NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Pope, 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
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Pope, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 54 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 54
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
61 deaths in all
What the records show for Pope
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Pope; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near Pope begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 17 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 3 systems. Of the 13 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 81% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Pope. The strongest of the 54 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on February 21, 1971; its path came within 10 miles, and it killed 58 people. Of the 54, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on March 24, 2023. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Pope. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 74 times since 1968, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Pope has more hail reports within 10 miles than 67% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
Compare Pope's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Pope
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 20 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 Pope: 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 Pope
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s8(2 EF3+)
- 2000s8(1 EF3+)
- 1990s3(1 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 10 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF3 | 17 mi | 61.57 mi | 2 / 28 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 20 mi | 13.57 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | 20 mi | 43.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 21, 1990 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 24, 1976 | F3 | 25 mi | 24.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 27, 1968 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 27, 2013 | EF2 | in town | 0.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 27, 1988 | F2 | 16 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 27, 1988 | F2 | 22 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F2 | 12 mi | 36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 24, 1980 | F2 | 22 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 54, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Pope
The Storm Prediction Center has 74 hail reports within 10 miles of Pope since 1968, made on 61 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 27, 2011. The most recent report is from February 15, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 17 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Pope
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Water Valley, MS, 16 miles east of Pope at 310 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 30°F. April is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 58.7 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.9 of 58.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal August there has highs of 91°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 69 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 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%). Courtland, 4 miles north, has its own station (Sardis Dam, MS): 58.1 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 57 | 32 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 6.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 68 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 38 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 74 | 49 | 58.7 | 76 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Water Valley, MS (310 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 Pope
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Pope: 68 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 24, 2023. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 41 have had fewer than Pope.
April 25, 2015: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Pope — 1 killed, 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
June 12, 2009: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Pope — 1 injured.
June 13, 2011: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Pope — 1 injured.
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
Panola County, which includes Pope, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 4 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 Panola County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.3 million a year, the 28th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (22%), 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.