NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Leland, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Leland, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 100 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 100
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
113 deaths in all
What the records show for Leland
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Leland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 9 miles away. The record near Leland begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a tropical storm 69 miles away. The 1900s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Leland. The strongest of the 100 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on February 21, 1971; its path came within 15 miles, and it killed 47 people. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 58 people. Of the 100, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 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, 73% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Leland. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1965, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Leland has more hail reports within 10 miles than 57% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Leland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 11 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Leland: 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 Leland
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s9
- 2000s33(2 EF3+)
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s14
- 1970s16(3 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F5 | 15 mi | 109.2 mi | 47 / 510 |
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 23 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F4 | 13 mi | 30.3 mi | 0 / 48 |
| Mar 9, 1992 | F4 | 22 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 17, 1978 | F4 | 8 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F3 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Feb 17, 1976 | F2 | 23 mi | 29.5 mi | 3 / 46 |
| Mar 22, 1953 | F2 | 5 mi | 234.7 mi | 2 / 22 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF2 | 24 mi | 19.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 24 mi | 35.78 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 21 mi | 23.38 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 11, 2020 | EF2 | 10 mi | 17.66 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 100, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Leland
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Leland since 1965, made on 55 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on April 1, 1974. The most recent report is from March 23, 2025. April has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Leland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Stoneville Exp Stn, MS, 3 miles northwest of Leland at 127 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 34°F. April is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 56.2 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 42% of the year's precipitation (23.4 of 56.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.5 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 86 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 44 nights a year. That 56.2 inches is more than at 11 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (13%). Greenville, 10 miles west, has its own station (Greenville Asos, MS): 48.9 inches a year, 7.3 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 34 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 57 | 38 | 5.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 66 | 45 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 75 | 54 | 6.1 | 7 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 53 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Dec | 55 | 37 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Year | 75 | 54 | 56.2 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Stoneville Exp Stn, MS (127 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 Leland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 135 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Leland: 110 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 23, 2004. March has had the most flash floods, 6 of 22. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 145 have had fewer than Leland.
January 11, 2020: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Leland — 2 injured, $300,000 damage.
February 11, 2019: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Leland — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
March 9, 2006: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Leland — $300,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Leland's ZIP code 38756 have filed 87 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late winter severe storms in 2016: 15 claims (17% of all) and $368,000. The year with the most claims was 1991, with 17. 30% 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, 77 have fewer than Leland.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter severe storms2016 | 15 | $368,000 |
Washington County, which includes Leland, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 5 floods, 5 hurricanes, 3 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Washington County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $30.0 million a year, the 15th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.6 million (42%), 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 Leland
- Greenville, MS10 mi
- Indianola, MS13 mi
- Shaw, MS15 mi
- Hollandale, MS18 mi
- Lake Village, AR23 mi
- Cleveland, MS25 mi
- Belzoni, MS27 mi
- Eudora, AR30 mi
- Ruleville, MS30 mi
- Rosedale, MS31 mi
- Itta Bena, MS32 mi
- Mc Gehee, AR33 mi
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