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Mississippi County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 510 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #840 nationally and #28 in Arkansas.
510
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
153
Direct injuries
$35.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Mississippi County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mississippi County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 6.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 145 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 93 events fall before 1990 and 417 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Mississippi County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $31.1M 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 Mississippi County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 258 | 0 | $2.2M | 91 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 145 | 0 | $141K | 2.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Tornado | 59 | 6 | $31.1M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 0 | $954K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 10 | 1 | $762K | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Lightning | 9 | 2 | $88K | 0 | 1996–2014 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Mississippi County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
59 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 47 touched down inside it and 12 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-05-15 | EF4 | 35 | 364 | 20.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-10 | EF4 | 8 | 14 | 81.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-04-16 | EF4 | 2 | 12 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 4 | 26 | 72.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-02-16 | EF3 | 1 | 4 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 9.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 1 | 57 | 39.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-02 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 20.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-04-03 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 49.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mississippi County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 1998 | Tornado | MANILA | 2 | 12 | $350K |
| Mar 22, 1952 | Tornado | 1 | 57 | $250K | |
| Mar 22, 1952 | Tornado | 1 | 57 | $250K | |
| Feb 16, 1954 | Tornado | 1 | 4 | $25K | |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Tornado | LEACHVILLE | 1 | 0 | $1.3M |
| Jul 2, 2014 | Lightning | CARROLLS CORNER | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 20, 2011 | Flood | LUXORA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 7, 1999 | Lightning | BLYTHEVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado began just west of Manila and tracked northeast. The tornado demolished or heavily damaged several homes including some mobile homes. Two children were killed in one of these mobile homes. The tornado continued northeast flattening a discount department store and an gas station/food mart. Three small factory and machine shop buildings as well as a furniture store were destroyed. Several other buildings were seriously damaged. The tornado reached the main residential section of Manila destroying several homes. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down.
After crossing from Craighead County into Mississippi County the tornado struck the northern portions of Leachville, in northwestern Mississippi County. Several homes suffered partial or complete roof loss in northwestern Leachville. A restaurant, store, and cotton gin suffered considerable damage along Highway 77, and numerous power poles were snapped. A fatality occurred in the store. Anchors to the store's metal frame were pulled out of the concrete foundation. The tornado's path was estimated at nearly a mile wide in this area. The tornado approached the Little River area south of Hornersville, near the Arkansas/Missouri state line. A stand of trees was debarked east of Arkansas County Road 243. Several homes and mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed along State Line Road. Additional debarking of trees was noted. The tornado then crossed into Dunklin County, Missouri. Peak winds in Mississippi County were estimated at 145 mph.
The tornado started just southwest of the town of Keiser. Several buildings in town lost parts of their roofs and had windows blown out. A couple of buildings had partial or entire roof loss. Blown transformers and downed trees were observed across the community. The tornado continued through fields and then crossed Interstate 55, causing considerable damage to a hotel. Additional damage was noted to a metal building facility near Keiser Road and Denso Road. The tornado continued northeast over open fields, lifting before reaching South County Road 535. Peak winds were estimated at 125 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
39,126
Population (ACS)
$123K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Dec 23, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mississippi County, Arkansas?
510 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $35.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mississippi County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 258 recorded events — 50.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mississippi County?
59 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 47 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mississippi County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mississippi County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mississippi County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mississippi County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 89 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mississippi County, Arkansas 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
- Miller County 576
- Monroe County 352
- Marion County 341
- Montgomery County 451
- Madison County 503
- Nevada County 342
Cite this page
“Mississippi County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/mississippi-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.