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Mississippi · County tornado history

Perry County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 21 tornadoes in Perry County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.6 years. That ranks it 70 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on April 17, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
21
Since 2000
12
Strongest
EF4, April 19, 2020
Most recent
EF2, April 17, 2022
Peak month
April (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Perry County

April has brought the most, 5 of 21. About 67% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 33% 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) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
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 Perry 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
February 26, 1958 F3 29.1 mi 100 yd 4 20
May 7, 1982 F3 13 mi 100 yd 1
March 30, 2022 EF2 11.3 mi 500 yd
March 30, 2022 EF2 2 mi 250 yd
April 17, 2022 EF2 1.7 mi 275 yd
June 1, 1976 F1 0.2 mi 33 yd 2
May 7, 1975 F1 9.7 mi 440 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Perry County was an F3 on February 26, 1958. It killed 4 people and injured 20 along its 29.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 17, 2022 EF2 1.7 mi 275 yd
April 17, 2022 EF1 0.3 mi 50 yd
March 30, 2022 EF2 2 mi 250 yd
March 30, 2022 EF2 11.3 mi 500 yd
April 19, 2020 EF4 53.8 mi 2,275 yd 1 1
January 21, 2017 EF3 31.1 mi 900 yd 4 57
February 10, 2013 EF4 21.6 mi 1,320 yd 71
November 24, 2004 F0 0.2 mi 30 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 Perry County as relatively low, with a score of 44 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.73 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $840,217 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 Perry County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Perry County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on April 17, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Perry County?

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

When is tornado season in Perry 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.