Enter any address in Lafayette County, Mississippi to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the primary flood hazard in Lafayette County. Between 2021 and 2025, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 27 flash flood events, alongside 3 general flood events and 1 tropical storm. Recent flash flooding occurred in April 2022, following a cold front interacting with moist air, and in June 2021, when up to 4 inches of rain before sunrise contributed to flooding.
NFIP claims data shows that properties in Zone A and Zone X experienced the most claims. Zone A claims averaged $37,710 with an average water depth of 0.8 feet, while Zone X claims averaged $16,752 with an average water depth of 1.0 foot. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in Zone X_SHADED which saw deeper water on average (2.5 feet), should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
11 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lafayette County, Mississippi has recorded 31 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 27 flash floods and 3 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1971–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Aug 28, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 12, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 22, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 15, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 1, 2010 |
| Hurricane Gustav | Hurricane | Aug 28, 2008 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Mar 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 16, 2022 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 18, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2021 | 400.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 8, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2020 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2018 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 25, 2015 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 2, 2012 | 500.00K |
Flash Flood — Mar 15, 2025
An upper low over the Central Plains moved into the Upper Mississippi Valley during the evening hours of Friday, March 14, 2025. Increasing moisture advection ahead of an approaching cold front lifted dewpoints into the low to mid 60s. This coupled with increasing height falls and a mid-level 80 knot jet rotating around the main upper low supported severe thunderstorm development. Large looping...
Flash Flood — Mar 24, 2023
The first significant event to produce widespread severe weather across the Mid-South for 2023 occurred on March 24, during the afternoon and evening hours. This severe weather episode occurred mainly over portions of the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. Surface analysis for this day depicted a quasi-stationary boundary from the Mid-Atlantic States and Ohio Valley through northern port...
Flash Flood — Apr 16, 2022
A warm front lifted north during the afternoon of April 15, 2022, bringing moist and unstable air northward. A cold front then pushed across the area and interacted with that moist and unstable air resulting in severe thunderstorms that brought large hail, damaging wind, and some flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Sep 18, 2021
The remnants of Hurricane Nicholas moved across the region. Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced flash flooding.
Flash Flood — Jun 9, 2021
An upper low continued to meander across the region on June 9, 2021. Weak upper-level disturbances rotated around the upper low and interacted with a very moist air mass across the Mid-South to produce several rounds of heavy rain across East-Central Arkansas and North Mississippi. There were several instances of flash flooding.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Lafayette County, Mississippi:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Lafayette County, Mississippi that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.