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Mississippi · County tornado history

Lafayette County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 24 tornadoes in Lafayette County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.1 years. That ranks it 61 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 24, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
24
Since 2000
11
Strongest
EF3, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF1, March 24, 2023
Peak month
April (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
35
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 Lafayette County

April has brought the most, 6 of 24. About 50% 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 21% 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) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
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 Lafayette County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 21, 1984 F3 71 mi 10 yd 15 76
February 5, 2008 EF3 7.2 mi 1,000 yd 14
April 27, 2011 EF3 13.6 mi 440 yd 8
February 22, 1975 F3 26.3 mi 200 yd 2
March 1, 1997 F3 5 mi 400 yd
January 3, 2000 F3 43.2 mi 500 yd
May 2, 2010 EF2 1.4 mi 75 yd 1
April 24, 1976 F2 0.1 mi 300 yd 2
February 23, 1962 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
August 3, 1952 F2 0.3 mi 200 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Lafayette County was an F3 on April 21, 1984. It killed 15 people and injured 76 along its 71-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 24, 2023 EF1 3.9 mi 125 yd
August 28, 2020 EF0 1.1 mi 50 yd
April 14, 2018 EF0 0.5 mi 40 yd
April 14, 2018 EF1 0.8 mi 150 yd
April 27, 2011 EF3 13.6 mi 440 yd 8
May 2, 2010 EF2 1.4 mi 75 yd 1
September 2, 2008 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
May 8, 2008 EF0 2.2 mi 50 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 Lafayette County as relatively moderate, with a score of 81 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.45 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,450,791 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 Lafayette County had?

24 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Lafayette County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 24, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Lafayette County?

An EF3 on April 27, 2011, with a 13.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Lafayette 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.