NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bentonia, 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
21 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bentonia, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 185 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 21
- Tornadoes
- 185
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
29 deaths in all
What the records show for Bentonia
None of the 21 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bentonia; the strongest was Camille in 1969, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The record near Bentonia begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 31 miles away. The 1900s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 21 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 56% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bentonia. The highest rating among the 185 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 24, 2010, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 13 people. Of the 185, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 113 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 39. The most recent tornado was on October 18, 2025. Bentonia has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 58 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Bentonia has more hail reports within 10 miles than 49% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bentonia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bentonia: 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 Bentonia
By decade
- 2020s39
- 2010s44(2 EF3+)
- 2000s30(1 EF3+)
- 1990s25(3 EF3+)
- 1980s18(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 3 mi | 65.2 mi | 13 / 182 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 10 mi | 148.97 mi | 10 / 146 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F4 | 12 mi | 22.3 mi | 3 / 177 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 19 mi | 11.5 mi | 2 / 21 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 16.53 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Dec 9, 1999 | F3 | 4 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 11, 1995 | F3 | 8 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 21, 1990 | F3 | 20 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 4, 1989 | F3 | 15 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 2, 1967 | F3 | 7 mi | 82.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 15, 1957 | F3 | 22 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 2017 | EF2 | 24 mi | 23.4 mi | 1 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 185, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bentonia
The Storm Prediction Center has 58 hail reports within 10 miles of Bentonia since 1962, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 40 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 22, 2005. The most recent report is from April 9, 2024. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bentonia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Yazoo City 5 NNE, MS, 18 miles north of Bentonia at 107 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 39°F. April is the wettest at 6.6 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 60.4 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 42% of the year's precipitation (25.1 of 60.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 21 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 91°F and 3.3 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 90 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 36 nights a year. That 60.4 inches is more than at 53 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (61%). Flora, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Jackson Hawkins Field, MS): 51.3 inches a year, 9.1 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 39 | 5.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 63 | 41 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 71 | 48 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 79 | 56 | 6.6 | 6 |
| May | 86 | 65 | 5.7 | 6 |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jul | 94 | 75 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 95 | 74 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 91 | 68 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Nov | 69 | 46 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 61 | 41 | 5.8 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 57 | 60.4 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Yazoo City 5 NNE, MS (107 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 Bentonia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 151 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bentonia: 121 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $33.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 4, 2020. April has had the most flash floods, 10 of 25. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 163 have had fewer than Bentonia.
June 16, 2023: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bentonia — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
March 4, 2020: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Bentonia — 1 injured, $1.5 million damage.
April 6, 2003: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Bentonia — $20.0 million 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
Yazoo County, which includes Bentonia, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Yazoo County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.9 million a year, the 24th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.3 million (23%), is from tornadoes.
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 Bentonia
- Flora, MS8 mi
- Yazoo City, MS15 mi
- Benton, MS17 mi
- Bolton, MS17 mi
- Madison, MS20 mi
- Clinton, MS21 mi
- Ridgeland, MS22 mi
- Flowood, MS23 mi
- Byram, MS23 mi
- Canton, MS23 mi
- Jackson, MS25 mi
- Edwards, MS26 mi
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