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Mississippi · County tornado history

Lamar County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 51 tornadoes in Lamar County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.5 years. That ranks it 24 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on August 24, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
51
Since 2000
38
Strongest
EF4, April 19, 2020
Most recent
EF0, August 24, 2022
Peak month
February (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
101
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 Lamar County

February has brought the most, 10 of 51. About 51% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 39% 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) 18
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 Lamar County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 19, 2020 EF4 53.8 mi 2,275 yd 1 1
February 10, 2013 EF4 21.6 mi 1,320 yd 71
January 21, 2017 EF3 31.1 mi 900 yd 4 57
November 15, 2006 F3 13 mi 500 yd 6
December 16, 2019 EF3 5.8 mi 560 yd
February 23, 2016 EF2 5.6 mi 100 yd 1
February 20, 1954 F2 37.1 mi 200 yd 10
February 26, 1958 F2 23.1 mi 50 yd 9
February 10, 2013 EF2 18.1 mi 400 yd 3
November 13, 1972 F2 0.8 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Lamar County was an EF3 on January 21, 2017. It killed 4 people and injured 57 along its 31.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 24, 2022 EF0 0.6 mi 25 yd
March 30, 2022 EF0 7.3 mi 25 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 1.9 mi 425 yd
March 17, 2021 EF0 1.4 mi 300 yd
April 19, 2020 EF4 53.8 mi 2,275 yd 1 1
December 16, 2019 EF3 5.8 mi 560 yd
April 14, 2018 EF1 6.1 mi 200 yd
August 30, 2017 EF1 1.7 mi 100 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 Lamar County as relatively moderate, with a score of 74 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.62 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,590,471 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 Lamar County had?

51 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 38 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Lamar County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on August 24, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Lamar County?

An EF4 on April 19, 2020, with a 53.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Lamar County?

February 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.