Storm risk in Lauderdale County, Mississippi

FEMA's overall hazard score for Lauderdale County is 86.96 (Relatively Moderate), 411th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 73.92 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 74.87 (Relatively Moderate) and tornado 94.43 (Relatively High). Expected hail loss is $14 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 25 hail reports in Lauderdale County from 2014 to June 2026.

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

Lauderdale 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: $14 per $1 million, 1,884th of 3,126 rated counties$14Hail1,884th of 3,126 countiesStrong wind: $29 per $1 million, 1,256th of 3,121 rated counties$29Strong wind1,256th of 3,121 countiesTornado: $404 per $1 million, 656th of 3,144 rated counties$404Tornado656th of 3,144 counties
  • Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County

HazardRatingScore (0 to 100)Rank in U.S.Rank in MS
OverallRelatively Moderate 86.96411 of 3,1445 of 82
HailRelatively Moderate 73.92821 of 3,12621 of 82
Strong windRelatively Moderate 74.87791 of 3,12623 of 82
TornadoRelatively High 94.43176 of 3,1266 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$256,323$14 $46$22 1,884 of 3,12665 of 82
Strong wind$537,437$29 $33$20 1,256 of 3,12146 of 82
Tornado$7,602,442$404 $478$199 656 of 3,14460 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 Lauderdale County

  • FEMA expects hail in Lauderdale County to cost $14 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.61 times the U.S. median and 0.30 times the MS county median, ranked 1,884th of 3,126 counties nationally and 65th of 82 in Mississippi.
  • FEMA expects strong wind in Lauderdale County to cost $29 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.40 times the U.S. median and 0.87 times the MS county median, ranked 1,256th of 3,121 counties nationally and 46th of 82 in Mississippi.
  • FEMA expects tornado in Lauderdale County to cost $404 per $1 million of buildings a year: 2.03 times the U.S. median and 0.85 times the MS county median, ranked 656th of 3,144 counties nationally and 60th of 82 in Mississippi.
  • Applying FEMA's estimate to a $124,500 home, the average yearly loss in Lauderdale County is about $1.70 for hail and $3.56 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $2.78 and $2.54.
  • If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in Lauderdale County meets about 20.0 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
  • Built in 1979, the median home in Lauderdale County is 47 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 79.1% of its 33,558 homes are at least 26 years old.
  • March to June holds 21 of the 25 hail reports in Lauderdale County (84 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.

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

Enter a home value. The calculator applies Lauderdale 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.

$1.70hail, a year; $2.78 at the U.S. median county rate
$3.56strong wind, a year; $2.54 at the U.S. median county rate
$105hail and wind together over 20 years, at today’s rate

Formula: home value × Lauderdale County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $256,323 ÷ $18,795,068,046 = 0.0000136. Wind: $537,437 ÷ $18,795,068,046 = 0.0000286. 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.

Lauderdale County in plain numbers

  • Lauderdale County scores 86.96 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Moderate): 411th of 3,144 rated counties and 5th of 82 in Mississippi.
  • Hail scores 73.92 (Relatively Moderate). FEMA expects $256,323 of hail damage to buildings in Lauderdale County a year, which is $14 per $1 million of buildings, 0.61 times the U.S. median.
  • Strong wind scores 74.87 (Relatively Moderate) with $537,437 of expected yearly building loss in Lauderdale County: $29 per $1 million of buildings, 1.40 times the U.S. median.
  • Tornado scores 94.43 (Relatively High) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $7,602,442, counting everything exposed, or $404 per $1 million of buildings in Lauderdale County.
  • FEMA's own event record for Lauderdale County averages 3.38 hail events and 2.66 strong-wind events a year.
  • NOAA logged 25 hail reports in Lauderdale County between 2014 and June 2026, on 12 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 2.75 inches.
  • In Lauderdale County, FEMA counts buildings worth 18.80 billion dollars and 72,842 residents.
  • Social vulnerability is Very High in Lauderdale County.
  • Community resilience there is Relatively Moderate, for 72,842 residents.
  • 1 city in Lauderdale County is covered on this site: Meridian. 9 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 Meridian is $5,530 to $12,245.
  • Lauderdale County ranks 120 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 36 for wind and 40 for tornado.
  • In Lauderdale County, March is the busiest month with 7 of the 25 reports (28 percent), against 0 reports in September.
  • Lauderdale County's worst year was 2022, with 3 hail days at 1 inch or more and 4 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 1.00 such days a year, one about every 12.0 months.
  • The median home in Lauderdale County was built in 1979; 51.8% of its 33,558 housing units date from before 1980, 79.1% from before 2000 and 7.9% from 2010 on.
  • Census puts the median home value in Lauderdale County at $124,500, and 63.2% of homes are lived in by their owners.
  • 582 single-family building permits were issued in Lauderdale County from 2014 to 2025, about 17.3 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2014.
  • NOAA lists 27 tornado tracks in Lauderdale County since 2014; the strongest was an EF2 on April 13, 2022 near Okatibbee, 15.22 miles long.
  • The fastest gust in NOAA's records for Lauderdale County is 86 mph on May 9, 2024 at Okatibbee.
  • The nearest county with a page here is Forrest County, 93 miles from the centre of Lauderdale County; its hail score is 77.99.
  • Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 6 roofing contractor establishments in Lauderdale County in 2023, one for every 5,593 homes.

The hail record of Lauderdale County, year by year

NOAA logged 25 reports in Lauderdale County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 12 days. That is 1.0 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.

Lauderdale County: NOAA hail reports per year, 2014 to June 2026, with the number of days that had hail of 1 inch or more0123452014: 2 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch142015: 1 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch152016: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch162017: 3 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch172018: 2 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch182019: 2 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch192020: 3 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2.75 inch202021: 1 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch212022: 4 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch222023: 5 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2 inch232024: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch242025: 2 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 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
Lauderdale County: NOAA hail reports by calendar month, 2014 to June 2026January: 0 reports0JanFebruary: 0 reports0FebMarch: 7 reports7MarApril: 6 reports6AprMay: 5 reports5MayJune: 3 reports3JunJuly: 0 reports0JulAugust: 0 reports0AugSeptember: 0 reports0SepOctober: 1 reports1OctNovember: 0 reports0NovDecember: 3 reports3Dec

Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: March, 7 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
20142101 in–
20151101 in–
20173101 in–
20182101.5 in$5,000
20192101 in–
20203112.75 in$80,000
20211101 in–
20224301 in$93,000
20235112 in$930,000
20252111.75 in–

Biggest hail days in Lauderdale County

DateLargest stoneReports that dayDamage reportedNear
April 8, 20202.75 in3$80,000Collinsville
March 26, 20232 in5$930,000Lauderdale
May 25, 20251.75 in1none recordedIncrease
May 30, 20181.5 in2$5,000Russell
December 23, 20141 in2none recordedGraham

Where large hail was reported

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

Reported hail locations, Lauderdale 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 hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.5 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail2 in hail2.75 in hail Meridian
  • 161 to 1.74 in
  • 31.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
  • 12.75 in and up, baseball

Largest plotted stone: 2.75 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.

20 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 Lauderdale County

Fastest gusts in Lauderdale County

DateGustNear
May 9, 202486 mphOkatibbee
June 13, 202185 mphShucktown
May 4, 202181 mphSchamberville
May 9, 202475 mphWhynot

Strongest tornado tracks in Lauderdale County

DateScaleLengthInjured / killedNear
April 6, 2025EF23.02 mi0 / 0Whynot
April 13, 2022EF215.22 mi0 / 0Okatibbee
April 14, 2018EF28.49 mi2 / 0Meridian
January 21, 2017EF27.28 mi1 / 0Topton

27 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 Lauderdale County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 1.00 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.

Lauderdale 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: 5.8% of homes5.8%<1940911940s: 3.8% of homes3.8%1940s811950s: 11.0% of homes11%1950s711960s: 14.3% of homes14.3%1960s611970s: 16.9% of homes16.9%1970s511980s: 15.5% of homes15.5%1980s411990s: 11.8% of homes11.8%1990s312000s: 13.0% of homes13%2000s212010s: 7.7% of homes7.7%2010s112020+: 0.2% of homes0.2%2020+3

Bars: share of 33,558 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 built1979
Built before 198051.8%
Built before 200079.1%
Built since 20107.9%
Owner-occupied63.2%
Median home value$124,500
Single-family permits, 2014 to 2025582
Permits per 1,000 homes17.3

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 Lauderdale County

Roofing firms in Lauderdale County

Roofing contractor establishments, 20236
Change since 2016-1 (-14%)
Homes per roofing firm5,593
Median across counties5,189
Employees, 202388

Source for Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County's.

CountyMilesOverallHail lossHail, times hereWind lossWind, times hereNOAA hail reports
Forrest County, MS93 Relatively Low $453.30$160.5523
Hinds County, MS102 Relatively Moderate $29621.74$672.3659
Lee County, MS131 Relatively Moderate $6.610.48$8.030.2853
Harrison County, MS135 Relatively High $231.67$1.330.0530
De Soto County, MS187 Relatively Moderate $0.270.02$140.4942

All 194 counties, with a filter by state and sorting

Cities and ZIP areas in Lauderdale 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. 9 such areas have more than half their land here.

CityZIP areas (share of land in the county)Pages
Meridian 39301 (69%), 39354 (0%), 39358 (0%) Roofers

Storm hit your roof in Lauderdale County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.

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Questions

How high is storm risk in Lauderdale County?

FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lauderdale County an overall score of 86.96 (Relatively Moderate), 411th of 3,144. Hail scores 73.92 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 74.87 (Relatively Moderate) and tornado 94.43 (Relatively High).

In Lauderdale 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 25 for Lauderdale County between 2014 and June 2026, on 12 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 2.75 inches.

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

Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $124,500: FEMA's estimate is about $1.70 a year for hail and $3.56 for wind, before any deductible, against $2.78 and $2.54 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 Lauderdale County compare with the rest of Mississippi?

Per $1 million of buildings Lauderdale County loses $14 to hail a year, against $46 in the median county of the state. Among 82 rated counties it is 21st for hail, 23rd for strong wind and 6th for tornado.

How old are the roofs in Lauderdale County?

The median home was built in 1979, 47 years ago, and 79.1% of the 33,558 housing units in Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for Lauderdale County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in Lauderdale County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in Lauderdale County. Planning-level information about Lauderdale 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).