47
Recorded events
16
Direct deaths
207
Direct injuries
$33.7M
Property damage
Tornado in Leflore County, Mississippi: 47 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #432 nationally and #31 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Leflore County, Mississippi: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Leflore County is the 2000s, when 14 of the county's 47 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 Leflore County archive, tornado makes up 10.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #432 for this hazard and #31 within Mississippi, putting it in the 85.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Leflore County with 15 recorded events, while Aug 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-02-21 | EF5 | 109.2 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1971-02-21 | EF4 | 202.1 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1957-11-07 | EF3 | 31.2 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 2001-02-24 | EF3 | 22.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-11-24 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-04-21 | EF3 | 12.8 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-14 | EF2 | 35.8 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 2005-09-24 | EF2 | 9.0 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
| 1990-12-21 | EF2 | 16.0 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1988-12-27 | EF2 | 18.0 mi | 73 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 14 | 192 | $0 | |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 2 | 4 | $25.0M | |
| Jan 26, 1967 | F2 | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Apr 1, 1970 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2025 | MINTER CITY | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 5, 2025 | SUNNYSIDE | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | MAYDAY | EF2 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | SWIFTOWN | EF2 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | SIDON | EF1 | $50K |
| Apr 27, 2011 | SISLOFF JCT | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 23, 2010 | NICHOLS | EF1 | $50K |
| May 3, 2008 | MAYDAY | EF1 | $40K |
| Feb 25, 2007 | SCHLATER | EF0 | $80K |
| Apr 7, 2006 | MORGAN CITY | F0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Leflore County
- Thunderstorm Wind 228
- Hail 116
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado touched down just West-Southwest of Shellmound and moved east for 3 miles. Several trees were uprooted and snapped along the path with an area along US Highway 49E having a number of power poles snapped off at the base. An irrigation structure was picked up and moved causing significant damage to the irrigation system. Damage from this tornado was limited due to the path occurring over open farm land.
This tornado touched down on the southeast side of Itta Bena and tracked into town for about a mile. Numerous trees were damaged a large limbs scattered along the path through town. One home sustained roof damage and the roof of the High School was damaged. All damage was minor. This tornado developed from the same storm which produced the Quito tornado.
This tornado touched down in Sidon and a couple dozen trees were snapped and uprooted along the path as it moved to the northeast. Two trees were down on houses, one on a mobile home and another on a car. An old cover, for a mobile home, was also torn off. Maximum winds were around 90 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Leflore County, Mississippi?
47 tornado events are recorded in Leflore County between 1956 and 2025, causing 16 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Leflore County?
The strongest tornado on record in Leflore County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Leflore 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 Leflore County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/leflore-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.