NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Myrtle, 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 Myrtle, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 84 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 84
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
101 deaths in all
What the records show for Myrtle
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Myrtle; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The record near Myrtle begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 24 miles away. 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 Myrtle. The highest rating among the 84 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 23, 2015, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 58 people. Of the 84, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. March and April have had the most tornadoes, 18 each. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Myrtle. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 63 times since 1958, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Myrtle has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Myrtle
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Myrtle: 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 Myrtle
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s14(3 EF3+)
- 2000s11(3 EF3+)
- 1990s12(4 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 10 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF4 | 20 mi | 75.09 mi | 9 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | 15 mi | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 10 mi | 71 mi | 15 / 76 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F3 | 18 mi | 52 mi | 6 / 73 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF3 | 19 mi | 29.58 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 13.57 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 18 mi | 7.15 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | in town | 43.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 12 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 12 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 84, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Myrtle
The Storm Prediction Center has 63 hail reports within 10 miles of Myrtle since 1958, made on 55 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 2, 1984. The most recent report is from December 9, 2023. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Myrtle
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hickory Flat, MS, 7 miles northwest of Myrtle at 400 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 28°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 58.7 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (25.3 of 58.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 90°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 58.7 inches is more than at 39 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (45%). Blue Mountain, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Ripley, MS): 57.6 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 5.1 | 8 | 1.2 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 5.5 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Mar | 64 | 38 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 59 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 47 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 31 | 6.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 48 | 58.7 | 80 | 2.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hickory Flat, MS (400 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 Myrtle
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 97 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Myrtle: 79 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 94 mph, on April 5, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 67 have had fewer than Myrtle.
May 24, 2015: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Myrtle — 1 killed, 2 injured.
May 1, 2010: heavy rain event 8 miles from the centre of Myrtle — 1 killed.
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Myrtle — 1 injured.
NWS: “Straight line winds knocked several trees down from the Union County/Marshall County line northeast toward Myrtle. A few homes were damaged from 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
Union County, which includes Myrtle, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Union County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.5 million a year, the 46th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 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 Myrtle
- Hickory Flat, MS7 mi
- New Albany, MS9 mi
- Blue Mountain, MS11 mi
- Potts Camp, MS14 mi
- Ecru, MS15 mi
- Thaxton, MS15 mi
- Blue Springs, MS17 mi
- Ripley, MS18 mi
- Abbeville, MS19 mi
- Ashland, MS21 mi
- Pontotoc, MS22 mi
- Holly Springs, MS24 mi
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