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Mississippi · County tornado history

Covington County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 48 tornadoes in Covington County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 29 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 5, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
48
Since 2000
34
Strongest
EF4, April 12, 2020
Most recent
EF1, April 5, 2022
Peak month
April (17)
Per 1,000 sq mi
115
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Covington County

April has brought the most, 17 of 48. About 40% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 29% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 10
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 23
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 7
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Covington County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 12, 2020 EF4 67.4 mi 3,960 yd 7 98
April 14, 1999 F3 25.5 mi 880 yd 1 33
November 21, 1992 F3 27 mi 880 yd 105
November 11, 1995 F3 7 mi 400 yd 2
April 12, 2020 EF3 83.2 mi 2,041 yd 2
December 15, 1971 F3 15.9 mi 150 yd
April 6, 2005 F3 28 mi 600 yd
December 16, 2019 EF3 5.8 mi 560 yd
April 13, 1969 F2 8 mi 250 yd 11
February 20, 1954 F2 37.1 mi 200 yd 10

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Covington County was an EF4 on April 12, 2020. It killed 7 people and injured 98 along its 67.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 5, 2022 EF1 16.5 mi 440 yd
April 5, 2022 EF2 14.8 mi 400 yd
March 30, 2021 EF0 3.5 mi 150 yd
December 24, 2020 EF1 3.3 mi 100 yd
April 12, 2020 EF3 83.2 mi 2,041 yd 2
April 12, 2020 EF4 67.4 mi 3,960 yd 7 98
March 4, 2020 EF0 9.3 mi 400 yd
December 16, 2019 EF3 5.8 mi 560 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Covington County as relatively low, with a score of 63 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.56 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,199,304 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Covington County had?

48 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 34 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Covington County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 5, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Covington County?

An EF4 on April 12, 2020, with a 67.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Covington County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.