NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Raleigh, 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
32 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Raleigh, Mississippi since 1851, 3 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 247 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 25 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 3
- Tropical storms
- 29
- Tornadoes
- 247
- EF3 or stronger
- 25
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
59 deaths in all
What the records show for Raleigh
The strongest storm to pass near Raleigh was Camille in 1969, a Category 1 hurricane with 87 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The record near Raleigh begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 32 systems, 6 have come since 2000. Raleigh has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 61% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 247 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 6 times; the most recent, on April 12, 2020, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on January 23, 1969, killed 32 people. Of the 247, 28 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 168 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 66. The most recent tornado was on October 19, 2025. Raleigh has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 93% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Raleigh.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Raleigh
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 60 mi | Category 1 (83 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 48 mi | Category 1 (77 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 24 mi | Category 1 (87 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Raleigh: 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 Raleigh
By decade
- 2020s60(3 EF3+)
- 2010s51(5 EF3+)
- 2000s57(2 EF3+)
- 1990s16(5 EF3+)
- 1980s12(2 EF3+)
- 1970s18(4 EF3+)
- 1960s18(1 EF3+)
- 1950s15(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 1969 | F4 | 11 mi | 117.8 mi | 32 / 241 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF4 | 21 mi | 67.43 mi | 7 / 98 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | in town | 122.04 mi | 7 / 17 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 6 mi | 40 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F4 | 8 mi | 126.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F4 | 17 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | in town | 40 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1951 | F3 | 20 mi | 33.5 mi | 2 / 16 |
| Jun 18, 2023 | EF3 | 12 mi | 6.46 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 24 mi | 29.72 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 14, 1999 | F3 | 21 mi | 25.5 mi | 1 / 33 |
| Jan 3, 1982 | F3 | 24 mi | 11 mi | 1 / 17 |
The strongest 12 of 247, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Raleigh
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Raleigh since 1962, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on March 30, 1993. The most recent report is from December 9, 2023. April and June have the most reports, 12 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Raleigh
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Raleigh 6N, MS, 8 miles northwest of Raleigh at 446 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 33°F. February is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and May and September the driest at 4.2 inches; the year adds up to 61.6 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 46% of the year's precipitation (28.1 of 61.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 32 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (17); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 4.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 65 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 59 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year. That 61.6 inches is more than at 64 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (74%). Mize, 11 miles south, has its own station (Collins, MS): 58.0 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 94°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 60 | 36 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 67 | 43 | 5.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 5.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 4.2 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 50 | 4.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 4.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 61.6 | 77 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Raleigh 6N, MS (446 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 Raleigh
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 160 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Raleigh: 140 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on December 9, 2004. April has had the most flash floods, 6 of 16. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 94 have had fewer than Raleigh.
December 9, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Raleigh — 1 injured, $70,000 damage.
NWS: “One mobile home was rolled over and destroyed along with a roof blown off an apartment complex. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down with a few large trees falling onto houses.”
August 13, 2010: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Raleigh — $1.1 million damage.
NWS: “A storage tank was struck by lighting and caused the tank to catch fire. The initial fire spread to two other tanks engulfing three 1000 gallons tanks into a huge fire.”
February 5, 2004: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Raleigh — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Five to seven inches of rain fell across Neshoba county on February 5th. This heavy rain flooded 62 roads across the county.”
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
Smith County, which includes Raleigh, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Smith County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.8 million a year, the 49th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 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 Raleigh
- Mize, MS11 mi
- Bay Springs, MS14 mi
- Taylorsville, MS16 mi
- Louin, MS16 mi
- Magee, MS17 mi
- Mendenhall, MS21 mi
- Mount Olive, MS21 mi
- Morton, MS22 mi
- Lake, MS22 mi
- Forest, MS24 mi
- Collins, MS27 mi
- Pelahatchie, MS27 mi
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