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Copiah County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 638 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #498 nationally and #9 in Mississippi.
638
Recorded events
12
Direct deaths
157
Direct injuries
$26.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Copiah County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Copiah County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 9.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 184 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 72 events fall before 1990 and 566 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Copiah County, Mississippi record is tornado, responsible for 12 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $10.9M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Copiah County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 385 | 0 | $8.0M | 87 | 1967–2026 |
| Hail | 148 | 0 | $4.8M | 2.75 | 1968–2025 |
| Tornado | 59 | 12 | $10.9M | F4 | 1958–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 40 | 0 | $2.8M | 0 | 2000–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2015 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2024–2024 |
Decade by decade
Copiah County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
60 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 48 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-01-23 | EF4 | 32 | 241 | 117.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-11-21 | EF4 | 12 | 122 | 128.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-29 | EF4 | 0 | 8 | 126.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-02-26 | EF3 | 8 | 26 | 69.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-12-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-30 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 31.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-02-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 30.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-01-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Copiah County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 1969 | Tornado | 11 | 140 | $250K | |
| Aug 29, 1978 | Tornado | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 13, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| May 31, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | GALLATIN | 0 | 4 | $30K |
| Oct 21, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Apr 23, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | HAZLEHURST | 0 | 2 | $40K |
| Jun 17, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Hazelhurst | 0 | 1 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An intense downburst occurred in the Gallman Community as a line of thunderstorms move through Copiah County. Several trees were blown down and part of a mobile home was heavily damaged. The most significant damage occurred to the Advanced Auto Warehouse. Here, a large portion of the roof was torn off and nearly 20 vehicles were damaged. Winds were estimated around 90 mph.
Swath of damaging straight line winds occurred across the city of Hazlehurst. Numerous trees were downed and vegetation damaged. Some structures received mostly minor roofing damage. Maximum winds were estimated at 70 miles per hour.
An intense downburst occurred in Wesson where 80 to 90 mph winds were experienced. Four businesses were damaged, one had some of the roof torn off, and 4 homes were damaged. A couple vehicles were damaged as well. Numerous trees were blown down along with 8 power poles snapped. Many streets were blocked by downed trees and debris. One person was injured from the storm.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
27,855
Population (ACS)
$114K
Median home value
28
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Aug 12, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES. | DR |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | EM |
| May 4, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Crystal Spgs 125
- Hazlehurst 110
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Copiah County, Mississippi?
638 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 12 direct deaths and $26.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Copiah County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 385 recorded events — 60.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Copiah County?
60 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 48 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Copiah County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Copiah County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Copiah County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Copiah County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 61 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Copiah County, Mississippi 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
- Coahoma County 247
- Covington County 423
- Clay County 263
- DeSoto County 498
- Clarke County 560
- Forrest County 748
Cite this page
“Copiah County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/copiah-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.