NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cleveland, 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 Cleveland, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 107 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 107
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
54 deaths in all
What the records show for Cleveland
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cleveland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 67 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Cleveland begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 59 miles away. The 1900s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 81% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Cleveland. The strongest of the 107 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on February 21, 1971; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 47 people. Of the 107, 22 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on July 3, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cleveland. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 80 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Cleveland has more hail reports within 10 miles than 73% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
Compare Cleveland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cleveland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 44 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 Cleveland: 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 Cleveland
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s11(1 EF3+)
- 2000s26(1 EF3+)
- 1990s12
- 1980s17(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17(3 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F5 | 22 mi | 109.2 mi | 47 / 510 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 6 mi | 30.3 mi | 0 / 48 |
| Apr 17, 1978 | F4 | 22 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 21, 1971 | F3 | 13 mi | 8.6 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF3 | 17 mi | 61.57 mi | 2 / 28 |
| Nov 19, 1988 | F3 | 15 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 22, 1953 | F2 | 18 mi | 234.7 mi | 2 / 22 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 10 mi | 5.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 16 mi | 5.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 3 mi | 23.38 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 21, 2013 | EF2 | 5 mi | 40.79 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 107, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cleveland
The Storm Prediction Center has 80 hail reports within 10 miles of Cleveland since 1970, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 16, 2023. The most recent report is from December 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cleveland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cleveland, MS, 2 miles southwest of Cleveland at 138 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 33°F. April is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 59.3 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (25.3 of 59.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 93 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 50 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 59.3 inches is more than at 46 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (53%). Mound Bayou, 10 miles north, has its own station (Cleveland 3 N, MS): 54.2 inches a year, 5.1 less than here, and an August average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 33 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 56 | 36 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 5.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 72 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 42 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 36 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Year | 74 | 53 | 59.3 | 74 | 1.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cleveland, MS (138 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 Cleveland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 156 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cleveland: 117 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $6.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 27, 2000. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 35. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 187 have had fewer than Cleveland.
December 7, 2004: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Cleveland — 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
September 18, 2009: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Cleveland — $900,000 damage.
October 13, 2009: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Cleveland — $800,000 damage.
NWS: “Many roads were flooded across Sunflower County with several of those washed out in sections. The southern lane of Highway 8 was washed out along the Big Sunflower River along with parts of Highway 442 and 448.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Cleveland's ZIP code 38732 have filed 191 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1979: 26 claims (14% of all) and $193,000, then Late winter severe storms in 2016 with 18. 26% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 133 Mississippi cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 99 have fewer than Cleveland.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1979 | 26 | $193,000 |
| Late winter severe storms2016 | 18 | $430,000 |
Bolivar County, which includes Cleveland, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bolivar County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.2 million a year, the 17th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.5 million (47%), 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 Cleveland
- Mound Bayou, MS10 mi
- Shaw, MS10 mi
- Ruleville, MS10 mi
- Drew, MS14 mi
- Parchman, MS15 mi
- Rosedale, MS16 mi
- Indianola, MS21 mi
- Leland, MS25 mi
- Tutwiler, MS26 mi
- Itta Bena, MS29 mi
- Greenville, MS31 mi
- Clarksdale, MS32 mi
All Mississippi cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Cleveland with another place →