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Mississippi · County tornado history

Pontotoc County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 26 tornadoes in Pontotoc County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.9 years. That ranks it 56 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on April 1, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
26
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F3, February 24, 2001
Most recent
EF2, April 1, 2023
Peak month
May (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
52
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 Pontotoc County

May has brought the most, 6 of 26. About 46% touched down between 8 pm and 2 am (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 27% 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) 8
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
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 Pontotoc County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 24, 2001 F3 52 mi 1,000 yd 6 73
January 21, 1959 F3 33.8 mi 10 yd 1
March 1, 1997 F3 10 mi 400 yd
April 1, 2023 EF2 16.9 mi 475 yd 1 5
May 18, 1983 F2 4 mi 50 yd 3
February 20, 1953 F2 14.2 mi 880 yd 1
November 10, 1966 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 10, 1970 F2 11.8 mi 10 yd
February 21, 1971 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
March 31, 2023 EF2 6 mi 475 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Pontotoc County was an F3 on February 24, 2001. It killed 6 people and injured 73 along its 52-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 1, 2023 EF2 16.9 mi 475 yd 1 5
March 31, 2023 EF2 6 mi 475 yd
May 2, 2021 EF1 4.5 mi 150 yd
May 2, 2021 EF0 7.5 mi 50 yd
November 5, 2018 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
November 18, 2015 EF0 9.2 mi 250 yd
April 27, 2011 EF0 1 mi 75 yd
October 7, 2008 EF1 0.1 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 Pontotoc County as relatively moderate, with a score of 77 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.38 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,681,495 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 Pontotoc County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Pontotoc County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on April 1, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pontotoc County?

An F3 on February 24, 2001, with a 52-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pontotoc 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.