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Mississippi · County tornado history

Itawamba County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 18 tornadoes in Itawamba County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 4.2 years. That ranks it 75 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on June 5, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
18
Since 2000
12
Strongest
EF5, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF1, June 5, 2024
Peak month
May (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
33
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Itawamba County

May has brought the most, 8 of 18. About 44% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

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) 3
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1

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 Itawamba County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF5 37.1 mi 1,320 yd 23 137
March 24, 2023 EF3 36.6 mi 1,600 yd 2 55
April 28, 2014 EF3 31 mi 440 yd 32
April 28, 1954 F2 3.3 mi 10 yd 2
May 6, 2003 F2 1 mi 100 yd 2
May 13, 1976 F2 20.2 mi 100 yd 1
March 29, 1975 F2 1.5 mi 73 yd
May 8, 2008 EF2 1.4 mi 100 yd
May 27, 1973 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 13, 1991 F1 0.3 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Itawamba County was an EF5 on April 27, 2011. It killed 23 people and injured 137 along its 37.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 5, 2024 EF1 3.4 mi 300 yd
March 24, 2023 EF3 36.6 mi 1,600 yd 2 55
March 3, 2023 EF1 2.3 mi 125 yd
May 2, 2021 EF0 2 mi 100 yd
November 5, 2018 EF1 5.1 mi 300 yd
August 31, 2017 EF1 2.5 mi 150 yd
April 28, 2014 EF3 31 mi 440 yd 32
April 27, 2011 EF5 37.1 mi 1,320 yd 23 137

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 Itawamba County as relatively moderate, with a score of 66 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.49 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,665,650 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 Itawamba County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Itawamba County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on June 5, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Itawamba County?

An EF5 on April 27, 2011, with a 37.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Itawamba County?

May 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.