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Mississippi · County tornado history

Smith County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 91 tornadoes in Smith County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about 1.2 a year. That ranks it 3 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
91
Since 2000
60
Strongest
EF4, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF1, December 28, 2024
Peak month
April (23)
Per 1,000 sq mi
143
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 Smith County

April has brought the most, 23 of 91. About 43% touched down between 10 am and 4 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 26% 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) 25
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 41
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 13
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 8
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 4
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 Smith County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
January 23, 1969 F4 117.8 mi 200 yd 32 241
April 27, 2011 EF4 122 mi 1,050 yd 7 17
November 22, 1992 F4 40 mi 1,760 yd 20
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
March 26, 2009 EF3 17.4 mi 500 yd 25
March 12, 1986 F3 32 mi 123 yd 2
April 12, 2020 EF3 83.2 mi 2,041 yd 2
April 6, 2005 F3 28 mi 600 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Smith 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 3.4 mi 200 yd
December 9, 2023 EF0 3.7 mi 75 yd
November 20, 2023 EF1 2.9 mi 200 yd
June 18, 2023 EF1 4.5 mi 800 yd
June 18, 2023 EF1 2.5 mi 400 yd
June 18, 2023 EF0 2.6 mi 100 yd
June 18, 2023 EF0 0.5 mi 100 yd
February 16, 2023 EF1 0.2 mi 50 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 Smith County as relatively moderate, with a score of 71 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.96 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,708,311 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 Smith County had?

91 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 60 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Smith 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 Smith County?

An EF4 on April 27, 2011, with a 122-mile path.

When is tornado season in Smith 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.