Enter any address in Wayne County, Mississippi to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall is the most frequent type of flood event in Wayne County, MS, with 30 such events recorded in the last 30 years. This includes instances of widespread flooding reported across southwest Alabama and southeast Mississippi due to persistent wet patterns, such as those experienced on August 25, 2022. Additionally, the county has experienced impacts from tropical systems, including four hurricanes and two tropical storms in the same period. For example, Tropical Storm Zeta moved across inland southeast Mississippi on October 28, 2020, contributing to flood conditions.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A, designated for areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding, have experienced the highest average payouts and water depths, with an average payout of $27,934 and an average water depth of 9.4 feet. While Zone X properties have also seen significant claims, averaging $16,126, properties in Zone A and Zone V warrant particular attention. Homeowners in these areas, as well as those in Zone UNKNOWN where flood risk is not precisely defined, should be most attentive to flood preparedness and insurance.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
4 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Wayne County, Mississippi has recorded 37 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 30 flash floods and 1 river or area floods. The county has received 31 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes. | Severe Storm | Jun 14, 2023 |
| Hurricane Ida | Hurricane | Aug 28, 2021 |
| Hurricane Zeta | Hurricane | Oct 28, 2020 |
| Hurricane Sally | Hurricane | Sep 14, 2020 |
| Hurricane Marco And Tropical Storm Laura | Hurricane | Aug 23, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 22, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornado | Severe Storm | Dec 27, 2018 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 25, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 28, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Dec 27, 2018 | 1.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 22, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Oct 7, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 23, 2016 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 11, 2016 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 11, 2016 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 11, 2016 | 50.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 25, 2022
A wet pattern continued across the Gulf Coast as additional heavy rain led to numerous flooding reports across southwest Alabama and southeast Mississippi.
Flash Flood — Jul 13, 2022
Slow moving thunderstorms caused heavy rain which produced flooding in southeast Mississippi.
Tropical Storm — Oct 28, 2020
Hurricane Zeta made landfall in southeast Louisiana during the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, October 28th as a strong category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. Zeta quickly raced northeast and moved across inland southeast Mississippi and inland southwest Alabama during the evening hours. Shortly after midnight, Thursday, October 29th, Zeta weakened to a tropical storm ...
Flash Flood — Dec 27, 2018
Significant flash flooding unfolded across parts of southeast Mississippi (Perry, Greene, Wayne Counties) and southwest Alabama (Choctaw, Clarke Counties) where a swath of 10+ inches of rain fell in a short period of time. The highest rainfall totals occurred in the Clara community with one observer measuring 15.5 and another measuring 13.75 of rainfall during the event.||Numerous roads were cl...
Flash Flood — Jun 22, 2017
Tropical Storm Cindy first developed in the central Gulf of Mexico on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 20th and made landfall between Cameron, LA and Port Arthur, TX during the early morning hours of Thursday, June 22nd. Despite the center of the storm being far removed from the north central Gulf Coast, the effects of Cindy extended several hundred miles to the east of the center and impacted th...
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 Wayne 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 Wayne 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.