NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ashland, MS
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ashland, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 70
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
114 deaths in all
What the records show for Ashland
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ashland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The record near Ashland begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 20 miles away. Of the 13 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 81% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Ashland. The highest rating among the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on December 23, 2015, came within 1 mile. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 58 people. Of the 70, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 13 each. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ashland. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ashland.
Compare Ashland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ashland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ashland: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Ashland
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9(2 EF3+)
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8(2 EF3+)
- 1970s9(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 3 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 20 mi | 29.6 mi | 16 / 74 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF4 | 1 mi | 75.09 mi | 9 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | 12 mi | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 23 mi | 71 mi | 15 / 76 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF3 | 1 mi | 29.58 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 23 mi | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF3 | 13 mi | 39.55 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | 17 mi | 43.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 5 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 22, 1975 | F3 | 12 mi | 26.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F3 | 14 mi | 45.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ashland
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Ashland since 1960, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 27, 2017. The most recent report is from December 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ashland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ripley, MS, 14 miles southeast of Ashland at 525 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 29°F. December is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 57.6 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 42% of the year's precipitation (24.3 of 57.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 90°F and 3.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.6 inches is more than at 23 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (26%). Lamar, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Holly Springs 4 N, MS): 55.7 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 6.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 57.6 | 80 | 1.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ripley, MS (525 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Ashland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 29 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ashland: 26 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $391,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 22, 2003.
May 5, 2003: thunderstorm wind in Ashland — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “One mobile home was destroyed. Ten homes were damaged.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Benton County, which includes Ashland, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Benton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $3.7 million a year, the 80th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.1 million (29%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Ashland
- Lamar, MS12 mi
- Blue Mountain, MS14 mi
- Hickory Flat, MS15 mi
- Ripley, MS15 mi
- Potts Camp, MS17 mi
- Holly Springs, MS18 mi
- Walnut, MS18 mi
- Moscow, TN19 mi
- Myrtle, MS21 mi
- Middleton, TN22 mi
- New Albany, MS26 mi
- Rossville, TN27 mi
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