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Jackson, MS · Hinds County

Water Risk Profile — ZIP 39204

Flood risk, local cost data, climate factors, and insurance context for your ZIP code.

Flood Risk

Medium

Cost Range

$1,500–$8,500

Avg Response

42 min

NFIP

State participates

Local Climate & Risk Factors

Jackson, Mississippi faces Gulf-influenced water damage risk with 55+ inches of annual rainfall, a 6-month hurricane season, and high humidity that accelerates mold growth to within 24–36 hours of any moisture event. Hurricane Katrina (2005) caused $125 billion in damage across Mississippi and Louisiana, leaving lasting insurance and infrastructure changes. Mississippi's relatively flat coastal plain creates poor natural drainage — heavy rainfall accumulates in low-lying areas and enters basements through block wall seepage. Standard HO-3 policies exclude all storm surge flooding — NFIP or private flood insurance is essential within 10 miles of the Gulf Coast. Mississippi Insurance Department handles claim disputes.

Flood-prone areas: Virden Addition and Belhaven neighborhoods are located within or immediately adjacent to the Pearl River's mapped floodplain, which covered thousands of Jackson properties when the river crested at 36.67 feet in February 2020 — within 1.5 feet of the all-time record set in 1979. The Fondren neighborhood's Eubanks Creek drainage basin backs up regularly during summer thunderstorms, and Jackson's chronically underfunded stormwater infrastructure — under EPA scrutiny for over a decade — means even moderate rainfall can produce localized flooding across multiple residential blocks.

Insurance tip: Mississippi has among the highest wind insurance premiums in the nation due to Gulf hurricane exposure, and many private insurers restricted or non-renewed coverage in the state following Hurricane Katrina, leaving many Jackson homeowners on the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association plan. Standard Mississippi homeowners policies also exclude water main break damage originating outside the property boundary, which has become a critical coverage gap given Jackson's ongoing municipal water infrastructure failures — a service line coverage endorsement costing $40–$80 per year fills this gap.

Water Category Cost Table — Jackson, MS

Extraction & drying cost per square foot by IICRC water category

Water Category$/sq ft
Category 1 — Clean

Burst supply line, clean appliance overflow

$2.72–$6.74
Category 2 — Gray

Dishwasher, washing machine, toilet bowl (no feces)

$6.74–$8.16
Category 3 — Black

Sewage backup, floodwater, toilet overflow with feces

$9.59–$12.1

Estimates exclude reconstruction (drywall, flooring replacement). National benchmarks: Cat 1 $3.75–$4.25, Cat 2 $4.10–$6.50, Cat 3 $7–$7.50/sq ft — adjusted for Jackson market (3.211/sq ft range).

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