NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Meridian, 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
31 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Meridian, Mississippi since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 155 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 29
- Tornadoes
- 155
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
24 deaths in all
What the records show for Meridian
The strongest storm to pass near Meridian was Camille in 1969, a Category 1 hurricane with 81 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Zeta in 2020, whose centre came within 38 miles. The record near Meridian begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 31 systems, 7 have come since 2000. Meridian has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 55% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 155 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 12, 2020, came within 23 miles. Of the 155, 15 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 102 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2025. Meridian has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 132 times since 1964, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Meridian has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Meridian
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 38 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2004 | IvanSep 16 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 73 mi | Category 1 (81 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 5 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1936 | Unnamed 1936 stormAug 1 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Meridian: 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 Meridian
By decade
- 2020s39(2 EF3+)
- 2010s31(4 EF3+)
- 2000s32
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s18(4 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF4 | 23 mi | 67.43 mi | 7 / 98 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 11 mi | 122.04 mi | 7 / 17 |
| May 1, 1953 | F4 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Mar 12, 1986 | F4 | 5 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F4 | 2 mi | 126.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 10, 1992 | F3 | 8 mi | 20 mi | 3 / 57 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 23 mi | 42 mi | 3 / 40 |
| Apr 11, 2013 | EF3 | 20 mi | 66.35 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Jan 3, 1982 | F3 | 20 mi | 11 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Mar 22, 2022 | EF3 | 19 mi | 9.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 16, 2019 | EF3 | 24 mi | 61.19 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 10.27 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 Meridian
The Storm Prediction Center has 132 hail reports within 10 miles of Meridian since 1964, made on 107 separate days. Of these, 59 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 3, 1984. The most recent report is from March 26, 2023. April has the most reports, 34.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Meridian
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Meridian Key Field, MS, 4 miles southwest of Meridian at 294 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 59°F and 36°F. March is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.4 of 57.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.2 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 48 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.6 inches a year, most of it in March. That 57.2 inches is more than at 19 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (22%). Bailey, 11 miles north, has its own station (Meridian Naas, MS): 54.9 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and the same July average high, 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 5.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 85 | 61 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 89 | 66 | 3.2 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 80 | 54 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 78 | 54 | 57.2 | 77 | 0.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Meridian Key Field, MS (294 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 Meridian
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 301 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Meridian: 228 thunderstorm wind reports, 60 flash floods, 6 floods, 6 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $6.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on March 3, 2008. August has had the most flash floods, 12 of 60. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 218 have had fewer than Meridian.
April 6, 2005: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Meridian — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
March 10, 2000: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Meridian — 2 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A mobile home was over-turned injuring two people.”
April 4, 2008: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Meridian — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the city. A parking shed was blown down and onto a few vehicles.”
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 Meridian's 3 ZIP codes have filed 263 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $4.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1980: 19 claims (7% of all) and $63,000. The year with the most claims was 2003, with 61. 11% 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, 104 have fewer than Meridian.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1980 | 19 | $63,000 |
Lauderdale County, which includes Meridian, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 4 severe storms, 4 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lauderdale County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $44.7 million a year, the 7th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.6 million (30%), 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 Meridian
- Bailey, MS11 mi
- Toomsuba, MS11 mi
- Lauderdale, MS14 mi
- Collinsville, MS15 mi
- Enterprise, MS17 mi
- Hickory, MS19 mi
- Quitman, MS22 mi
- Decatur, MS25 mi
- De Kalb, MS25 mi
- Newton, MS26 mi
- York, AL26 mi
- Union, MS29 mi
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