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Monroe County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 468 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #987 nationally and #27 in Mississippi.
468
Recorded events
21
Direct deaths
205
Direct injuries
$99.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Monroe County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Monroe County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 6.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 115 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 67 events fall before 1990 and 401 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Monroe County, Mississippi record is tornado, responsible for 21 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $96.0M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Monroe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 282 | 0 | $1.3M | 78 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 106 | 0 | $158K | 3 | 1972–2026 |
| Tornado | 46 | 21 | $96.0M | F3 | 1952–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 0 | $1.6M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $235K | 0 | 2000–2022 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $110K | 0 | 2019–2020 |
Decade by decade
Monroe County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
47 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 36 touched down inside it and 11 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF5 | 23 | 137 | 37.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 4 | 25 | 51.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-24 | EF3 | 2 | 55 | 36.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-03-20 | EF3 | 1 | 9 | 49.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-02-16 | EF3 | 1 | 55 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF3 | 0 | 25 | 58.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-26 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 54.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-04-13 | EF2 | 1 | 19 | 11.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-11-29 | EF2 | 0 | 11 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Monroe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | SMITHVILLE | 16 | 37 | $2.5M |
| Mar 25, 2023 | Tornado | GIBSON | 2 | 55 | $80.0M |
| Feb 17, 1956 | Tornado | 1 | 55 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 14, 2019 | Tornado | HAMILTON | 1 | 19 | $3.0M |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | NEW WREN | 1 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Nov 30, 2010 | Tornado | ACKER | 0 | 11 | $250K |
| May 7, 2003 | Tornado | GIBSON | 0 | 6 | $2.0M |
| Mar 12, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado developed just south of Hamilton, MS and rapidly increased in intensity. Substantial damage to residences and outbuildings occurred along Seely Drive south of Hamilton Road. Numerous trees were uprooted or trunks snapped along the track. A tree fell on a mobile home on Center Hill Road north of Hamilton killing the resident. The tornado continued north-northeast, uprooting trees and causing minor structural damage. The tornado dissipated near West Road. Three injuries were also reported. Peak winds were estimated at 130 mph.
A strong tornado moved into Monroe County from Chickasaw County and continued northeast. The New Wren community was especially hit hard. At least 20 homes were destroyed or sustained major damage. Hundreds of trees were snapped or debarked. Numerous power lines were knocked down. One motorist was killed as the tornado moved through the area.
The tornado moved into Monroe County from Chickasaw County and continued to move east-southeast.A cow and a calf were killed. Thirty-five homes were destroyed and 117 others were damaged. Several barns, sheds and outbuildings were also damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
33,747
Population (ACS)
$121K
Median home value
26
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Mar 26, 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 |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Monroe County, Mississippi?
468 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 21 direct deaths and $99.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Monroe County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 282 recorded events — 60.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Monroe County?
47 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 36 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Monroe County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Monroe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Monroe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Monroe 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
- Marshall County 268
- Montgomery County 277
- Marion County 489
- Neshoba County 616
- Madison County 816
- Newton County 584
Cite this page
“Monroe County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/monroe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.