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DeSoto County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 498 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #883 nationally and #25 in Mississippi.
498
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
115
Direct injuries
$70.8M
Property damage
The record
What the DeSoto County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, DeSoto County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 7.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 181 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 46 events fall before 1990 and 452 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the DeSoto County, Mississippi record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $50.7M 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 DeSoto County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 211 | 1 | $8.8M | 87 | 1961–2026 |
| Hail | 165 | 0 | $128K | 2 | 1962–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 73 | 1 | $9.6M | 0 | 1997–2026 |
| Tornado | 29 | 1 | $50.7M | F3 | 1962–2025 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $762K | 0 | 2001–2019 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $768K | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2005–2019 |
Decade by decade
DeSoto County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 24 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-24 | EF3 | 0 | 18 | 12.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 3 | 13 | 10.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-11-27 | EF2 | 1 | 50 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-04-28 | EF2 | 1 | 6 | 34.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-01-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-06-12 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-07-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-11-24 | EF2 | 0 | 9 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-01-19 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 9.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in DeSoto County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 50 | $250K | |
| Jul 4, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | EUDORA | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| Oct 10, 2002 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Nov 27, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 15 | $250K | |
| Nov 27, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $250K | |
| Nov 24, 2001 | Tornado | LEWISBURG | 0 | 9 | $1.9M |
| May 16, 1968 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Jul 29, 2001 | Lightning | SOUTH HAVEN | 0 | 6 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down at Southaven High School and tracked northeast crossing into Shelby County, Tennessee, northeast of the intersection of Stateline Road and Airways Boulevard. Roughly 30 windows were blown out of the High School. The school also sustained minor roof damage. Damage at the high school was classified EF-0. Many homes in the Carriage Hills subdivision sustained minor damages as well. Further northeast, more significant damage occurred near the intersection of Stateline Road and Airways Boulevard in the warehouse area. Three warehouses were destroyed including the Cooper Lighting Plant. A gas station was damaged as well. Damage was classified as EF-2 in this area. Numerous trees, power poles, and lines were knocked down. Minor roof damage occurred along the path as well.
A tornado touched down on Highway 305, four tenths of a mile south of College Road, southeast of Olive Branch. The tornado moved northeast on a non-continuous track. Several subdivisions had numerous trees and power lines knocked down. Some of which fell onto houses damaging them. The hardest hit area was in the Bethel Park Subdivison. Seven homes were destroyed, 15 homes sustained major damage while at least 113 other homes received minor damage including damage such as minor roof or shingle damage. In addition, one business sustained major damage and another business sustained minor damage. The tornado lifted just east of the intersection of Center Hill Road and Knightsbridge Road.
Winds were estimated at 95 mph at the Olive Branch AWOS. Major damage occurred to airport hangars. Doors were blown out of two hangars while another one had the side panel blown out. One employee was injured when the wind slammed a hangar door into his hand. Two planes were overturned and damaged. In total, eight planes sustained damage. Minor damage occurred to buildings surrounding the airport.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
191,301
Population (ACS)
$270K
Median home value
16
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | DR |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Hurricane | HURRICANE IDA | EM |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in DeSoto County, Mississippi?
498 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $70.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in DeSoto County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 211 recorded events — 42.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed DeSoto County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 24 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover DeSoto County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include DeSoto County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is DeSoto County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates DeSoto County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 89 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the DeSoto 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
- Covington County 423
- Forrest County 748
- Copiah County 638
- Franklin County 278
- Coahoma County 247
- George County 202
Cite this page
“DeSoto County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/desoto-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.