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Mississippi · County tornado history

Pearl River County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 53 tornadoes in Pearl River County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 22 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on December 1, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
53
Since 2000
27
Strongest
EF3, December 25, 2012
Most recent
EF0, December 1, 2023
Peak month
May (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
65
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 Pearl River County

May has brought the most, 9 of 53. About 62% 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 28% 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) 16
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 25
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
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 Pearl River County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 25, 2012 EF3 60.3 mi 300 yd 12
February 19, 1996 F2 23 mi 430 yd 10
February 26, 1958 F2 23.1 mi 50 yd 9
November 3, 1968 F2 2 mi 50 yd 5
May 26, 1973 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 4
November 3, 1968 F2 43.5 mi 180 yd 3
February 15, 1987 F2 3 mi 100 yd 2
March 27, 1976 F2 15 mi 440 yd 1
October 3, 1964 F2 3.3 mi 10 yd
May 8, 1969 F2 2 mi 30 yd

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

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 1, 2023 EF0 0.3 mi 75 yd
December 14, 2022 EF0 1.2 mi 50 yd
October 27, 2021 EF1 2.4 mi 125 yd
April 19, 2020 EF1 3.1 mi 200 yd
April 14, 2018 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
August 30, 2017 EF1 3.2 mi 200 yd
February 23, 2016 EF1 5.2 mi 200 yd
February 23, 2016 EF1 9.5 mi 150 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 Pearl River County as relatively moderate, with a score of 83 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.91 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,353,482 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 Pearl River County had?

53 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 27 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Pearl River County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on December 1, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pearl River County?

An EF3 on December 25, 2012, with a 60.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pearl River 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.