NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Union, 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
28 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Union, Mississippi since 1851, 2 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 181 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 22 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 2
- Tropical storms
- 26
- Tornadoes
- 181
- EF3 or stronger
- 22
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
103 deaths in all
What the records show for Union
The strongest storm to pass near Union was Zeta in 2020, a Category 1 hurricane with 78 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The closest pass by a hurricane was Camille in 1969, whose centre came within 49 miles. The record near Union begins with an unnamed storm in 1855; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 4 systems. Of the 28 systems, 5 have come since 2000. Union has more hurricanes within 75 miles than 55% of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site. The highest rating among the 181 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5 or EF5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F5 on March 3, 1966, killed 58 people. Of the 181, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 120 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 51. The most recent tornado was on April 6, 2025. Union has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 232 Mississippi cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Union has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 232 Mississippi cities.
Compare Union's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Union
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 66 mi | Category 1 (78 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2017 | NateOct 8 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2005 | KatrinaAug 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 5 |
| 2002 | IsidoreSep 26 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1995 | ErinAug 4 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (71 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1971 | EdithSep 17 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 49 mi | Category 1 (76 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1948 | Unnamed 1948 stormSep 5 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 6 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormSep 30 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1912 | Unnamed 1912 stormJun 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormAug 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormSep 8 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 12 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1880 | Unnamed 1880 stormSep 1 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormOct 7 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormSep 2 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1872 | Unnamed 1872 stormJul 12 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormSep 16 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1855 | Unnamed 1855 stormSep 17 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Union: 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 Union
By decade
- 2020s27(1 EF3+)
- 2010s56(7 EF3+)
- 2000s37(1 EF3+)
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15(4 EF3+)
- 1970s14(3 EF3+)
- 1960s8(3 EF3+)
- 1950s13(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 1966 | F5 | 8 mi | 202.5 mi | 58 / 518 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 15 mi | 28.28 mi | 3 / 6 |
| Jan 23, 1969 | F4 | 20 mi | 117.8 mi | 32 / 241 |
| Dec 2, 1967 | F4 | 14 mi | 7.6 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 19 mi | 40 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Mar 12, 1986 | F4 | 24 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F4 | 20 mi | 126.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 8 mi | 42 mi | 3 / 40 |
| Apr 11, 2013 | EF3 | 16 mi | 66.35 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Nov 24, 2004 | F3 | 24 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jan 3, 1982 | F3 | 15 mi | 11 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F3 | 13 mi | 27.3 mi | 1 / 27 |
The strongest 12 of 181, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Union
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Union since 1973, made on 69 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 10 days, most recently June 14, 2023. The most recent report is from June 15, 2023. April has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Union
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Newton Exp Stn, MS, 18 miles south of Union at 349 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 58°F and 33°F. April is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 58.3 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.9 of 58.3 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 28 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (14); a normal September there has highs of 89°F and 3.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 86 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 64 nights a year. That 58.3 inches is more than at 36 of the 87 Mississippi stations used on this site (41%). Philadelphia, 13 miles north, has its own station (Carthage, MS): 57.8 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 33 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Feb | 63 | 36 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 70 | 43 | 5.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 77 | 50 | 6.1 | 6 |
| May | 84 | 59 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Jun | 91 | 67 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jul | 93 | 69 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Aug | 93 | 68 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 89 | 62 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Oct | 80 | 50 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Nov | 68 | 40 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 61 | 36 | 5.5 | 7 |
| Year | 77 | 51 | 58.3 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Newton Exp Stn, MS (349 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 Union
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 193 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Union: 164 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 4, 2008. April has had the most flash floods, 7 of 27. Of the 232 Mississippi cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 168 have had fewer than Union.
April 18, 2019: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Union — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
April 4, 2008: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Union — $1.0 million damage.
March 7, 2005: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Union — $200,000 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
Neshoba County, which includes Union, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 7 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Neshoba County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.0 million a year, the 30th highest of 82 Mississippi counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.1 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 Union
- Decatur, MS10 mi
- Conehatta, MS11 mi
- Philadelphia, MS13 mi
- Collinsville, MS16 mi
- Walnut Grove, MS17 mi
- Newton, MS19 mi
- Hickory, MS20 mi
- Lake, MS22 mi
- Bailey, MS24 mi
- Forest, MS24 mi
- Carthage, MS26 mi
- De Kalb, MS27 mi
All Mississippi cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Union with another place →