Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi

Tornadoes in Copiah County, Mississippi

62 tornadoes have crossed Copiah County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 17th of the 82 counties in Mississippi with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.2 years. They have killed 53 people and injured 419. 3 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
62
Deaths
53
Injuries
419
F4 and above
3
Worst on record
F4, January 23, 1969

The deadliest in Copiah County

  1. F4, Jefferson, Copiah, Simpson and Rankin counties, MississippiJanuary 23, 196932 killed, 241 injured
  2. F4, Copiah, Simpson, Rankin and Scott counties, MississippiNovember 21, 199212 killed, 122 injured
  3. F3, Copiah, Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties, MississippiFebruary 26, 19588 killed, 26 injured
  4. F1, Copiah County, MississippiAugust 29, 19781 killed, 2 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Copiah, Simpson, Rankin and Scott counties, MississippiNovember 21, 1992F4, 128.0 mi (206 km)
  2. F4, Copiah, Simpson, Rankin and Smith counties, MississippiMarch 29, 1976F4, 126.5 mi (204 km)
  3. F4, Jefferson, Copiah, Simpson and Rankin counties, MississippiJanuary 23, 1969F4, 117.8 mi (190 km)
  4. F3, Copiah, Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties, MississippiFebruary 26, 1958F3, 69.7 mi (112 km)
  5. F3, Jefferson and Copiah counties, MississippiMarch 30, 1976F3, 31.7 mi (51 km)
  6. F3, Copiah County, MississippiDecember 24, 1977F3, 8.0 mi (13 km)
  7. F3, Copiah County, MississippiNovember 26, 1973F3, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  8. F2, Simpson, Lincoln, Rankin and Copiah counties, MississippiApril 12, 1955F2, 112.8 mi (181 km)
  9. F2, Jefferson, Claiborne, Copiah and Hinds counties, MississippiApril 24, 1953F2, 96.7 mi (156 km)
  10. F2, Amite, Lincoln and Copiah counties, MississippiApril 17, 1978F2, 34.6 mi (56 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 39 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Copiah County. Each year links to every tornado in Mississippi that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261EF1
20243EF1
20222EF1
20211EF1
20192EF1
20182EF1
20172EF1
20163EF2
20121EF1
201122EF2
20101EF2
20085EF1
20071EF0
20051F1
20041F0
200316F2
20011F0
19961F1
19951F1
19932F1
1992512122F4
19901F0
19891F0
19881F1
198712F2
19861F1
198423F1
19821F1
1978214F2
19771F3
197628F4
19731F3
1969232246F4
19662F0
19621F1
19591F0
19581826F3
19551F2
19531F2

Every tornado that crossed Copiah County

62 tornadoes, newest first. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 25, 20262:30 AM CDTEF1Copiah1.1100
December 28, 20246:49 PM CSTEF1Copiah11.91,200$62,000
December 28, 20246:38 PM CSTEF1Copiah2.7500$20,000
December 28, 20246:36 PM CSTEF1Copiah13.01,500$50,000
December 14, 20225:48 AM CSTEF1Copiah6.3150$10,000
March 22, 202212:49 PM CDTEF0Copiah4.9100$75,000
March 16, 20217:03 PM CDTEF1Copiah1.4100$12,000
April 18, 20192:36 PM CDTEF1Simpson28.4600$221,000
April 18, 20191:58 PM CDTEF1Copiah6.6500$50,000
November 1, 20183:29 AM CDTEF0Copiah2.2200$100,000
April 6, 20189:46 PM CDTEF1Copiah2.4700$20,000
April 30, 20178:01 AM CDTEF0Copiah5.2100$50,000
January 2, 20171:21 PM CSTEF1Lincoln6.8300$425,000
February 15, 201612:10 PM CSTEF2Copiah30.3250$960,000
January 21, 20164:25 PM CSTEF1Lincoln5.3200$165,000
January 21, 20164:14 PM CSTEF0Copiah3.050$17,000
January 25, 20126:49 PM CSTEF1Copiah3.1350$10,000
April 27, 20113:11 PM CDTEF2Copiah10.54402$1.0 million
April 15, 20111:39 PM CDTEF0Copiah1.0200$2,000
January 21, 201012:50 AM CSTEF2Copiah3.6500$500,000
December 9, 20088:39 PM CSTEF0Copiah1.975$12,000
December 9, 20088:34 PM CSTEF1Copiah1.675$20,000
September 2, 20083:45 PM CDTEF0Copiah1.540
September 2, 20083:17 PM CDTEF1Copiah2.5100$200,000
April 18, 20083:31 PM CDTEF1Copiah13.950$123,000
December 20, 20078:59 AM CSTEF0Copiah2.250$2,000
March 26, 20056:40 PM CSTF1Claiborne4.575$20,000
November 24, 200412:33 AM CSTF0Hinds1.030$2,000
April 6, 20037:37 PM CDTF2Lincoln11.01,2306$1.1 million
October 13, 200110:25 AM CDTF0Copiah0.230
March 18, 19962:05 PM CSTF1Copiah4.0100$100,000
April 20, 19952:00 PM CDTF1Copiah2.0100$50,000 to $500,000
March 30, 19935:25 PM CSTF0Copiah1.050
February 21, 19939:05 AM CSTF1Claiborne4.073$5,000 to $50,000
November 21, 199211:27 PM CSTF4Copiah128.088012122$5 million to $50 million
November 21, 199211:15 PM CSTF1Copiah9.0440$50,000 to $500,000
November 21, 199210:50 PM CSTF2Lincoln16.0440$50,000 to $500,000
August 26, 19925:20 PM CDTF0Copiah1.0100$50 to $500
August 26, 19929:26 AM CDTF0Copiah2.0150$500 to $5,000
December 20, 19903:28 PM CSTF0Copiah28.060$500 to $5,000
July 3, 19895:55 PM CDTF0Copiah0.120
December 28, 19881:00 AM CSTF1Copiah4.073
November 16, 19872:35 PM CSTF2Lincoln20.01502$50,000 to $500,000
March 18, 19867:10 PM CSTF1Copiah1.250$5,000 to $50,000
October 21, 19841:57 PM CDTF1Copiah2.0100$50,000 to $500,000
October 21, 19842:30 AM CDTF1Copiah0.5773$50,000 to $500,000
December 22, 19824:15 PM CSTF1Copiah0.767$5,000 to $50,000
August 29, 19787:30 AM CDTF1Copiah21.310012$50,000 to $500,000
April 17, 197811:55 PM CSTF2Amite34.61002$5,000 to $50,000
December 24, 19779:00 PM CSTF3Copiah8.0440$50,000 to $500,000
March 30, 19764:35 PM CSTF3Jefferson31.71,583$50,000 to $500,000
March 29, 19762:05 PM CSTF4Copiah126.58808$500,000 to $5 million
November 26, 19736:00 PM CSTF3Copiah0.110
April 13, 196912:35 PM GMT-6F2Copiah6.12675$5,000 to $50,000
January 23, 19695:25 AM GMT-6F4Jefferson117.820032241$50,000 to $500,000
February 14, 19666:30 AM GMT-6F0Copiah0.110
February 14, 19666:30 AM GMT-6F0Copiah0.110
December 3, 19626:30 PM GMT-6F1Copiah0.1230
January 20, 19592:30 PM GMT-6F0Copiah0.110$50 to $500
February 26, 19585:30 PM GMT-6F3Copiah69.760826$50,000 to $500,000
April 12, 19556:30 PM GMT-6F2Simpson112.810$50,000 to $500,000
April 24, 19532:00 PM GMT-6F2Jefferson96.730$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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

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.