NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rienzi, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rienzi, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 19 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 19
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
28 deaths in all
What the records show for Rienzi
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rienzi; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Rienzi begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 53 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 3 systems. Of the 15 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rienzi. The highest rating among the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 23, 2015, came within 22 miles. Of the 117, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rienzi. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1981, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rienzi.
Compare Rienzi's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rienzi
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 30 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 Rienzi: 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 Rienzi
By decade
- 2020s19
- 2010s25(3 EF3+)
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s14(3 EF3+)
- 1980s14(2 EF3+)
- 1970s13(6 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF4 | 22 mi | 75.09 mi | 9 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | 8 mi | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F3 | 14 mi | 52 mi | 6 / 73 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 21 mi | 22 mi | 4 / 45 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF3 | 23 mi | 29.58 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 24 mi | 30.97 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 20 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 24 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 22 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 4, 1988 | F3 | 16 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 13, 1976 | F3 | 19 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 23, 1975 | F3 | 11 mi | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rienzi
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Rienzi since 1981, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on May 2, 2008. The most recent report is from March 31, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rienzi
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Corinth 7 SW, MS, 8 miles north of Rienzi at 385 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 58.8 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (26.0 of 58.8 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 60 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 73 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 58.8 inches is more than at 41 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (47%). Booneville, 9 miles south, has its own station (Booneville, MS): 60.5 inches a year, 1.7 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 6.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 58.8 | 83 | 0.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Corinth 7 SW, MS (385 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 Rienzi
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rienzi: 94 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 15, 2008. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 22. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 145 have had fewer than Rienzi.
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Rienzi — $100,000 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
Alcorn County, which includes Rienzi, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 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 Alcorn County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.7 million a year, the 25th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.3 million (28%), 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 Rienzi
- Booneville, MS9 mi
- Corinth, MS11 mi
- Glen, MS11 mi
- Burnsville, MS15 mi
- Baldwyn, MS18 mi
- Walnut, MS19 mi
- Ripley, MS20 mi
- Ramer, TN20 mi
- Michie, TN21 mi
- Tishomingo, MS21 mi
- Guntown, MS23 mi
- Counce, TN25 mi
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