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Mississippi · County tornado history

Wayne County, Mississippi tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 38 tornadoes in Wayne County, Mississippi from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 38 of 82 counties in Mississippi with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on December 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
38
Since 2000
25
Strongest
F4, February 28, 1987
Most recent
EF2, December 28, 2024
Peak month
March (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
47
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 Wayne County

March has brought the most, 9 of 38. About 53% 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 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 18
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Wayne County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 28, 1987 F4 35 mi 1,230 yd 6 350
February 26, 1958 F3 29.1 mi 100 yd 4 20
April 28, 2014 EF3 10.5 mi 880 yd 15
January 9, 1972 F3 23.6 mi 300 yd 12
December 16, 2019 EF3 61.2 mi 350 yd 2
November 15, 2006 F3 15.9 mi 850 yd 1
November 4, 1988 F3 8 mi 200 yd
February 19, 1996 F2 18 mi 400 yd 4
March 17, 2021 EF2 36.6 mi 500 yd 2
June 28, 1957 F2 10 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Wayne County was an F4 on February 28, 1987. It killed 6 people and injured 350 along its 35-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 28, 2024 EF2 6.5 mi 550 yd
December 27, 2024 EF1 13 mi 330 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 0.3 mi 50 yd
April 5, 2022 EF1 2.6 mi 100 yd
April 5, 2022 EF2 2.2 mi 250 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 0.3 mi 50 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 1.9 mi 30 yd
March 30, 2022 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 Wayne County as relatively moderate, with a score of 71 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.82 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,821,211 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 Wayne County had?

38 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 25 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Wayne County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on December 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Wayne County?

An F4 on February 28, 1987, with a 35-mile path.

When is tornado season in Wayne County?

March 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.