Coldwater, MS
Coldwater, MS's wildfire risk, in USFS's own numbers
USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities model puts Coldwater at the 74th national percentile for risk to structures, well above the national norm for wildfire risk — a score built from 882 actual buildings. (Source: USFS's Wildfire Risk to Communities methodology.)
Fire likelihood alone (USFS's burn-probability figure) ranks Coldwater at the 78th national percentile — 3 points above its risk-to-structures score, a gap driven by how much is actually built there.
Where Coldwater's buildings actually sit
53.7% of Coldwater's 882 buildings sit in USFS's Direct exposure zone, roughly 474 structures close enough to burnable vegetation for flame contact, not just embers — 46.3% fall in the Indirect, ember-only zone and 0% are Minimal.
Coldwater against the rest of the country
Coldwater's risk sits at a similar level relative to Mississippi (70th percentile statewide) as it does nationally (74th) — this place isn't unusual for its own state either way. Among the 31,521 US communities USFS scores, Coldwater ranks 8,097 for wildfire risk (1 is highest) and 12,886 by building count (1 is largest). Within Mississippi alone, it ranks 125 of 420 places by risk. See the full county-by-county picture for Mississippi on its state page.
Coldwater and the insurance market
At the 74th percentile nationally, Coldwater carries the high rating that has pushed some carriers to limit new business in similarly-scored places elsewhere in the country. Worth comparing quotes rather than assuming last year's renewal terms still apply.
Hardening a home in Coldwater
Because Direct exposure dominates in Coldwater (53.7%), the highest-leverage fix is defensible space, not roofing or vents alone — covered in the home-hardening guide.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly how USFS turned 882 counted buildings into the percentiles shown above for Coldwater. For more on what direct exposure implies beyond Coldwater, see the exposure-zones guide.