114
Recorded events
12
Direct deaths
146
Direct injuries
$147.5M
Property damage
Tornado in Rankin County, Mississippi: 114 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #27 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Rankin County, Mississippi: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Rankin County is the 2010s, when 30 of the county's 114 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 Rankin County archive, tornado makes up 8.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #27 for this hazard and #2 within Mississippi, putting it in the 99.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Rankin County with 32 recorded events, while Jul 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-03-03 | EF5 | 202.5 mi | 900 yd | Crossed in |
| 1969-01-23 | EF4 | 117.8 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1992-11-21 | EF4 | 128.0 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1976-03-29 | EF4 | 126.5 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1958-02-26 | EF3 | 69.7 mi | 60 yd | Crossed in |
| 2014-04-28 | EF3 | 29.7 mi | 400 yd | Crossed in |
| 1958-02-26 | EF3 | 71.0 mi | 60 yd | Crossed in |
| 2005-04-06 | EF3 | 15.0 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-04-24 | EF3 | 12.0 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-18 | EF2 | 6.1 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 10 | 98 | $25.0M | |
| Feb 27, 1958 | F3 | 1 | 14 | $250K | |
| Apr 28, 2014 | LAKELAND | EF3 | 1 | 10 | $13.0M |
| Apr 6, 2005 | FLORENCE | F3 | 0 | 6 | $11.0M |
| Apr 25, 2003 | BRANDON | F3 | 0 | 6 | $50.0M |
| Nov 16, 1987 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 23, 1983 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Apr 2, 1983 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 2026 | WHITES | EF1 | $0 |
| Oct 19, 2025 | ROOK HILL | EF0 | $0 |
| May 26, 2025 | FANNIN | EF1 | $0 |
| Jan 6, 2025 | RANKIN | EF1 | $160K |
| Dec 29, 2024 | FLOWOOD | EF1 | $1.5M |
| Dec 10, 2023 | PINEY WOODS | EF0 | $10K |
| Jun 19, 2023 | CROSS ROADS | EF0 | $5K |
| Jun 19, 2023 | STAR | EF0 | $2K |
| Jun 19, 2023 | ANSE | EF2 | $200K |
| Jun 19, 2023 | PELAHATCHIE | EF0 | $1K |
Other hazards here
More from Rankin County
- Thunderstorm Wind 636
- Hail 318
- Flash Flood 223
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This strong tornado moved directly through downtown Brandon damaging or destroying several businesses, one school and dozens of homes. In addition to structural damage, hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted as the tornado move to the NE.
This tornado touched down near Trustmark Park and traveled east-southeast for almost 3.5 miles. Near the ballpark, several trees were snapped and construction material was blown some distance. Between the ballpark and Pearson Road, many trees were snapped and shingle damage occurred to several homes. The tornado then crossed Pearson Road, causing roof damage to several businesses and snapping trees and large limbs. The tornado then moved across Pine Park, Patton Place, and McLaurin Heights subdivisions. A number of homes in those areas suffered significant loss of roofing material, several outbuildings were heavily damaged or destroyed, and a number of large trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado then crossed Interstate 20, continuing to snap or uproot a number of trees, before dissipating just southeast of the highway. Maximum winds were around 95 mph.
This tornado touched down just northwest of Star along Highway 49 and tracked along Muse Road for a mile. The tornado caused extensive damage to the Star baseball field. It knocked down the light fixtures off the poles. Metal fences were blown down and the dugout structure was destroyed. Damage to a couple of cars in the area also occurred due to fallen trees. The tornado damaged a residence with an 8 foot hole to the roof and completely destroyed a well constructed metal outbuilding that housed a small personal airplane. This is where the tornado was at peak intensity with winds estimated to be around 112 mph and a rating of EF2. Most of the other damage along the path was uprooted and snapped trees. The top to a small well house was also toppled.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Rankin County, Mississippi?
114 tornado events are recorded in Rankin County between 1950 and 2026, causing 12 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Rankin County?
The strongest tornado on record in Rankin County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Rankin 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 Rankin County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/rankin-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.