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Lawrence County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 423 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,161 nationally and #32 in Mississippi.
423
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
58
Direct injuries
$17.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 6.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 152 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 36 events fall before 1990 and 387 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lawrence County, Mississippi record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.0M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 238 | 0 | $7.0M | 91 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 106 | 0 | $897K | 2.75 | 1968–2026 |
| Tornado | 40 | 6 | $7.0M | F4 | 1968–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $2.4M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $158K | 0 | 2006–2015 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2017–2017 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
36 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-01-10 | EF4 | 9 | 210 | 56.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-04-18 | EF4 | 4 | 31 | 19.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-12 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 83.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-02-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-02-21 | EF3 | 0 | 13 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-12-16 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 10.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-12-25 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 28.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-04-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 1978 | Tornado | 4 | 31 | $250K | |
| Apr 12, 2020 | Tornado | TILTON | 2 | 3 | $750K |
| Feb 21, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 13 | $250K | |
| Dec 25, 2012 | Tornado | LAMBERTS STORE | 0 | 7 | $200K |
| Mar 11, 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | DIVIDE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 13, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | DIVIDE | 0 | 1 | $700K |
| Aug 26, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An intensifying wind event entered New Hebron, the winds intensified with widespread tree fall across town and at least minor damage to most buildings��� roofs. It was in the New Hebron area where the most widespread damage occurred. An older barn was shifted off its foundation, and numerous tin roofs were peeled. Power lines were down along with hundreds of trees downed, and wind gusts were estimated to be as high as 90 mph in this area. The damage diminished east of town into Jefferson Davis County.
Flooding occurred on Cherry Street Extension and Ferguson Mill Road. Numerous roads in downtown New Hebron were flooded, including Highways 42 and 43 North and South. Water entered homes around Cherry Avenue and Highway 43. Highway 43 between Silver Creek and Highway 478 was closed by MDOT due to flooding. Highway 42 between New Hebron and Joe Buckley Road was closed due to flooding. The Hamburger House had 10 to 12 inches of water inside.
An intense downburst caused a swath of significant wind damage beginning north of Jayess between China Grove Road and Holmesville Road. This downburst intensified quickly as it approached and crossed Holmesville Road and peaked along Conn-Rutherford and Conn Lane. Extensive tree damage was noted with thousands of uprooted or snapped trees. Sheds were destroyed, and several homes were damaged from fallen trees, sheds being blown into them, or by the wind directly. Numerous power lines and poles were down. A couple of large grain silos were damaged, and three smaller ones were rolled across a field for 200 to 300 yds. A travel trailer was rolled. One resident was trapped in a trailer on Robert Tynes Road. Peaks winds were estimated to be 105 mph in this area. As the downburst moved ESE, it weakened some but was still significant (winds 75-90 mph) as it crossed Topeka-Jayess Road and along Bismark Road before dissipation near MS Highway 44. The swath of significant damage was approximately 2.5 miles wide and 5 miles long.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,786
Population (ACS)
$100K
Median home value
33
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Aug 12, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES. | DR |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Monticello 114
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Mississippi?
423 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $17.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 238 recorded events — 56.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
36 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lawrence County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as very low risk, placing it in the 25 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- Lauderdale County 896
- Leake County 546
- Lamar County 590
- Lee County 704
- Lafayette County 366
- Leflore County 432
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.