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Jones County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 950 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #170 nationally and #3 in Mississippi.
950
Recorded events
16
Direct deaths
604
Direct injuries
$110.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Jones County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jones County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 12.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 319 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 120 events fall before 1990 and 830 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jones County, Mississippi record is tornado, responsible for 15 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $85.3M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jones County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 486 | 1 | $9.0M | 87 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 215 | 0 | $4.5M | 4.5 | 1962–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 123 | 0 | $10.9M | 0 | 1998–2026 |
| Tornado | 82 | 15 | $85.3M | F4 | 1951–2026 |
| Lightning | 20 | 0 | $885K | 0 | 2008–2024 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $33K | 0 | 2010–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2011–2022 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2023 |
Decade by decade
Jones County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
85 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 75 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-12 | EF4 | 7 | 98 | 67.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1987-02-28 | EF4 | 6 | 350 | 35.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1951-04-21 | EF3 | 2 | 16 | 33.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-14 | EF3 | 1 | 33 | 25.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-05-27 | EF3 | 1 | 35 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-12-16 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 61.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 15 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-11-15 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 15.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-01-09 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 23.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jones County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 28, 1987 | Tornado | 6 | 350 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 12, 2020 | Tornado | HEBRON | 3 | 80 | $11.8M |
| Apr 22, 1951 | Tornado | 2 | 10 | $25K | |
| Dec 23, 2014 | Tornado | SERVICE | 2 | 0 | $2.2M |
| May 27, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 35 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 15, 1999 | Tornado | HEBRON | 1 | 30 | $4.0M |
| May 3, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | HEBRON | 1 | 0 | $170K |
| Dec 29, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 25 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This strong tornado entered from Covington County and crossed northwest Jones County before entering Southwest Jasper county. One man was killed just north of Hebron when his mobile home was thrown more than fifty yards and destroyed. There were thirty injuries and many homes were destroyed. Tree and power line damage was widespread along the path of the tornado.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the central portion of Jones County. Just east of Laurel, a woman was killed when a tree fell onto her mobile home. This damage occurred as a large bow echo, called a derecho, raced across the region.
Persistent bands of thunderstorms produced widespread 4 to 6 inches of rain across most of central Jones County. Many roads across the county as well as around Laurel were flooded. On the north side of Laurel, several cars were submerged in a flooded street. This heavy rainfall also flooded some homes and a few apartment complexes. Minor crop damage also occurred from flooded fields and water soaked crops.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
66,472
Population (ACS)
$143K
Median home value
33
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 |
| Oct 28, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE ZETA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Laurel 322
- Ellisville 111
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jones County, Mississippi?
950 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 16 direct deaths and $110.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jones County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 486 recorded events — 51.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jones County?
85 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 75 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jones County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jones County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jones County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jones County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 80 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jones 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
- Jefferson Davis County 424
- Kemper County 343
- Jefferson County 269
- Lafayette County 366
- Jasper County 588
- Lamar County 590
Cite this page
“Jones County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/jones-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.