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Lauderdale County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 896 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #214 nationally and #4 in Mississippi.
896
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
106
Direct injuries
$87.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Lauderdale County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lauderdale County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 11.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 242 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 119 events fall before 1990 and 777 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lauderdale County, Mississippi record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $56.1M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lauderdale County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 490 | 1 | $8.1M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 234 | 0 | $1.5M | 2.75 | 1963–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 87 | 0 | $56.1M | 0 | 1997–2026 |
| Tornado | 67 | 3 | $21.5M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 2014–2023 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Lauderdale County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
67 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 50 touched down inside it and 17 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 7 | 17 | 122.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1986-03-12 | EF4 | 0 | 8 | 23.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-29 | EF4 | 0 | 8 | 126.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-03-10 | EF3 | 3 | 57 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 43.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-12-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-02-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 59.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2018-04-14 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 8.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-01-21 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lauderdale County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 1992 | Tornado | 3 | 57 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 1, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Dec 16, 2000 | Tornado | MERIDIAN | 0 | 17 | $2.1M |
| Jan 19, 1988 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $25K | |
| Mar 12, 1986 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| May 27, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Aug 10, 2018 | Lightning | MEEHAN | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2018 | Tornado | MERIDIAN | 0 | 2 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An F2 tornado caused major damage in the Marion and Dalewood Shore Lake communities, northeast of Meridian. Two houses and thirteen mobile homes were destroyed. Eleven houses and twelve mobile homes received major damage. Thirty-three houses and twenty-two mobile homes received minor damage. Three businesses were destroyed and one business had minor damage. Thousands of trees were blown down or snapped off, and numerous power poles and power lines were also downed. Seventeen people were injured, including one in critical condition.
Several rounds of thunderstorms and continued heavy rain caused significant flooding in Meridian. Several roads were covered with one to two feet of water. Many creeks were well out of their banks with a few buildings having water in them. Several roads and bridges were damaged. The high water caused portions of roads to be washed out.
A line of severe thunderstorms with 60-80mph winds moved through Lauderdale County on the afternoon of May 4th. These winds resulted in a swath of extensive damage across the county with numerous trees and power lines downed. In addition, at least 50 homes received damage and the roof of an apartment complex was blown off. The ASOS at Meridian Key Field measured a 61mph gust while the ASOS at Naval Meridian measured a 65mph gust.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
71,504
Population (ACS)
$133K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | EM |
| May 4, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Meridian 224
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lauderdale County, Mississippi?
896 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $87.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lauderdale County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 490 recorded events — 54.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lauderdale County?
67 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 50 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lauderdale County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lauderdale County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lauderdale County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lauderdale County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 87 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lauderdale County, Mississippi severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Lamar County 590
- Lawrence County 423
- Lafayette County 366
- Leake County 546
- Kemper County 343
- Lee County 704
Cite this page
“Lauderdale County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/lauderdale-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.