NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Caledonia, 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
18 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Caledonia, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Katrina in 2005. Since 1950, 143 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 18 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 18
- Tornadoes
- 143
- EF3 or stronger
- 18
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
66 deaths in all
What the records show for Caledonia
None of the 18 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Caledonia; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Caledonia begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Katrina in 2005, a tropical storm 22 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 18 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 62% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Caledonia. The highest rating among the 143 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F5 on April 3, 1974, killed 28 people. Of the 143, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 83 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on March 31, 2025. Caledonia has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 59% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1975, with stones up to 4.6 inches. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 59% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Caledonia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Caledonia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 18 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 15 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 9 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Caledonia: 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 Caledonia
By decade
- 2020s19(1 EF3+)
- 2010s38(5 EF3+)
- 2000s26(3 EF3+)
- 1990s10
- 1980s21(2 EF3+)
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s7(3 EF3+)
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 12 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 22 mi | 37.3 mi | 23 / 137 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 51.45 mi | 4 / 25 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF3 | 19 mi | 36.56 mi | 2 / 55 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F3 | 21 mi | 38.9 mi | 2 / 1 |
| Feb 23, 2019 | EF3 | 14 mi | 9.74 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Apr 11, 2013 | EF3 | 24 mi | 66.35 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | 15 mi | 49.4 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 16, 1956 | F3 | 14 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 58.74 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Jan 10, 2008 | EF3 | 4 mi | 13.25 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 15 mi | 29.2 mi | 0 / 55 |
The strongest 12 of 143, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Caledonia
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Caledonia since 1975, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.6 inches, fell on June 16, 2023. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Caledonia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Vernon, AL, 11 miles east of Caledonia at 298 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 58.5 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 58.5 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 18 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (9); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 71 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 58.5 inches is more than at 38 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (44%). Hamilton, 7 miles west, has its own station (Aberdeen, MS): 54.4 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 59 | 37 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 5.6 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 5.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 5.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.4 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 3.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 6.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Year | 75 | 52 | 58.5 | 68 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Vernon, AL (298 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 Caledonia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 99 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Caledonia: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods and 4 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $796,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 99 mph, on April 30, 2002. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 22. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 145 have had fewer than Caledonia.
October 2, 2004: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Caledonia — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
April 29, 1996: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Caledonia — 1 injured, $5,000 damage.
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Caledonia — $100,000 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
Monroe County, which includes Caledonia, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 6 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 Monroe County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.6 million a year, the 21st highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.0 million (26%), 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 Caledonia
- Hamilton, MS7 mi
- Steens, MS9 mi
- Vernon, AL12 mi
- Sulligent, AL13 mi
- Aberdeen, MS15 mi
- Millport, AL17 mi
- Columbus, MS18 mi
- Amory, MS19 mi
- West Point, MS21 mi
- Smithville, MS22 mi
- Nettleton, MS28 mi
- Guin, AL28 mi
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