NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ripley, 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 Ripley, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 89 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 89
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
106 deaths in all
What the records show for Ripley
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ripley; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Ripley begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 34 miles away. 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 Ripley. The highest rating among the 89 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 23, 2015, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 58 people. Of the 89, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. March and April have had the most tornadoes, 16 each. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ripley. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Ripley.
Compare Ripley's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ripley
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 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 Ripley: 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 Ripley
By decade
- 2020s13(1 EF3+)
- 2010s14(2 EF3+)
- 2000s13(2 EF3+)
- 1990s13(3 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14(6 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 12 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF4 | 14 mi | 75.09 mi | 9 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | in town | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 13 mi | 71 mi | 15 / 76 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F3 | 21 mi | 52 mi | 6 / 73 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 24 mi | 22 mi | 4 / 45 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF3 | 13 mi | 29.58 mi | 3 / 9 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF3 | 25 mi | 39.55 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | 13 mi | 43.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 12 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 10 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 23, 1975 | F3 | 22 mi | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 89, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ripley
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Ripley since 1965, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 22, 1988. The most recent report is from May 14, 2024.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ripley
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ripley, MS, 1 mile west of Ripley at 525 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 29°F. December is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 57.6 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 42% of the year's precipitation (24.3 of 57.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. August has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal August there has highs of 90°F and 3.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 48 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.6 inches is more than at 23 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (26%). Walnut, 14 miles north, has its own station (Corinth 7 SW, MS): 58.8 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 6.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 57.6 | 80 | 1.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ripley, MS (525 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 Ripley
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 68 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ripley: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 22, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 12. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 61 have had fewer than Ripley.
May 1, 2010: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Ripley — $750,000 damage.
May 2, 2010: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Ripley — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain produced flash flooding in Tippah County. Numerous roads were flooded as a result.”
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Ripley — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Four residences were badly damaged and several other homes and buildings received minor damage. Numerous trees were knocked down 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
Tippah County, which includes Ripley, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 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 Tippah County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hurricanes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.1 million a year, the 48th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.7 million (27%), 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.
Cities near Ripley
- Blue Mountain, MS8 mi
- Walnut, MS14 mi
- Ashland, MS15 mi
- Hickory Flat, MS17 mi
- New Albany, MS18 mi
- Myrtle, MS18 mi
- Rienzi, MS20 mi
- Blue Springs, MS23 mi
- Booneville, MS23 mi
- Baldwyn, MS23 mi
- Middleton, TN23 mi
- Potts Camp, MS24 mi
All Mississippi cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Ripley with another place →