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Arkansas · County tornado history

Mississippi County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 58 tornadoes in Mississippi County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.3 years. That ranks it 7 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
58
Since 2000
26
Strongest
EF4, December 10, 2021
Most recent
EF3, March 31, 2023
Peak month
April (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
63
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 Mississippi County

April has brought the most, 16 of 58. About 59% 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 17% 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 17
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 8
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 4
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 Mississippi County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 15, 1968 F4 20.9 mi 250 yd 35 364
December 10, 2021 EF4 81.2 mi 1,800 yd 8 14
April 16, 1998 F4 5 mi 400 yd 2 12
March 1, 1997 F4 20 mi 200 yd
March 31, 2023 EF3 72.5 mi 1,600 yd 4 26
March 21, 1952 F3 51.8 mi 880 yd 3 96
March 21, 1952 F3 39.7 mi 880 yd 1 57
February 16, 1954 F3 2 mi 880 yd 1 4
September 26, 1959 F3 35.2 mi 667 yd 21
May 2, 2008 EF3 20.2 mi 400 yd 4

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Mississippi County was an F4 on May 15, 1968. It killed 35 people and injured 364 along its 20.9-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF3 72.5 mi 1,600 yd 4 26
April 13, 2022 EF0 1.9 mi 75 yd
April 13, 2022 EF0 7.8 mi 100 yd
December 10, 2021 EF4 81.2 mi 1,800 yd 8 14
June 2, 2021 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
March 27, 2021 EF1 4.9 mi 150 yd
March 27, 2021 EF1 3.9 mi 100 yd
March 27, 2021 EF0 1.1 mi 80 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 Mississippi County as relatively moderate, with a score of 70 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.74 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,646,033 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 Mississippi County had?

58 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 26 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Mississippi County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Mississippi County?

An EF4 on December 10, 2021, with a 81.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Mississippi 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.