NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tchula, 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
17 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Tchula, Mississippi since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ida in 2021. Since 1950, 125 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 17
- Tornadoes
- 125
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
156 deaths in all
What the records show for Tchula
None of the 17 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Tchula; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 69 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Tchula begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Ida in 2021, a tropical storm 66 miles away. The 1900s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 3 systems each. Of the 17 systems, 3 have come since 2000. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site, 64% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Tchula. The strongest of the 125 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on February 21, 1971; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 47 people. The deadliest, an F4 on February 21, 1971, killed 58 people. Of the 125, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 70 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on October 18, 2025. Tchula has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 51% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1960, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 232 Mississippi cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tchula.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tchula
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | IdaAug 30 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 2 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (69 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Tchula: 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 Tchula
By decade
- 2020s20(2 EF3+)
- 2010s20(2 EF3+)
- 2000s30(3 EF3+)
- 1990s23(3 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s10(4 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1971 | F5 | 24 mi | 109.2 mi | 47 / 510 |
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 16 mi | 202.1 mi | 58 / 795 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF4 | 3 mi | 59.23 mi | 17 / 165 |
| Feb 21, 1971 | F4 | 10 mi | 65.2 mi | 13 / 182 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF4 | 16 mi | 148.97 mi | 10 / 146 |
| Mar 9, 1992 | F4 | 19 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 24, 2023 | EF3 | 18 mi | 29.43 mi | 3 / 5 |
| Nov 7, 1957 | F3 | 10 mi | 31.2 mi | 2 / 1 |
| Dec 21, 1990 | F3 | 20 mi | 20 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 12 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 10, 2008 | EF3 | 23 mi | 9.73 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F3 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 125, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Tchula
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Tchula since 1960, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on October 23, 2004. The most recent report is from November 29, 2022. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Tchula
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lexington, MS, 13 miles east of Tchula at 285 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 31°F. April is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 56.7 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 40% of the year's precipitation (22.7 of 56.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 17 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (7); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 3.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 63 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. That 56.7 inches is more than at 15 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (17%). Belzoni, 13 miles west, has its own station (Belzoni, MS): 57.4 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 5.8 | 6 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 6.4 | 6 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Dec | 56 | 33 | 5.9 | 7 |
| Year | 74 | 50 | 56.7 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lexington, MS (285 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 Tchula
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 57 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tchula: 51 thunderstorm wind reports and 6 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 14, 2023. April has had the most flash floods, 2 of 6. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 19 have had fewer than Tchula.
October 16, 2006: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Tchula — $1.1 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain between five and ten inches fell across all of Holmes County during the late afternoon and evening hours of October 16th. This heavy rain caused many roads and farm fields to become flooded by several feet of water.”
June 14, 2023: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Tchula — $450,000 damage.
September 25, 2005: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Tchula — $400,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Tchula's ZIP code 39169 have filed 33 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $127,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1991, with 13. 27% 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, 47 have fewer than Tchula.
Holmes County, which includes Tchula, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 7 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 Holmes County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.1 million a year, the 52nd highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.5 million (28%), 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 Tchula
- Lexington, MS11 mi
- Belzoni, MS13 mi
- Benton, MS21 mi
- Yazoo City, MS22 mi
- Durant, MS23 mi
- Pickens, MS25 mi
- Itta Bena, MS25 mi
- Greenwood, MS28 mi
- Indianola, MS31 mi
- Sallis, MS31 mi
- Vaiden, MS34 mi
- Carrollton, MS34 mi
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