64
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
14
Direct injuries
$27.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Hancock County, Mississippi: 64 recorded events between 1952 and 2024. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #203 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Hancock County, Mississippi: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Hancock County is the 2020s, when 17 of the county's 64 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 Hancock County archive, tornado makes up 21.9% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #203 for this hazard and #14 within Mississippi, putting it in the 93.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Hancock County with 20 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-05-19 | EF3 | 13.1 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-10 | EF2 | 7.9 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1987-11-16 | EF2 | 3.0 mi | 73 yd | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-13 | EF2 | 15.1 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1977-05-02 | EF2 | 5.4 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-07 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-03-02 | EF2 | 4.1 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-10 | EF1 | 2.9 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-10 | EF1 | 10.3 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-10 | EF1 | 9.8 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 1980 | F3 | 0 | 8 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 2, 1972 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Feb 14, 1952 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Apr 12, 1994 | Santa Rosa | F1 | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| May 7, 1972 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10, 2024 | KILN | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | KILN | EF1 | $100K |
| Apr 10, 2024 | BAY ST LOUIS ARPT | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | BAY ST LOUIS ARPT | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | GAINESVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | GAINESVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | GAINESVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | GAINESVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | GAINESVILLE | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2024 | CLAIBORNE | EFU | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Hancock County
- Thunderstorm Wind 119
- Hail 61
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A waterspout moved onshore near Morris St., Amar St., and Singleton St., damaging roofs on 8-10 houses in this neighborhood, and snapping or uprooting several trees. The tornado then tracked northwest, damaging roofs on 4-5 houses on Waveland Ave. and Sycamore St. There was evidence of roof damage to numerous apartments in the Oak Place Apartments near Hwy 90 and an additional 8-10 homes along Mediterranean St., Pacific St., and Danube St. The tornado likely lifted just south of Route 43/Kiln Rd in Hancock County, MS. Survey conducted remotely via high-res satellite imagery. Estimated peak winds of 80 mph.
An embedded tornado following along the backside of the mesovortex was identified using high resolution satellite imagery NDVI differencing where more localized damage to trees and structures were identified via ground survey. The roofs of a large barn and single family home were moderately damaged. This tornado tracked primarily along MS Highway 43 with the most widespread damage being located along the curve in Cuevas Road where a swath of trees appeared to be damaged on satellite imagery in addition to observed damage with ground survey. This is where the tornado appeared to be at its strongest. Thereafter, the damage path in NDVI differencing gradually weakens and the tornado is estimated to have dissipated as it crossed the Silver Creek Acres neighborhood where tree damage was found near Violet Street and Gardenia Street in Kiln. The tornado was rated as an EF-1 with peak winds of 100 mph, a maximum width of 150 yards, and path length of 3 miles.
A waterspout over Heron Bay moved inland across Hancock County Marsh Coastal Preserve. Numerous road signs and posts were blown over in the Magnolia Ridge area. The tornado tracked northwest across eastern and northern Pearlington. Numerous trees were uprooted and large branches snapped on Dean Road, Whipple Road, Russ Street and Napoleon-Westonia Road. Roof damage to multiple Roof homes on Dean Road was noted. Survey conducted remotely via high-res aerial photography. The true beginning and ending points of the track are unknown without the ability to perform a ground or aerial survey in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Estimated peak winds of 75 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Hancock County, Mississippi?
64 tornado events are recorded in Hancock County between 1952 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Hancock County?
The strongest tornado on record in Hancock County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Hancock 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 Hancock County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/hancock-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.