NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Laurel, 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
45 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Laurel, Mississippi since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 180 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 23 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 40
- Tornadoes
- 180
- EF3 or stronger
- 23
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
27 deaths in all
What the records show for Laurel
The strongest storm to pass near Laurel was Camille in 1969, a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Katrina in 2005, whose centre came within 15 miles. The record near Laurel begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane 29 miles away. The 1910s and the 2000s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 45 systems, 10 have come since 2000. Laurel has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 180 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 12, 2020, came within 10 miles. Of the 180, 22 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 111 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 46. The most recent tornado was on April 6, 2025. Laurel has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 138 times since 1962, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Laurel has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Laurel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 29 mi | Category 1 (84 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | GordonSep 5 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 15 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | DennisJul 11 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 29 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 41 mi | Category 2 (100 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 8 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormJun 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 17 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 8 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 3 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 26 | 70 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Laurel: 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 Laurel
By decade
- 2020s40(4 EF3+)
- 2010s32(4 EF3+)
- 2000s39(3 EF3+)
- 1990s13(3 EF3+)
- 1980s20(3 EF3+)
- 1970s16(4 EF3+)
- 1960s11
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF4 | 10 mi | 67.43 mi | 7 / 98 |
| Feb 28, 1987 | F4 | 5 mi | 35 mi | 6 / 350 |
| Feb 10, 2013 | EF4 | 24 mi | 21.65 mi | 0 / 71 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 25 mi | 40 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Jan 21, 2017 | EF3 | 21 mi | 31.06 mi | 4 / 57 |
| Apr 21, 1951 | F3 | 6 mi | 33.5 mi | 2 / 16 |
| Jun 18, 2023 | EF3 | 23 mi | 6.46 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Apr 14, 1999 | F3 | 10 mi | 25.5 mi | 1 / 33 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 6 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 35 |
| Feb 12, 2025 | EF3 | 12 mi | 27.49 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 17 mi | 83.22 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | EF3 | in town | 61.19 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 180, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Laurel
The Storm Prediction Center has 138 hail reports within 10 miles of Laurel since 1962, made on 112 separate days. Of these, 77 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on March 6, 1996. The most recent report is from June 26, 2024. March has the most reports, 32.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Laurel
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Laurel, MS, 3 miles south of Laurel at 225 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 35°F. January is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 59.8 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 47% of the year's precipitation (27.9 of 59.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 45 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (20); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 82 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 41 nights a year. That 59.8 inches is more than at 49 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (56%). Moselle, 18 miles southwest, has its own station (Hattiesburg Chain Municipal Airport, MS): 59.1 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 35 | 6.1 | 7 |
| Feb | 65 | 38 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Mar | 72 | 45 | 5.5 | 6 |
| Apr | 79 | 52 | 5.1 | 5 |
| May | 85 | 60 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 89 | 64 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Oct | 80 | 53 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Nov | 70 | 42 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 62 | 37 | 5.8 | 7 |
| Year | 78 | 53 | 59.8 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Laurel, MS (225 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 Laurel
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 385 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Laurel: 274 thunderstorm wind reports, 84 flash floods, 15 lightning strikes, 7 floods and 5 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 12, and the NWS estimated $17.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 17, 2022. March has had the most flash floods, 18 of 84. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 222 have had fewer than Laurel.
May 10, 2024: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Laurel — 2 injured, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “A home on Lebanon Road was destroyed by fire after a lightning strike. One resident and one firefighter were treated for an injury related to the fire.”
December 27, 2018: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Laurel — 1 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Two homes had trees fall on them, which resulted in heavy damage and resulted in being uninhabitable. These homes were on Springhill Road and Old Highway 15 South.”
March 12, 2001: thunderstorm wind in Laurel — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Many homes and cars were damaged by fallen trees.”
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 Laurel's 2 ZIP codes have filed 189 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Katrina in 2005: 20 claims (11% of all) and $227,000, then Mid-spring storms in 2014 with 14 and Flooding in 1980 with 12. 35% 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, 98 have fewer than Laurel.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina2005 | 20 | $227,000 |
| Mid-spring storms2014 | 14 | $193,000 |
| Flooding1980 | 12 | $14,000 |
| Late winter severe storms2016 | 10 | $173,000 |
Jones County, which includes Laurel, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 hurricanes, 9 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Jones County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.5 million a year, the 14th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.3 million (33%), 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 Laurel
- Ellisville, MS10 mi
- Heidelberg, MS13 mi
- Ovett, MS16 mi
- Moselle, MS18 mi
- Taylorsville, MS18 mi
- Bay Springs, MS20 mi
- Seminary, MS23 mi
- Shubuta, MS25 mi
- Petal, MS25 mi
- Collins, MS26 mi
- Mize, MS27 mi
- Waynesboro, MS28 mi
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