NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Smithville, 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
16 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Smithville, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 120 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 16
- Tornadoes
- 120
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
138 deaths in all
What the records show for Smithville
None of the 16 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Smithville; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Smithville begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 72 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 16 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 68% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Smithville. The highest rating among the 120 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 13 miles. Of the 120, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 74 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on March 23, 2025. Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Smithville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 58% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Smithville.
Compare Smithville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Smithville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 30 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 8 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 15 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 9 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1881 | Unnamed 1881 stormAug 29 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Smithville: 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 Smithville
By decade
- 2020s30(1 EF3+)
- 2010s26(6 EF3+)
- 2000s18(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7
- 1980s14(2 EF3+)
- 1970s13(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 13 mi | 132 mi | 72 / 145 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 21 mi | 79.5 mi | 28 / 272 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 1 mi | 37.3 mi | 23 / 137 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F4 | 17 mi | 4.7 mi | 3 / 20 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 8 mi | 51.45 mi | 4 / 25 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF3 | in town | 36.56 mi | 2 / 55 |
| Nov 19, 1988 | F3 | 17 mi | 12.5 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | 9 mi | 49.4 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 4, 1971 | F3 | 24 mi | 34.1 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Feb 16, 1956 | F3 | 19 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 24 mi | 30.97 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 31.84 mi | 0 / 25 |
The strongest 12 of 120, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Smithville
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Smithville since 1974, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on December 16, 2000. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. March has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Smithville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fulton 3 W, MS, 15 miles north of Smithville at 350 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 30°F. December is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and September and October the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 61.3 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (27.0 of 61.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 16 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 84°F and 4.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 56 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 61.3 inches is more than at 60 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (69%). Amory, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Aberdeen, MS): 54.4 inches a year, 6.9 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 6.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 61.3 | 79 | 1.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fulton 3 W, MS (350 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 Smithville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 114 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Smithville: 94 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 5 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on February 15, 2025. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 13. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 67 have had fewer than Smithville.
December 25, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Smithville — $1.3 million damage.
NWS: “Very heavy rain occurred across Northern Monroe County. Rainfall amounts of up to 10 inches were measured.”
June 11, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Smithville — $350,000 damage.
NWS: “Straight-line winds uprooted trees on Enon Church Road and caused significant damage to three greenhouses on Cardsville Church Road. Other greenhouses suffered minor damage.”
February 22, 2019: flood 10 miles from the centre of Smithville — $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
Monroe County, which includes Smithville, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 6 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 Monroe County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.6 million a year, the 21st highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.0 million (26%), 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.