NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Port Gibson, 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 Port Gibson, Mississippi since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 140 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 28
- Tornadoes
- 140
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Port Gibson
The strongest storm to pass near Port Gibson was Camille in 1969, a Category 1 hurricane with 85 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was an unnamed storm in 1888, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Port Gibson begins with an unnamed storm in 1856; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 18 miles away. Of the 31 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Port Gibson has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 61% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 140 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 29, 1976, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on January 23, 1969, killed 32 people. Of the 140, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 80 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2024. Port Gibson has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 57% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1983, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 75% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Port Gibson.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Port Gibson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 4 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1992 | AndrewAug 27 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1985 | DannyAug 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 16 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 63 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | EstherSep 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 5 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | overhead | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 38 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1898 | Unnamed 1898 stormSep 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | overhead | Category 1 (74 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1856 | Unnamed 1856 stormAug 12 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Port Gibson: 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 Port Gibson
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s35
- 2000s34(1 EF3+)
- 1990s22(2 EF3+)
- 1980s13(2 EF3+)
- 1970s9(5 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s10(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 1969 | F4 | 17 mi | 117.8 mi | 32 / 241 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F4 | 23 mi | 126.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 23, 2004 | F3 | 9 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 21, 1992 | F3 | 24 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Dec 21, 1990 | F3 | 12 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 19, 1983 | F3 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1983 | F3 | 18 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 17, 1978 | F3 | 23 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 17, 1978 | F3 | 4 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 30, 1976 | F3 | 17 mi | 31.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 28, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 31.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Oct 15, 1957 | F3 | 21 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 140, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Port Gibson
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Port Gibson since 1983, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 14, 2006. The most recent report is from February 11, 2024. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Port Gibson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Port Gibson 1 NE, MS, 1 mile northeast of Port Gibson at 120 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 60°F and 36°F. January is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 56.4 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 42% of the year's precipitation (23.9 of 56.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 31 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (11); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 80 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 49 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 56.4 inches is more than at 12 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (14%). Lorman, 12 miles southwest, has its own station (St Joseph 3 N, LA): 58.5 inches a year, 2.1 more than here, and the same July average high, 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 6.1 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 64 | 38 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 71 | 46 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 78 | 53 | 5.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 85 | 62 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 80 | 53 | 4.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 69 | 43 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 62 | 38 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 78 | 54 | 56.4 | 72 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Port Gibson 1 NE, MS (120 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 Port Gibson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 139 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Port Gibson: 126 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 16, 2023. March has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 49 have had fewer than Port Gibson.
February 21, 2008: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Port Gibson — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “Several roads were flooded across the south and southeast portion of the county. A portion of Highway 547 was under water just outside Port Gibson.”
February 12, 2008: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Port Gibson — $325,000 damage.
NWS: “Several trees were blown down around Port Gibson with a string of power lines taken down along Rodney Road from a downed tree. A couple units at the Magnolia Apartments were damaged by fallen trees.”
August 2, 2008: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Port Gibson — $320,000 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 Port Gibson's ZIP code 39150 have filed 183 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 Mid-spring storms in 2011: 36 claims (20% of all) and $763,000. 22% 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, 97 have fewer than Port Gibson.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 36 | $763,000 |
Claiborne County, which includes Port Gibson, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 9 hurricanes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Claiborne County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.5 million a year, the 69th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.0 million (36%), 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 Port Gibson
- Lorman, MS12 mi
- Fayette, MS19 mi
- Utica, MS23 mi
- Vicksburg, MS25 mi
- Edwards, MS31 mi
- Tallulah, LA32 mi
- Hazlehurst, MS33 mi
- Roxie, MS34 mi
- Raymond, MS35 mi
- Meadville, MS36 mi
- Crystal Springs, MS36 mi
- Natchez, MS37 mi
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