NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Houlka, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Houlka, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 104 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 104
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
What the records show for Houlka
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Houlka; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 57 miles away. The record near Houlka begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 35 miles away. Of the 17 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 64% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Houlka. The strongest of the 104 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 29, 1963; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an F3 on April 21, 1984, killed 15 people. Of the 104, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on June 7, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 68% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Houlka. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1980, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Houlka.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Houlka
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 9 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 28 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 Houlka: 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 Houlka
By decade
- 2020s23(1 EF3+)
- 2010s14(3 EF3+)
- 2000s12(2 EF3+)
- 1990s19(4 EF3+)
- 1980s10(3 EF3+)
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1963 | F4 | 18 mi | 4.7 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 9 mi | 71 mi | 15 / 76 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F3 | 12 mi | 52 mi | 6 / 73 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 14 mi | 51.45 mi | 4 / 25 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF3 | 20 mi | 36.56 mi | 2 / 55 |
| Nov 19, 1988 | F3 | 22 mi | 12.5 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 49.4 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 17 mi | 30.97 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 58.74 mi | 0 / 25 |
| May 8, 2008 | EF3 | 20 mi | 7.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 23 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 104, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Houlka
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Houlka since 1980, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from March 23, 2025. April has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Houlka
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Pontotoc Exp Stn, MS, 7 miles north of Houlka at 405 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 31°F. December is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 60.9 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (27.0 of 60.9 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 3.7 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 52 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 63 nights a year. That 60.9 inches is more than at 59 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (68%). Houston, 10 miles south, has its own station (Houston, MS): 59.4 inches a year, 1.5 less than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 6.1 | 7 |
| May | 80 | 60 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 63 | 41 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 6.3 | 8 |
| Year | 72 | 51 | 60.9 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Pontotoc Exp Stn, MS (405 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 Houlka
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 79 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Houlka: 71 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $683,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on October 26, 2019. March has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 19 have had fewer than Houlka.
April 14, 2007: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Houlka — $110,000 damage.
June 9, 2021: flash flood in Houlka — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding across Chickasaw County. Ten roads were flooded.”
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
Chickasaw County, which includes Houlka, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 5 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 Chickasaw County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 50th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.1 million (22%), 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 Houlka
- Houston, MS10 mi
- Pontotoc, MS13 mi
- Vardaman, MS14 mi
- Okolona, MS16 mi
- Shannon, MS18 mi
- Bruce, MS20 mi
- Ecru, MS21 mi
- Belden, MS22 mi
- Thaxton, MS22 mi
- Tupelo, MS22 mi
- Calhoun City, MS22 mi
- Plantersville, MS24 mi
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