NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Long Beach, 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
70 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Long Beach, Mississippi since 1851, 24 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Francine in 2024. Since 1950, 155 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 24
- Tropical storms
- 46
- Tornadoes
- 155
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Long Beach
The strongest storm to pass near Long Beach was Camille in 1969, a Category 5 hurricane with 173 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Elena in 1985, whose centre came within 2 miles. The record near Long Beach begins with an unnamed storm in 1852; the most recent system was Francine in 2024, a tropical storm 68 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 8 systems, one of them at hurricane strength. Of the 70 systems, 15 have come since 2000. Long Beach has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 96% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 155 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on May 19, 1980, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on October 30, 1967, killed 4 people. Of the 155, 14 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 79 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on April 10, 2024. Long Beach has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1964, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Long Beach.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Long Beach
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | FrancineSep 12 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 28 mi | Category 1 (93 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2020 | CristobalJun 8 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | GordonSep 5 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 9 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2009 | IdaNov 10 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 2 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 26 mi | Category 3 (116 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2003 | BillJul 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2002 | HannaSep 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | BerthaAug 5 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 28 | 16 mi | Category 2 (104 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1997 | DannyJul 18 | 46 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | FlorenceSep 10 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1988 | BerylAug 8 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1985 | JuanOct 31 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 2 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 48 mi | Category 3 (113 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 15 mi | Category 5 (173 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 15 | 10 mi | Category 1 (79 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1956 | FlossySep 24 | 67 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1955 | Unnamed 1955 stormAug 27 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1955 | BrendaAug 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 70 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 19 | 56 mi | Category 2 (108 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 8 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1944 | Unnamed 1944 stormSep 10 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormJul 27 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 51 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1926 | Unnamed 1926 stormSep 21 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormJun 26 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 5 | 43 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 58 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1914 | Unnamed 1914 stormSep 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 28 mi | Category 2 (107 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 15 | 19 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 16 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 8 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormOct 2 | 14 mi | Category 2 (109 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1889 | Unnamed 1889 stormSep 23 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormOct 19 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1887 | Unnamed 1887 stormJun 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1885 | Unnamed 1885 stormSep 26 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 3 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1877 | Unnamed 1877 stormSep 19 | 46 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 11 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 7 mi | Category 1 (94 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormAug 12 | 4 mi | Category 3 (115 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1859 | Unnamed 1859 stormSep 15 | 56 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 10 mi | Category 2 (106 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1852 | Unnamed 1852 stormAug 26 | 35 mi | Category 3 (114 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Long Beach: 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 Long Beach
By decade
- 2020s32
- 2010s23
- 2000s24
- 1990s13
- 1980s23(4 EF3+)
- 1970s25
- 1960s11(3 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 1967 | F3 | 5 mi | 2 mi | 4 / 17 |
| May 19, 1980 | F3 | 2 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 19, 1980 | F3 | 10 mi | 13.1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 16, 1980 | F3 | 1 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 1980 | F3 | 4 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Nov 3, 1968 | F3 | 5 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 18, 1966 | F3 | 16 mi | 23.8 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 12, 1994 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 16 |
| Nov 24, 2004 | F2 | 7 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 1988 | F2 | 16 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1987 | F2 | 20 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 1985 | F2 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 155, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Long Beach
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Long Beach since 1964, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on January 31, 1964. The most recent report is from September 7, 2023. April has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Long Beach
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS, 3 miles northeast of Long Beach at 35 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 75°F; January is the coolest, at 61°F and 44°F. July is the wettest at 8.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 68.3 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (36.2 of 68.3 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 70 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (32); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 5.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 13 nights a year. That 68.3 inches is more than at 84 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (97%). Pass Christian, 6 miles west, has its own station (Waveland, MS): 65.0 inches a year, 3.3 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS, 10 miles west, averaged 87°F in July and August and 54°F in January over 2021–2025. It averaged 80°F or warmer from June to September. Sea level at the Bay Waveland tide gauge, 10 miles from Long Beach, has risen 1.81 ± 0.13 inches per decade from 1978 to 2025, NOAA's linear trend; at that pace it is 18.1 inches in a hundred years. That is faster than at 112 of the 144 U.S. gauges with a NOAA trend.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 44 | 5.8 | 7 | 54 |
| Feb | 64 | 47 | 4.9 | 5 | 59 |
| Mar | 70 | 53 | 5.5 | 6 | 66 |
| Apr | 76 | 60 | 5.6 | 5 | 72 |
| May | 83 | 67 | 5.3 | 5 | 79 |
| Jun | 87 | 73 | 7.4 | 8 | 84 |
| Jul | 90 | 75 | 8.0 | 10 | 87 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 7.0 | 9 | 87 |
| Sep | 87 | 71 | 5.9 | 7 | 83 |
| Oct | 79 | 61 | 3.5 | 4 | 75 |
| Nov | 70 | 51 | 4.4 | 5 | 67 |
| Dec | 63 | 46 | 5.0 | 5 | 59 |
| Year | 77 | 60 | 68.3 | 77 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gulfport Naval Ctr, MS (35 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Long Beach
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 119 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Long Beach: 66 thunderstorm wind reports, 44 flash floods, 6 lightning strikes, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 9, 2011. June has had the most flash floods, 14 of 44. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 200 have had fewer than Long Beach.
March 28, 2009: flash flood in Long Beach — 1 killed, $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Major flooding due to heavy rain affected portions of Harrison County. The cities which experienced the worst flooding were Gulfport, Biloxi, D'Iberville, and Long Beach.”
August 29, 2012: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Long Beach — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Rainbands associated with Tropical Storm Isaac persisted over Harrison County producing torrential rainfall. US Highway 49 near Orange Grove was impassable for periods of time due to flooding and several secondary roadways were flooded in the county.”
May 17, 2016: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Long Beach — $150,000 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 Long Beach's ZIP code 39560 have filed 2,086 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $154.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Katrina in 2005: 1,081 claims (52% of all) and $142.1 million, then Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 with 134 and Hurricane Georges in 1998 with 130. 77% 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, 123 have fewer than Long Beach.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina2005 | 1,081 | $142.1 million |
| Tropical Storm Allison2001 | 134 | $1.7 million |
| Hurricane Georges1998 | 130 | $1.3 million |
| Flooding1980 | 128 | $782,000 |
| Hurricane Isaac2012 | 46 | $576,000 |
| Hurricane Zeta2020 | 35 | $91,000 |
Harrison County, which includes Long Beach, has been named in 37 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 24 hurricanes, 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Arthur, on August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Harrison County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hurricanes and lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes, coastal flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $154.6 million a year, the highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $86.6 million (56%), is from hurricanes.
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).
Long Beach in the notable storm records: Hurricane Camille (1969)
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Long Beach
- Pass Christian, MS6 mi
- Gulfport, MS7 mi
- Diamondhead, MS12 mi
- Waveland, MS14 mi
- Biloxi, MS15 mi
- Bay St Louis, MS15 mi
- Diberville, MS17 mi
- Kiln, MS17 mi
- Saucier, MS17 mi
- Ocean Springs, MS23 mi
- Mc Henry, MS24 mi
- Perkinston, MS25 mi
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