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Mississippi · County tornado history

DeSoto County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 30 tornadoes in DeSoto County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.5 years. That ranks it 48 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
30
Since 2000
12
Strongest
F3, April 24, 1970
Most recent
EF2, March 31, 2023
Peak month
January (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
60
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 DeSoto County

January has brought the most, 5 of 30. About 47% 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 27% 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) 9
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 12
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 DeSoto County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 24, 1970 F3 12.3 mi 50 yd 18
February 5, 2008 EF2 10.2 mi 440 yd 3 13
November 27, 1973 F2 4.1 mi 10 yd 1 50
April 28, 1962 F2 34.6 mi 1,760 yd 1 6
November 24, 2001 F2 6 mi 300 yd 9
May 16, 1968 F2 5.2 mi 100 yd 7
February 11, 1965 F2 19.6 mi 250 yd 4
April 3, 1968 F2 15.2 mi 10 yd 4
January 19, 1988 F2 9.5 mi 70 yd 1
June 12, 2009 EF2 2.9 mi 75 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch DeSoto County was an EF2 on February 5, 2008. It killed 3 people and injured 13 along its 10.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF2 22.7 mi 1,200 yd
January 3, 2023 EF0 1.4 mi 100 yd
January 11, 2020 EF2 8.2 mi 300 yd
January 11, 2020 EF1 11.3 mi 200 yd
May 2, 2010 EF0 1.1 mi 100 yd
July 30, 2009 EF2 5.8 mi 440 yd
June 12, 2009 EF2 2.9 mi 75 yd 1
February 5, 2008 EF2 10.2 mi 440 yd 3 13

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 DeSoto County as relatively high, with a score of 97 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.30 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $19,464,978 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 DeSoto County had?

30 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in DeSoto County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in DeSoto County?

An F3 on April 24, 1970, with a 12.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in DeSoto County?

January 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.