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Mississippi · County tornado history

Scott County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 68 tornadoes in Scott County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.1 years. That ranks it 10 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on December 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
68
Since 2000
45
Strongest
F5, March 3, 1966
Most recent
EF1, December 28, 2024
Peak month
April (23)
Per 1,000 sq mi
111
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 Scott County

April has brought the most, 23 of 68. About 43% 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 21% 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) 14
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 34
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1

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 Scott County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 3, 1966 F5 202.5 mi 900 yd 58 518
January 23, 1969 F4 117.8 mi 200 yd 32 241
November 21, 1992 F4 128 mi 880 yd 12 122
December 2, 1967 F4 7.6 mi 300 yd 2 10
February 26, 1958 F3 71 mi 60 yd 1 34
April 28, 2014 EF3 29.7 mi 400 yd 1 10
April 18, 1966 F3 23.8 mi 10 yd 5
April 28, 2014 EF3 4.3 mi 150 yd 3
October 17, 2012 EF3 14.4 mi 880 yd 1
March 27, 1950 F2 59.3 mi 50 yd 7

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Scott County was an F5 on March 3, 1966. It killed 58 people and injured 518 along its 202.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 28, 2024 EF1 37.5 mi 880 yd
June 18, 2023 EF1 5.5 mi 450 yd
June 18, 2023 EF1 6.5 mi 350 yd
April 13, 2022 EF1 2.3 mi 200 yd
April 13, 2022 EF1 9.7 mi 670 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 2.1 mi 100 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 4.7 mi 300 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 7.6 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 Scott County as relatively moderate, with a score of 78 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.90 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,271,167 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 Scott County had?

68 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 45 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Scott County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on December 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Scott County?

An F5 on March 3, 1966, with a 202.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Scott 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.