NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Potts Camp, 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
12 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Potts Camp, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 14 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 12
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 14
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
111 deaths in all
What the records show for Potts Camp
None of the 12 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Potts Camp; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The record near Potts Camp begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 12 miles away. The 1880s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 12 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 88% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Potts Camp. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on December 23, 2015, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 58 people. Of the 74, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 15 each. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 88% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Potts Camp. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 96% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Potts Camp.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Potts Camp
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 10 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 Potts Camp: 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 Potts Camp
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s13(3 EF3+)
- 2000s12(2 EF3+)
- 1990s9(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 3 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 24 mi | 29.6 mi | 16 / 74 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF4 | 8 mi | 75.09 mi | 9 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | 20 mi | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 23 mi | 71 mi | 15 / 76 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF3 | 14 mi | 29.58 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF3 | 20 mi | 39.55 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 13.57 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 12 mi | 7.15 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | 13 mi | 43.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 11 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Potts Camp
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Potts Camp since 1968, made on 16 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 7 days, most recently June 9, 2014. The most recent report is from May 27, 2024. April has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Potts Camp
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hickory Flat, MS, 9 miles east of Potts Camp 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 12 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%). Holly Springs, 11 miles northwest, has its own station (Holly Springs 4 N, MS): 58.2 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 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 Potts Camp
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 39 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Potts Camp: 34 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 27, 2011.
August 24, 2004: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Potts Camp — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A trucker was blown off of Highway 78. The driver suffered minor injuries.”
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Potts Camp — 1 injured.
December 21, 2013: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Potts Camp — 1 injured.
NWS: “Straight line winds knocked down trees across Marshall County. Seven homes and three mobile homes suffered minor 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
Marshall County, which includes Potts Camp, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 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 Marshall County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.4 million a year, the 22nd highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.7 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 Potts Camp
- Hickory Flat, MS8 mi
- Holly Springs, MS11 mi
- Abbeville, MS13 mi
- Myrtle, MS14 mi
- Ashland, MS17 mi
- Blue Mountain, MS18 mi
- Lamar, MS20 mi
- New Albany, MS22 mi
- University, MS22 mi
- Oxford, MS23 mi
- Thaxton, MS23 mi
- Ripley, MS24 mi
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