59
Recorded events
12
Direct deaths
150
Direct injuries
$10.9M
Property damage
Tornado in Copiah County, Mississippi: 59 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #257 nationally and #18 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Copiah County, Mississippi: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Copiah County is the 2010s, 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 Copiah County archive, tornado makes up 9.2% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #257 for this hazard and #18 within Mississippi, putting it in the 91.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Copiah County with 12 recorded events, while May 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-01-23 | EF4 | 117.8 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1992-11-21 | EF4 | 128.0 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-29 | EF4 | 126.5 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1958-02-26 | EF3 | 69.7 mi | 60 yd | Touched down here |
| 1977-12-24 | EF3 | 8.0 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-30 | EF3 | 31.7 mi | 1,583 yd | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-26 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-02-15 | EF2 | 30.3 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 10.5 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-01-21 | EF2 | 3.6 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 1969 | F4 | 11 | 140 | $250K | |
| Aug 29, 1978 | F1 | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 13, 1969 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| Oct 21, 1984 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2026 | GATESVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2024 | ASHLEY | EF1 | $60K |
| Dec 29, 2024 | MARTINSVILLE | EF1 | $20K |
| Dec 29, 2024 | CRYSTAL SPGS | EF1 | $50K |
| Dec 14, 2022 | GEORGETOWN | EF1 | $5K |
| Mar 22, 2022 | GALLMAN | EF0 | $75K |
| Mar 17, 2021 | SANDHILL | EF1 | $12K |
| Apr 18, 2019 | GEORGETOWN | EF0 | $1K |
| Apr 18, 2019 | WILLING | EF1 | $50K |
| Nov 1, 2018 | CRYSTAL SPGS | EF0 | $100K |
Other hazards here
More from Copiah County
- Thunderstorm Wind 385
- Hail 148
- Flash Flood 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado started along James Road, where several chicken houses were significantly damaged, including one collapsing. Other outbuildings were damaged and a number of trees and power lines were downed. Debris was carried for hundreds of yards along the path. The tornado traveled northeast, and reached its maximum intensity and width as it crossed Monticello Road. Hundreds of trees in this area were snapped or uprooted, including a number of large hardwoods. Convergence in the damage path was very apparent here. A barn was leveled and at least two power poles were snapped. A couple of other outbuildings were heavily damaged. The tornado continued northeast from there, crossing Perrett Road and Highway 472. Numerous trees continued to be snapped and uprooted along its path, and several outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing Highway 472. This tornado was rated an EF2 with maximum winds of 115 mph.
This tornado touched down southwest of Norton Assink Road in northwest Lincoln County and tracked northeast into southern Copiah County. The heaviest damage was along Jackson-Liberty Road, Old Red Star Road and Shady Grove Lane. Heavy tree damage occurred at this location. Historic Sweetwater Methodist Church was damaged where it was pushed off its foundation. Moderate wall damage occurred due to this. Further northeast along the path, several sheds were damaged and some minor roof damage was noted to a few homes. The tornado crossed Sylvarena Road where more trees were down and a mobile home had the roof blown off along Brownswell Road. The tornado dissipated just to the northeast of there. Maximum estimated winds for the entire tornado path, as well as in Copiah County, was 110mph. Total path length was 6.8 miles and total width was 300 yards.
The tornado touched down just west of Galliton Road and tracked northeast across Highway 27, Mitchell Lane and Mitchell Road, into Hinds County where it crossed Haley Road. The tornado then crossed Midway Road at the intersection of Haley Road before crossing I-55 and dissipating just east of Cherry Grove Road. The most intense damage was around Mitchell Lane/Mitchell Road where one wood framed home was pushed off the foundation and destroyed. Another wood framed home was pushed off the foundation. Three to four mobile homes were heavily damaged as they were pushed off their foundations. In Hinds County, a well built home had a large section of the roof removed and carport was blown apart. Major tree damage occurred along the path, especially within the 3 miles of heaviest damage. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at 115 mph. Total path length was 8 miles.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Copiah County, Mississippi?
59 tornado events are recorded in Copiah County between 1958 and 2026, causing 12 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Copiah County?
The strongest tornado on record in Copiah County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Copiah 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 Copiah County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/copiah-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.