NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Seminary, 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
49 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Seminary, Mississippi since 1851, 5 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 227 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 29 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 5
- Tropical storms
- 44
- Tornadoes
- 227
- EF3 or stronger
- 29
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
43 deaths in all
What the records show for Seminary
The strongest storm to pass near Seminary was Camille in 1969, a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Katrina in 2005, whose centre crossed the city. The record near Seminary begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 75 miles away. The 1890s and the 1910s were the busiest decades, with 5 systems each. Of the 49 systems, 11 have come since 2000. Seminary has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 227 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 7 times; the most recent, on March 15, 2025, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on April 12, 2020, killed 7 people. Of the 227, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 146 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 43. The most recent tornado was on April 6, 2025. Seminary has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 58 times since 1975, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Seminary has more hail reports within 10 miles than 49% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Seminary
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2021 | ClaudetteJun 19 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 37 mi | Category 1 (86 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2018 | GordonSep 5 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2011 | LeeSep 5 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | overhead | Category 1 (82 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2005 | CindyJul 6 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2001 | AllisonJun 11 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1998 | GeorgesSep 29 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1985 | ElenaSep 2 | 60 mi | Category 1 (85 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 50 mi | Category 1 (89 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | BobJul 11 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 19 mi | Category 2 (105 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1964 | HildaOct 4 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1960 | EthelSep 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1957 | EstherSep 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1956 | Unnamed 1956 stormJun 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormSep 5 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 4 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 8 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1939 | Unnamed 1939 stormSep 26 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 16 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1911 | Unnamed 1911 stormAug 12 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 22 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 27 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1895 | Unnamed 1895 stormAug 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1894 | Unnamed 1894 stormAug 8 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1890 | Unnamed 1890 stormAug 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 15 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1863 | Unnamed 1863 stormOct 1 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 15 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (70 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Seminary: 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 Seminary
By decade
- 2020s38(4 EF3+)
- 2010s50(6 EF3+)
- 2000s58(3 EF3+)
- 1990s21(4 EF3+)
- 1980s14(3 EF3+)
- 1970s22(7 EF3+)
- 1960s14
- 1950s10(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF4 | 7 mi | 67.43 mi | 7 / 98 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF4 | 12 mi | 67.16 mi | 6 / 6 |
| Feb 28, 1987 | F4 | 13 mi | 35 mi | 6 / 350 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF4 | 25 mi | 22.12 mi | 4 / 3 |
| Apr 18, 1978 | F4 | 23 mi | 19.1 mi | 4 / 31 |
| Feb 10, 2013 | EF4 | 17 mi | 21.65 mi | 0 / 71 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 21 mi | 40 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Jan 21, 2017 | EF3 | 21 mi | 31.06 mi | 4 / 57 |
| Dec 23, 2014 | EF3 | 19 mi | 12.51 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Apr 21, 1951 | F3 | 16 mi | 33.5 mi | 2 / 16 |
| Apr 14, 1999 | F3 | 11 mi | 25.5 mi | 1 / 33 |
| May 27, 1973 | F3 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 35 |
The strongest 12 of 227, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Seminary
The Storm Prediction Center has 58 hail reports within 10 miles of Seminary since 1975, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on March 26, 2005. The most recent report is from June 14, 2023. May has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Seminary
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Collins, MS, 9 miles northwest of Seminary at 290 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 62°F and 34°F. January and December are the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 58.0 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 45% of the year's precipitation (26.0 of 58.0 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 49 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (23); a normal September there has highs of 90°F and 3.9 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 70 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 41 nights a year. That 58.0 inches is more than at 28 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (32%). Moselle, 10 miles east, has its own station (Hattiesburg Chain Municipal Airport, MS): 59.1 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 34 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 66 | 38 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Mar | 73 | 44 | 5.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 80 | 52 | 5.1 | 6 |
| May | 86 | 61 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Jun | 92 | 68 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 94 | 70 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Aug | 94 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 90 | 65 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 81 | 53 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Nov | 71 | 43 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Dec | 64 | 37 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Year | 79 | 53 | 58.0 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Collins, MS (290 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 Seminary
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 238 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Seminary: 186 thunderstorm wind reports, 44 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $11.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 5, 2023. August has had the most flash floods, 11 of 44. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 200 have had fewer than Seminary.
May 5, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Seminary — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Across W and SW Covington county, winds increased again as the core of the storm moved generally SE and SSE. Numerous trees were blown down and Several outbuildings had roof damage, and tree fall was extensive.”
June 6, 2017: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Seminary — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Flooding around the Lux Community caused a culvert washout along McConnel Foster Road, and several unoccupied campers had to be towed away from flooding along Okatoma River Road. Flood waters eroded the railroad embankment along a stretch of tracks near the Lux Community.”
February 16, 2001: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Seminary — $1.2 million 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 Seminary's ZIP code 39479 have filed 35 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $681,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1983: 11 claims (31% of all) and $21,000. The year with the most claims was 1990, with 11. 54% 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, 49 have fewer than Seminary.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1983 | 11 | $21,000 |
Covington County, which includes Seminary, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 hurricanes, 8 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Arthur, on August 3, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Covington County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hurricanes and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.2 million a year, the 47th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (33%), is from hurricanes.
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 Seminary
- Collins, MS10 mi
- Moselle, MS10 mi
- Sumrall, MS14 mi
- Ellisville, MS15 mi
- Bassfield, MS16 mi
- Hattiesburg, MS18 mi
- Mount Olive, MS19 mi
- Petal, MS19 mi
- Taylorsville, MS19 mi
- Laurel, MS23 mi
- Prentiss, MS24 mi
- Mize, MS24 mi
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