Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas

Tornadoes in Mississippi County, Arkansas

59 tornadoes have crossed Mississippi County since 1950, 7th of the 75 counties in Arkansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.3 years. They have killed 54 people and injured 615. 4 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
59
Deaths
54
Injuries
615
F4 and above
4
Worst on record
F4, May 15, 1968

The deadliest in Mississippi County

  1. F4, Jackson, Craighead and Mississippi counties, ArkansasMay 15, 196835 killed, 364 injured
  2. EF4, Craighead, Mississippi, Dunklin, Pemiscot, Lake and Obion counties, Arkansas and Missouri and TennesseeDecember 10, 20218 killed, 14 injured
  3. EF3, Cross, Crittenden, Mississippi and Tipton counties, Arkansas and TennesseeMarch 31, 20234 killed, 26 injured
  4. F3, Poinsett and Mississippi counties, ArkansasMarch 21, 19523 killed, 96 injured
  5. F4, Mississippi County, ArkansasApril 16, 19982 killed, 12 injured
  6. F3, Mississippi County, ArkansasMarch 21, 19521 killed, 57 injured
  7. F3, Mississippi County, ArkansasFebruary 16, 19541 killed, 4 injured

The strongest

  1. EF4, Craighead, Mississippi, Dunklin, Pemiscot, Lake and Obion counties, Arkansas and Missouri and TennesseeDecember 10, 2021EF4, 81.2 mi (131 km)
  2. F4, Jackson, Craighead and Mississippi counties, ArkansasMay 15, 1968F4, 20.9 mi (34 km)
  3. F4, Mississippi County, ArkansasMarch 1, 1997F4, 20.0 mi (32 km)
  4. F4, Mississippi County, ArkansasApril 16, 1998F4, 5.0 mi (8 km)
  5. EF3, Cross, Crittenden, Mississippi and Tipton counties, Arkansas and TennesseeMarch 31, 2023EF3, 72.5 mi (117 km)
  6. F3, Poinsett and Mississippi counties, ArkansasMarch 21, 1952F3, 51.8 mi (83 km)
  7. F3, Craighead and Mississippi counties, ArkansasApril 3, 1984F3, 49.0 mi (79 km)
  8. F3, Mississippi County, ArkansasMarch 21, 1952F3, 39.7 mi (64 km)
  9. F3, Mississippi, Poinsett and Lauderdale counties, Arkansas and TennesseeSeptember 26, 1959F3, 35.2 mi (57 km)
  10. EF3, Crittenden, Cross and Mississippi counties, ArkansasMay 2, 2008EF3, 20.2 mi (33 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 35 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Mississippi County. Each year links to every tornado in Arkansas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF0
20231426EF3
20222EF0
20216814EF4
20192EF0
201811EF2
20172EF1
20101EF0
200835EF3
20051F0
20041F0
20034F2
200211F2
200011F1
19991F0
19982212F4
19971F4
19951F0
19901F0
19891F1
198412F3
19782F0
19751F2
19721F2
1968135364F4
19671F0
196524F2
19642F1
19601F1
1959121F3
19572F2
195521F2
1954415F3
195234158F3
19501F1

Every tornado that crossed Mississippi County

59 tornadoes, newest first. 2 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files them under that state rather than Arkansas.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 5, 20252:52 AM CDTEF0Mississippi7.6150$10,000
March 31, 20234:30 PM CDTEF3Cross to TN72.51,600426$151 million
April 13, 20223:00 PM CDTEF0Mississippi1.975$50,000
April 13, 20222:50 PM CDTEF0Dunklin to MO7.8100$370,000
December 10, 20217:07 PM CSTEF4Craighead to MO, TN81.21,800814$14 million
June 2, 20212:01 PM CDTEF0Mississippi0.125
March 27, 20216:37 PM CDTEF1Mississippi to TN4.9150$40,000
March 27, 20216:21 PM CDTEF1Mississippi3.9100$75,000
March 27, 20216:11 PM CDTEF0Mississippi1.180$35,000
March 27, 20216:01 PM CDTEF0Mississippi0.750$10,000
October 21, 20196:20 AM CDTEF0Tipton to AR7.6200$55,000
May 2, 20196:02 PM CDTEF0Mississippi0.250$1,000
February 24, 20186:06 PM CSTEF2Mississippi9.91001$1.0 million
April 30, 20172:07 AM CDTEF1Mississippi5.6150$300,000
April 30, 20171:56 AM CDTEF1Dunklin to MO2.050$20,000
April 24, 20102:05 PM CDTEF0Mississippi2.150$3,000
May 2, 20083:18 PM CDTEF3Crittenden20.24004$2.0 million
May 2, 20082:54 PM CDTEF2Mississippi3.41501$500,000
January 8, 20082:20 PM CSTEF1Mississippi3.575$100,000
March 22, 20055:38 PM CSTF0Mississippi8.075$10,000
June 2, 20045:50 PM CDTF0Mississippi0.350$1,000
May 5, 20035:40 PM CDTF0Mississippi0.550$1,000
May 4, 200310:00 PM CDTF1Mississippi8.0200$30,000
May 4, 20037:39 PM CDTF2Mississippi15.0300$400,000
May 4, 20037:15 PM CDTF1Mississippi4.0250$10,000
November 9, 200210:05 PM CSTF2Tipton to AR50.64401$6.6 million
May 27, 200012:47 PM CDTF1Mississippi3.5201$20,000
January 21, 19999:55 PM CSTF0Mississippi0.110
April 16, 19983:25 AM CDTF1Mississippi0.550$30,000
April 16, 19982:50 AM CDTF4Mississippi5.0400212$350,000
March 1, 19976:20 PM CSTF4Mississippi20.0200$30,000
April 19, 199510:50 PM CDTF0Mississippi0.210$500 to $5,000
February 9, 19903:15 PM CSTF0Mississippi0.250
April 3, 19899:46 PM CDTF1Mississippi4.0100$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19844:38 PM CSTF3Craighead49.02002$5 million to $50 million
June 22, 19781:29 PM CDTF0Mississippi0.127
June 8, 19781:10 PM CDTF0Mississippi0.127$50 to $500
April 30, 19758:00 PM CDTF2Mississippi1.030$5,000 to $50,000
April 7, 19724:10 PM CSTF2Mississippi0.1200$5,000 to $50,000
May 15, 19689:45 PM GMT-5F4Jackson20.925035364$5,000 to $50,000
February 2, 19673:45 AM GMT-6F0Mississippi0.110
May 26, 19656:45 PM GMT-5F2Mississippi12.010$50,000 to $500,000
April 18, 19653:00 PM GMT-6F2Mississippi0.1104$500 to $5,000
April 12, 19641:30 AM GMT-6F1Mississippi0.110$500 to $5,000
January 24, 19642:45 PM GMT-6F0Mississippi0.110
May 6, 19605:00 PM GMT-5F1Mississippi14.0100$5,000 to $50,000
September 26, 19597:20 PM GMT-5F3Mississippi to TN35.266721$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 195712:30 PM GMT-6F1Mississippi0.110$50 to $500
January 22, 195711:30 AM GMT-6F2Mississippi0.110$50 to $500
May 10, 19555:50 PM GMT-5F2Mississippi4.7440$50,000 to $500,000
March 20, 19553:30 PM GMT-6F2Craighead to MO89.42501$50,000 to $500,000
June 13, 19543:00 PM GMT-5F3Mississippi2.5833$500 to $5,000
June 2, 195410:00 PM GMT-5F1Mississippi0.1101$500 to $5,000
May 2, 195410:30 AM GMT-5F1Mississippi0.110$500 to $5,000
February 16, 19542:30 AM GMT-6F3Mississippi2.088014$5,000 to $50,000
March 21, 19527:00 PM GMT-6F3Mississippi39.7880157$50,000 to $500,000
March 21, 19526:45 PM GMT-6F3Poinsett51.8880396$50,000 to $500,000
February 13, 19524:30 PM GMT-6F2Mississippi0.3105
April 2, 19506:00 PM GMT-6F1Mississippi0.8100$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Mississippi CountyThe forecast for Mississippi CountyThe live radar over Mississippi CountyEvery county in Arkansas

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.