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Mississippi · County tornado history

Simpson County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 72 tornadoes in Simpson County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.0 years. That ranks it 9 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
72
Since 2000
37
Strongest
F4, November 21, 1992
Most recent
EF1, December 28, 2024
Peak month
April (16)
Per 1,000 sq mi
122
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 Simpson County

April has brought the most, 16 of 72. About 49% 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 32% 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 33
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 14
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 5
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 Simpson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 23, 1969 F4 117.8 mi 200 yd 32 241
November 21, 1992 F4 128 mi 880 yd 12 122
January 10, 1975 F4 56.5 mi 200 yd 9 210
March 26, 1976 F4 18.5 mi 880 yd 11
March 29, 1976 F4 126.5 mi 880 yd 8
November 27, 1994 F3 40 mi 200 yd 2
April 4, 1957 F3 40.2 mi 167 yd 1 75
February 26, 1958 F3 71 mi 60 yd 1 34
March 26, 2009 EF3 17.4 mi 500 yd 25
February 21, 1974 F3 14.2 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Simpson County was an F4 on January 23, 1969. It killed 32 people and injured 241 along its 117.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 28, 2024 EF1 10.5 mi 800 yd
December 28, 2024 EF1 11.9 mi 1,200 yd
December 28, 2024 EF1 4.6 mi 350 yd
December 9, 2023 EF0 13.9 mi 350 yd
November 20, 2023 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
November 20, 2023 EF0 3.3 mi 75 yd
April 3, 2023 EF1 4.5 mi 430 yd
February 8, 2023 EF0 4.2 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 Simpson County as relatively moderate, with a score of 77 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.92 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,483,322 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 Simpson County had?

72 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 37 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Simpson 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 Simpson County?

An F4 on November 21, 1992, with a 128-mile path.

When is tornado season in Simpson 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.