF1, 13 mi path, 220 yd wide11/18/2003

  Cohay, Smith County

  2 injured, $400K damage

  What happened

  This tornado moved into Smith county from Simpson county at 837 CST. This tornado continued to move northeast and along its path it snapped and downed numerous trees and caused minor damage to 18 homes. As the tornado passed just south of Raleigh MS, a mobile home was destroyed. The tornado dissipated 3 miles east northeast of Raleigh MS.

• Town of TaylorsvilleServes 2,075 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting
• City of RaleighServes 1,901 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Center Ridge Water AssociationServes 1,708 · Groundwater · Public and privateNo health violations
• Lorena-Lemon-Burns Water AssnServes 995 · Groundwater · Public and privateNo health violations
• Town of Polkville-Water DeptServes 950 · Groundwater · Public and privateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Morris Water AssociationServes 887 · Groundwater · Public and privateNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
• Traxler Water AssociationServes 855 · Groundwater · Public and private11 health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
• White Oak Water AssociationServes 747 · Groundwater · Public and privateNo health violations