Storm risk in Forrest County, Mississippi

FEMA's overall hazard score for Forrest County is 78.05 (Relatively Low), 691st of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 77.99 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 91.54 (Relatively High) and tornado 92.65 (Relatively High). Expected hail loss is $45 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 23 hail reports in Forrest County from 2014 to June 2026.

FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.

Forrest County: expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings for hail, strong wind and tornado, on a log scale, against all U.S. counties and the counties of MS$0.1$1$10$100$1,000Hail: $45 per $1 million, 1,033rd of 3,126 rated counties$45Hail1,033rd of 3,126 countiesStrong wind: $16 per $1 million, 1,811th of 3,121 rated counties$16Strong wind1,811th of 3,121 countiesTornado: $519 per $1 million, 378th of 3,144 rated counties$519Tornado378th of 3,144 counties
  • Forrest County, coloured by its FEMA rating
  • all U.S. counties
  • each county in the state
  • U.S. median
  • state median

Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.

How FEMA rates Forrest County

HazardRatingScore (0 to 100)Rank in U.S.Rank in MS
OverallRelatively Low 78.05691 of 3,14415 of 82
HailRelatively Moderate 77.99693 of 3,12617 of 82
Strong windRelatively High 91.54267 of 3,1264 of 82
TornadoRelatively High 92.65232 of 3,1269 of 82

Expected yearly loss, in dollars

HazardThis county, total a yearPer $1M of buildingsState median countyU.S. median countyRank per $1M, U.S.Rank per $1M, state
Hail$677,981$45 $46$22 1,033 of 3,12642 of 82
Strong wind$238,101$16 $33$20 1,811 of 3,12166 of 82
Tornado$7,820,992$519 $478$199 378 of 3,14431 of 82

Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.

What stands out in Forrest County

  • FEMA expects hail in Forrest County to cost $45 per $1 million of buildings a year: 2.01 times the U.S. median and 0.98 times the MS county median, ranked 1,033rd of 3,126 counties nationally and 42nd of 82 in Mississippi.
  • FEMA expects strong wind in Forrest County to cost $16 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.78 times the U.S. median and 0.48 times the MS county median, ranked 1,811th of 3,121 counties nationally and 66th of 82 in Mississippi.
  • FEMA expects tornado in Forrest County to cost $519 per $1 million of buildings a year: 2.61 times the U.S. median and 1.09 times the MS county median, ranked 378th of 3,144 counties nationally and 31st of 82 in Mississippi.
  • Applying FEMA's estimate to a $152,900 home, the average yearly loss in Forrest County is about $6.88 for hail and $2.42 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $3.42 and $3.12.
  • If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in Forrest County meets about 25.0 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
  • Built in 1981, the median home in Forrest County is 45 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 74.6% of its 33,672 homes are at least 26 years old.
  • March to June holds 19 of the 23 hail reports in Forrest County (83 percent); the quietest month is February, with 0 reports.

What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year

Enter a home value. The calculator applies Forrest County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.

$6.88hail, a year; $3.42 at the U.S. median county rate
$2.42strong wind, a year; $3.12 at the U.S. median county rate
$186hail and wind together over 20 years, at today’s rate

Formula: home value × Forrest County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $677,981 ÷ $15,072,073,541 = 0.0000450. Wind: $238,101 ÷ $15,072,073,541 = 0.0000158. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.

Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.

Forrest County in plain numbers

  • Forrest County scores 78.05 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Low): 691st of 3,144 rated counties and 15th of 82 in Mississippi.
  • Hail scores 77.99 (Relatively Moderate). FEMA expects $677,981 of hail damage to buildings in Forrest County a year, which is $45 per $1 million of buildings, 2.01 times the U.S. median.
  • Strong wind scores 91.54 (Relatively High) with $238,101 of expected yearly building loss in Forrest County: $16 per $1 million of buildings, 0.78 times the U.S. median.
  • Tornado scores 92.65 (Relatively High) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $7,820,992, counting everything exposed, or $519 per $1 million of buildings in Forrest County.
  • FEMA's own event record for Forrest County averages 3.20 hail events and 2.59 strong-wind events a year.
  • NOAA logged 23 hail reports in Forrest County between 2014 and June 2026, on 15 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 1.75 inches.
  • In Forrest County, FEMA counts buildings worth 15.07 billion dollars and 78,050 residents.
  • Social vulnerability is Relatively Moderate in Forrest County.
  • Community resilience there is Relatively High, for 78,050 residents.
  • 1 city in Forrest County is covered on this site: Hattiesburg. 3 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
  • Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in Hattiesburg is $5,530 to $12,245.
  • Forrest County ranks 70 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 76 for wind and 22 for tornado.
  • In Forrest County, April is the busiest month with 10 of the 23 reports (43 percent), against 0 reports in October.
  • Forrest County's worst year was 2022, with 5 hail days at 1 inch or more and 6 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 1.25 such days a year, one about every 9.6 months.
  • The median home in Forrest County was built in 1981; 48.9% of its 33,672 housing units date from before 1980, 74.6% from before 2000 and 10.3% from 2010 on.
  • Census puts the median home value in Forrest County at $152,900, and 57.1% of homes are lived in by their owners.
  • 1,062 single-family building permits were issued in Forrest County from 2014 to 2025, about 31.5 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2015.
  • NOAA lists 14 tornado tracks in Forrest County since 2014; the strongest was an EF3 on January 21, 2017 near Bonhomie, 14.13 miles long.
  • The fastest gust in NOAA's records for Forrest County is 90 mph on May 13, 2024 at Dragon.
  • The nearest county with a page here is Harrison County, 48 miles from the centre of Forrest County; its hail score is 87.47.
  • Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 4 roofing contractor establishments in Forrest County in 2023, one for every 8,418 homes.

The hail record of Forrest County, year by year

NOAA logged 23 reports in Forrest County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 15 days. That is 1.2 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.

Forrest County: NOAA hail reports per year, 2014 to June 2026, with the number of days that had hail of 1 inch or more01234562014: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch142015: 2 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch152016: 3 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch162017: 3 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch172018: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch182019: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch192020: 6 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch202021: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch212022: 6 reports, 5 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch222023: 1 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0.88 inch232024: 1 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch242025: 1 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch252026: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch26*
  • reports
  • days with hail of 1 inch or more
  • * 2026 runs to June only
Forrest County: NOAA hail reports by calendar month, 2014 to June 2026January: 3 reports3JanFebruary: 0 reports0FebMarch: 2 reports2MarApril: 10 reports10AprMay: 4 reports4MayJune: 3 reports3JunJuly: 0 reports0JulAugust: 0 reports0AugSeptember: 1 reports1SepOctober: 0 reports0OctNovember: 0 reports0NovDecember: 0 reports0Dec

Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: April, 10 reports.

The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
YearReportsDays, 1 inch or moreDays, 1.75 inch or moreLargest stoneDamage reported
20152111.75 in$6,000
20163211.75 in$3,000
20173211.75 in$20,000
20206301.5 in$5,000
20226501 in$510,000
20231000.88 in–
20241111.75 in$200,000
20251101 in$20,000

Biggest hail days in Forrest County

DateLargest stoneReports that dayDamage reportedNear
April 15, 20151.75 in2$6,000Rock Hill
June 17, 20161.75 in1$3,000Mc Callum
April 30, 20171.75 in1$20,000Hattiesburg
January 8, 20241.75 in1$200,000Brooklyn
May 27, 20201.5 in1$5,000Carnes

Where large hail was reported

FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside Forrest County the big stones fell.

Reported hail locations, Forrest County

1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1.5 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail Hattiesburg
  • 141 to 1.74 in
  • 41.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
  • 02.75 in and up, baseball

Largest plotted stone: 1.75 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.

18 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.

Sources: NOAA, Census county outline

Wind and tornado records for Forrest County

Fastest gusts in Forrest County

DateGustNear
May 13, 202490 mphDragon
June 14, 202386 mphMaybank
May 13, 202481 mphPetal
March 11, 202675 mphCarnes

Strongest tornado tracks in Forrest County

DateScaleLengthInjured / killedNear
January 21, 2017EF314.13 mi56 / 4Bonhomie
April 6, 2025EF26.45 mi0 / 0Mammoth Spgs
December 14, 2022EF21.93 mi0 / 0Macedonia
March 30, 2022EF27.86 mi0 / 0Carnes

14 tornado tracks in all since 2014; the strongest 4 are listed.

How old the roofs are

Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at Forrest County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 1.25 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.

Forrest County: share of homes by decade built, with the hail days at 1 inch or more that an original roof from each decade has met at the county's 2014 to 2025 ratepre-1940: 6.4% of homes6.4%<19401141940s: 6.1% of homes6.1%1940s1011950s: 8.7% of homes8.7%1950s891960s: 12.2% of homes12.2%1960s761970s: 15.4% of homes15.4%1970s641980s: 12.1% of homes12.1%1980s511990s: 13.6% of homes13.6%1990s392000s: 15.2% of homes15.2%2000s262010s: 9.6% of homes9.6%2010s142020+: 0.7% of homes0.7%2020+4

Bars: share of 33,672 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.

Median year built1981
Built before 198048.9%
Built before 200074.6%
Built since 201010.3%
Owner-occupied57.1%
Median home value$152,900
Single-family permits, 2014 to 20251,062
Permits per 1,000 homes31.5

Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.

Roofers and past disasters in Forrest County

Roofing firms in Forrest County

Roofing contractor establishments, 20234
Change since 2016+2 (+100%)
Homes per roofing firm8,418
Median across counties5,189
Employees, 202343

Source for Forrest County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.

Nearby counties

The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by Forrest County's.

CountyMilesOverallHail lossHail, times hereWind lossWind, times hereNOAA hail reports
Harrison County, MS48 Relatively High $230.51$1.330.0830
Lauderdale County, MS93 Relatively Moderate $140.30$291.8125
Hinds County, MS102 Relatively Moderate $2966.59$674.2759
Lee County, MS218 Relatively Moderate $6.610.15$8.030.5153
De Soto County, MS258 Relatively Moderate $0.270.01$140.8842

All 194 counties, with a filter by state and sorting

Cities and ZIP areas in Forrest County

1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 3 such areas have more than half their land here.

CityZIP areas (share of land in the county)Pages
Hattiesburg 39401 (95%), 39402 (42%), 39406 (100%), 39426 (0%), 39429 (0%) Roofers

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Questions

How high is storm risk in Forrest County?

FEMA's National Risk Index gives Forrest County an overall score of 78.05 (Relatively Low), 691st of 3,144. Hail scores 77.99 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 91.54 (Relatively High) and tornado 92.65 (Relatively High).

In Forrest County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?

A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 23 for Forrest County between 2014 and June 2026, on 15 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 1.75 inches.

What do hail and wind cost a home in Forrest County each year, on average?

Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $152,900: FEMA's estimate is about $6.88 a year for hail and $2.42 for wind, before any deductible, against $3.42 and $3.12 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.

How does Forrest County compare with the rest of Mississippi?

Per $1 million of buildings Forrest County loses $45 to hail a year, against $46 in the median county of the state. Among 82 rated counties it is 17th for hail, 4th for strong wind and 9th for tornado.

How old are the roofs in Forrest County?

The median home was built in 1981, 45 years ago, and 74.6% of the 33,672 housing units in Forrest County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.

What does expected annual loss mean?

It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.

Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?

No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.

Sources for Forrest County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for Forrest County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in Forrest County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in Forrest County. Planning-level information about Forrest County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).