NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Philadelphia, 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
28 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Philadelphia, Mississippi since 1851, 1 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 151 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 1
- Tropical storms
- 27
- Tornadoes
- 151
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
84 deaths in all
What the records show for Philadelphia
The strongest storm to pass near Philadelphia was Zeta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane with 77 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Philadelphia 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 28 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Philadelphia has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 49% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 151 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F5 on March 3, 1966, killed 58 people. Of the 151, 17 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 99 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 50. The most recent tornado was on April 6, 2025. Philadelphia has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 97 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Philadelphia has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Philadelphia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 74 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 5 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Philadelphia: 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 Philadelphia
By decade
- 2020s13(1 EF3+)
- 2010s57(4 EF3+)
- 2000s29(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15(5 EF3+)
- 1960s6(2 EF3+)
- 1950s14(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 1966 | F5 | 4 mi | 202.5 mi | 58 / 518 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 2 mi | 28.28 mi | 3 / 6 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF4 | 17 mi | 33.39 mi | 10 / 84 |
| Feb 23, 1977 | F4 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 2 / 5 |
| Dec 2, 1967 | F4 | 22 mi | 7.6 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 5 mi | 42 mi | 3 / 40 |
| Apr 11, 2013 | EF3 | 18 mi | 66.35 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Nov 24, 2004 | F3 | 12 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F3 | 6 mi | 27.3 mi | 1 / 27 |
| May 9, 1971 | F3 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Feb 26, 1958 | F3 | 11 mi | 71 mi | 1 / 34 |
| Mar 22, 2022 | EF3 | 18 mi | 9.21 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 151, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Philadelphia
The Storm Prediction Center has 97 hail reports within 10 miles of Philadelphia since 1971, made on 75 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on October 27, 1995. The most recent report is from May 24, 2025. April has the most reports, 32.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Philadelphia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carthage, MS, 24 miles west of Philadelphia at 370 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 34°F. April is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 57.8 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.7 of 57.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 28 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (15); a normal September there has highs of 88°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 77 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 64 nights a year. That 57.8 inches is more than at 26 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (30%). Union, 13 miles south, has its own station (Newton Exp Stn, MS): 58.3 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 5.7 | 8 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 5.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 69 | 44 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 6.3 | 6 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 88 | 64 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Oct | 78 | 51 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.3 | 7 |
| Year | 76 | 52 | 57.8 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carthage, MS (370 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 Philadelphia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 218 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Philadelphia: 182 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 flash floods, 4 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $4.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 4, 2008. February has had the most flash floods, 6 of 27. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 168 have had fewer than Philadelphia.
April 18, 2019: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Philadelphia — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree was blown down onto a car, which resulted in a fatality. This occurred on Highway 15S between Highway 485 and County Road 432.”
April 4, 2001: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Philadelphia — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “A significant flash flood event occurred due to training of strong thunderstorms across the county for much of the day. The storms caused flooding damage to approximately 110 houses, and numerous businesses were flooded.”
April 4, 2008: thunderstorm wind in Philadelphia — $900,000 damage.
NWS: “Substantial wind damage occurred across portions of Philadelphia as wind gusts between 70 and 90 mph moved through town. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.”
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
Neshoba County, which includes Philadelphia, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Neshoba County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.0 million a year, the 30th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.1 million (28%), is from tornadoes.
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 Philadelphia
- Union, MS13 mi
- Walnut Grove, MS21 mi
- Collinsville, MS22 mi
- Conehatta, MS22 mi
- Carthage, MS22 mi
- Decatur, MS23 mi
- Louisville, MS24 mi
- De Kalb, MS25 mi
- Bailey, MS29 mi
- Kosciusko, MS31 mi
- Newton, MS32 mi
- Lena, MS32 mi
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