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Sharkey County, Mississippi severe weather history spans 215 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,349 nationally and #68 in Mississippi.
215
Recorded events
37
Direct deaths
474
Direct injuries
$117.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Sharkey County, Mississippi severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sharkey County, Mississippi severe weather history averages 2.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 67 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 28 events fall before 1990 and 187 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sharkey County, Mississippi record is tornado, responsible for 37 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $112.5M 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 Sharkey County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 101 | 0 | $2.7M | 81 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 56 | 0 | $393K | 2.25 | 1976–2021 |
| Tornado | 37 | 37 | $112.5M | F5 | 1951–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 17 | 0 | $1.7M | 0 | 1999–2020 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $53K | 0 | 2011–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $100 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 2022–2022 |
Decade by decade
Sharkey County, Mississippi severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
42 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-02-21 | EF5 | 47 | 510 | 109.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-02-21 | EF4 | 58 | 795 | 202.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-24 | EF4 | 17 | 165 | 59.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-04-24 | EF4 | 10 | 146 | 149.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-03-09 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-12-03 | EF3 | 0 | 20 | 18.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 19.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-12-13 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-12-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-10-17 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sharkey County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | Tornado | 14 | 192 | $0 | |
| Mar 25, 2023 | Tornado | EGREMONT | 14 | 150 | $83.0M |
| Feb 21, 1971 | Tornado | 9 | 123 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Dec 14, 2022 | Tornado | ANGUILLA | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
| Aug 23, 2022 | Heavy Rain | BLANTON | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Mar 20, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
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 north of Rolling Fork Road where a few trees had limbs damaged. The tornado intensified quickly as it traveled northeast across Garfield Rd. and destroyed numerous outbuildings. The tornado reached its maximum intensity as it crossed Rolling Fork Rd. and destroyed a well-constructed outbuilding after pulling out concrete anchors weighing several hundred pounds. The concrete was lofted and carried about 50 yards before landing on the pavement. The tornado continued northeastward, with some fluctuation in strength as it damaged numerous trees and caused primarily roof damage to homes. As the tornado crossed US Highway 61, several mobile homes were rolled and destroyed. In this group of homes, three injuries were reported. The tornado weakened and lifted shortly after over farmland. The maximum width was 250 yards. The maximum wind speed was 125 mph.
The tornado started at Grace, where it downed a few large trees and caused minor roof damage to several homes. The tornado continued into Sharkey County, and just after crossing Dry Bend Road it destroyed a metal outbuilding, scattering tin and other debris a mile downstream. Part of the roof of another larger metal building was taken off at the same location, along with a couple of trees snapped. From here the tornado mainly passed through open fields for a couple of miles, although trees could be seen down along some tree lines. As the tornado approached US Highway 61, it turned more east-northeastward and downed more trees and rolled some equipment at a farm shop. As it crossed Highway 61, it snapped or downed at least 6 wooden power poles. It also caused significant shingle damage to a frame home and downed several trees and large limbs. The tornado then moved back into inaccessible farm fields, and is assumed to have dissipated shortly thereafter. Max winds were 115 mph and the total path length was near 7 miles.
South Delta Middle School, in Anguilla, had a portion of its roof blown off along with many trees blown down and numerous large limbs broken and laid in area lawns and streets. Additionally, the damaging winds extended southward into Rolling Fork where several homes and businesses sustained damage.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
3,872
Population (ACS)
$98K
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 |
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| 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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sharkey County, Mississippi?
215 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 37 direct deaths and $117.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sharkey County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 101 recorded events — 47.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sharkey County?
42 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 30 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sharkey County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sharkey County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sharkey County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sharkey County as very low risk, placing it in the 16 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sharkey 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
- Scott County 546
- Simpson County 594
- Rankin County 1,335
- Smith County 610
- Quitman County 80
- Stone County 194
Cite this page
“Sharkey County, Mississippi.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/mississippi/sharkey-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.