59
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
150
Direct injuries
$31.1M
Property damage
Tornado in Mississippi County, Arkansas: 59 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #257 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Mississippi County, Arkansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Mississippi County is the 1950s, when 13 of the county's 59 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Mississippi County archive, tornado makes up 11.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #257 for this hazard and #7 within Arkansas, putting it in the 91.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Mississippi County with 16 recorded events, while Jul is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-05-15 | EF4 | 20.9 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-10 | EF4 | 81.2 mi | 1,800 yd | Crossed in |
| 1998-04-16 | EF4 | 5.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | 20.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 72.6 mi | 1,600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1954-02-16 | EF3 | 2.0 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 39.7 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 9.4 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-02 | EF3 | 20.2 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 1984-04-03 | EF3 | 49.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 1998 | MANILA | F4 | 2 | 12 | $350K |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F3 | 1 | 57 | $250K | |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F3 | 1 | 57 | $250K | |
| Feb 16, 1954 | F3 | 1 | 4 | $25K | |
| Dec 11, 2021 | LEACHVILLE | EF3 | 1 | 0 | $1.3M |
| Feb 13, 1952 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Apr 18, 1965 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $3K | |
| Sep 27, 1959 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2025 | DRIVER | EF0 | $10K |
| Mar 31, 2023 | ST THOMAS | EF3 | $25K |
| Apr 13, 2022 | WEST RIDGE | EF0 | $50K |
| Apr 13, 2022 | GARSON | EF0 | $110K |
| Dec 11, 2021 | LEACHVILLE | EF3 | $1.3M |
| Jun 2, 2021 | LUXORA | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | SANS SOUCI | EF0 | $15K |
| Mar 27, 2021 | MARIE | EF1 | $75K |
| Mar 27, 2021 | BARDSTOWN | EF0 | $35K |
| Mar 27, 2021 | WHITTON | EF0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Mississippi County
- Thunderstorm Wind 258
- Hail 145
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.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Mississippi County, Arkansas?
59 tornado events are recorded in Mississippi County between 1950 and 2025, causing 6 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Mississippi County?
The strongest tornado on record in Mississippi County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Mississippi County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Mississippi County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/mississippi-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.