NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mendenhall, 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
37 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mendenhall, Mississippi since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 231 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 26 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 32
- Tornadoes
- 231
- EF3 or stronger
- 26
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
71 deaths in all
What the records show for Mendenhall
The strongest storm to pass near Mendenhall was Camille in 1969, a Category 1 hurricane with 89 mph winds when its centre passed 3 miles away. The record near Mendenhall begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 42 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 37 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Mendenhall has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 231 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 8 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on January 23, 1969, killed 32 people. Of the 231, 22 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 149 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 59. The most recent tornado was on October 19, 2025. Mendenhall has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 90% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 102 times since 1968, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Mendenhall has more hail reports within 10 miles than 85% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
Compare Mendenhall's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mendenhall
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 72 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 30 mi | Category 1 (75 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 69 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 3 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1957 | EstherSep 19 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 66 mi | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Mendenhall: 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 Mendenhall
By decade
- 2020s54(1 EF3+)
- 2010s49(4 EF3+)
- 2000s46(4 EF3+)
- 1990s18(6 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s23(8 EF3+)
- 1960s20(1 EF3+)
- 1950s13(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 1969 | F4 | 9 mi | 117.8 mi | 32 / 241 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F4 | 20 mi | 128 mi | 12 / 122 |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F4 | 9 mi | 56.5 mi | 9 / 210 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 21 mi | 122.04 mi | 7 / 17 |
| Apr 18, 1978 | F4 | 19 mi | 19.1 mi | 4 / 31 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 20 mi | 40 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F4 | 6 mi | 126.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F4 | 6 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 7 mi | 40 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 24 mi | 29.72 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Feb 26, 1958 | F3 | 12 mi | 71 mi | 1 / 34 |
| Apr 4, 1957 | F3 | 6 mi | 40.2 mi | 1 / 75 |
The strongest 12 of 231, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mendenhall
The Storm Prediction Center has 102 hail reports within 10 miles of Mendenhall since 1968, made on 79 separate days. Of these, 67 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on March 30, 1993. The most recent report is from December 9, 2023. March has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mendenhall
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is D'Lo 2 SW, MS, 5 miles west of Mendenhall at 334 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 95°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 38°F. April is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 57.6 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.3 of 57.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 37 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (18); a normal September there has highs of 91°F and 3.4 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 77 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 59 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 57.6 inches is more than at 24 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (28%). Mount Olive, 17 miles southeast, has its own station (Collins, MS): 58.0 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and a July average high of 94°F against 95°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 38 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 66 | 41 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 73 | 47 | 5.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 80 | 54 | 5.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 87 | 63 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 93 | 71 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 95 | 74 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95 | 73 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 91 | 67 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 82 | 54 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 71 | 44 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 63 | 40 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Year | 80 | 55 | 57.6 | 75 | 0.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at D'Lo 2 SW, MS (334 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 Mendenhall
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 218 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mendenhall: 184 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 flash floods, 7 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on April 17, 2022. February has had the most flash floods, 6 of 26. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 166 have had fewer than Mendenhall.
August 2, 2008: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Mendenhall — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the eastern half of Simpson County. This occurred as a strong outflow boundary raced out ahead of the main line of storms and produced 60 to 65 mph wind gusts.”
April 15, 2011: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Mendenhall — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “A swath of straight-line wind damage estimated at 85 mph affected the south and east sides of the city of Mendenhall.”
April 17, 2022: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Mendenhall — $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
Flood insurance policyholders in Mendenhall's ZIP code 39114 have filed 177 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1983: 42 claims (24% of all) and $317,000. The year with the most claims was 1990, with 46. 24% 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, 95 have fewer than Mendenhall.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1983 | 42 | $317,000 |
Simpson County, which includes Mendenhall, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 9 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 Simpson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.4 million a year, the 37th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.2 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.