NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Baldwyn, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Baldwyn, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 126 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 14 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 126
- EF3 or stronger
- 14
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
34 deaths in all
What the records show for Baldwyn
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Baldwyn; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Baldwyn begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 53 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Baldwyn. The highest rating among the 126 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 19, 1970, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 21, 1984, killed 15 people. Of the 126, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 67 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Baldwyn has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 52% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 121 times since 1987, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Baldwyn has more hail reports within 10 miles than 90% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
Compare Baldwyn's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Baldwyn
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 30 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 Baldwyn: 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 Baldwyn
By decade
- 2020s29
- 2010s25(1 EF3+)
- 2000s13(2 EF3+)
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15(3 EF3+)
- 1970s13(4 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s11(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | 23 mi | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F4 | 25 mi | 4.7 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 18 mi | 71 mi | 15 / 76 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F3 | 2 mi | 52 mi | 6 / 73 |
| Nov 19, 1988 | F3 | 17 mi | 12.5 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 10 mi | 30.97 mi | 0 / 32 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 14 mi | 7.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 12 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 6 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 1975 | F3 | in town | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F3 | 12 mi | 45.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 24, 1971 | F3 | 24 mi | 9.8 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 126, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Baldwyn
The Storm Prediction Center has 121 hail reports within 10 miles of Baldwyn since 1987, made on 75 separate days. Of these, 69 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on October 25, 1997. The most recent report is from March 31, 2025. March has the most reports, 37.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Baldwyn
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Booneville, MS, 9 miles northeast of Baldwyn at 490 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 29°F. December is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 60.5 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (27.1 of 60.5 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 41 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 68 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 60.5 inches is more than at 54 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (62%). Guntown, 5 miles southwest, has its own station (Tupelo 2, MS): 58.0 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 29 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 6.3 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 60.5 | 81 | 1.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Booneville, MS (490 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 Baldwyn
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 132 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Baldwyn: 114 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 94 mph, on April 5, 2025. March has had the most flash floods, 6 of 16. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 94 have had fewer than Baldwyn.
October 25, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Baldwyn — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “An old schoolhouse was demolished. Several trees were blown down on top on some mobile homes.”
May 2, 2010: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Baldwyn — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain produced flash flooding across Union County. Twenty-eight roads and one bridge sustained major damage.”
May 2, 2010: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Baldwyn — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain produced flash flooding across Prentiss County. Ten roads and two bridges sustained major damage.”
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
Prentiss County, which includes Baldwyn, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 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 Prentiss County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.0 million a year, the 38th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 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.