NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Courtland, 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 Courtland, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 55 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 55
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
64 deaths in all
What the records show for Courtland
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Courtland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 23 miles away. The record near Courtland begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 18 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 3 systems. 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 Courtland. The strongest of the 55 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on February 21, 1971; its path came within 13 miles, and it killed 58 people. Of the 55, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on March 24, 2023. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Courtland. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 73 times since 1968, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Courtland has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Courtland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 23 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 Courtland: 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 Courtland
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s9(2 EF3+)
- 2000s10(2 EF3+)
- 1990s1
- 1980s9
- 1970s12(2 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 13 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF3 | 13 mi | 61.57 mi | 2 / 28 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 13.57 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 25 mi | 7.15 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | 21 mi | 43.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 24.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F2 | 24 mi | 43.5 mi | 3 / 33 |
| Dec 27, 1968 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 27, 2013 | EF2 | 3 mi | 0.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 27, 1988 | F2 | 17 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F2 | 15 mi | 36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1980 | F2 | 25 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 55, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Courtland
The Storm Prediction Center has 73 hail reports within 10 miles of Courtland since 1968, made on 61 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 27, 2011. The most recent report is from February 15, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Courtland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sardis Dam, MS, 13 miles northeast of Courtland at 303 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 33°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 58.1 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (24.8 of 58.1 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal August there has highs of 92°F and 3.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 83 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. That 58.1 inches is more than at 32 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (37%). Pope, 4 miles south, has its own station (Water Valley, MS): 58.7 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 33 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Feb | 56 | 37 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 65 | 44 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 5.9 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 74 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Aug | 92 | 72 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 86 | 66 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 43 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 36 | 6.2 | 8 |
| Year | 73 | 53 | 58.1 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sardis Dam, MS (303 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 Courtland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 78 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Courtland: 63 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 24, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 13. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 67 have had fewer than Courtland.
April 25, 2015: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Courtland — 1 killed, 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
April 12, 2020: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Courtland — 1 killed.
June 1, 2018: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Courtland — $250,000 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
Panola County, which includes Courtland, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Panola County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.3 million a year, the 28th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (22%), 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 Courtland
- Pope, MS4 mi
- Batesville, MS6 mi
- Oakland, MS11 mi
- Sardis, MS13 mi
- Water Valley, MS17 mi
- Como, MS19 mi
- Marks, MS21 mi
- Charleston, MS22 mi
- University, MS23 mi
- Oxford, MS24 mi
- Senatobia, MS26 mi
- Coffeeville, MS26 mi
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