Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi

Tornadoes in Forrest County, Mississippi

47 tornadoes have crossed Forrest County since 1950, 32nd of the 82 counties in Mississippi with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.6 years. They have killed 5 people and injured 160. 2 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
47
Deaths
5
Injuries
160
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, April 19, 2020

The deadliest in Forrest County

  1. EF3, Lamar, Forrest and Perry counties, MississippiJanuary 21, 20174 killed, 57 injured
  2. EF4, Walthall, Marion, Lamar and Forrest counties, MississippiApril 19, 20201 killed, 1 injured

The strongest

  1. EF4, Walthall, Marion, Lamar and Forrest counties, MississippiApril 19, 2020EF4, 53.8 mi (86 km)
  2. EF4, Lamar, Forrest and Perry counties, MississippiFebruary 10, 2013EF4, 21.6 mi (35 km)
  3. EF3, Lamar, Forrest and Perry counties, MississippiJanuary 21, 2017EF3, 31.1 mi (50 km)
  4. F3, Lamar and Forrest counties, MississippiNovember 15, 2006F3, 13.0 mi (21 km)
  5. F3, Forrest and Perry counties, MississippiMay 7, 1982F3, 13.0 mi (21 km)
  6. EF2, Forrest, Perry and Greene counties, MississippiDecember 25, 2012EF2, 28.6 mi (46 km)
  7. EF2, Forrest and Perry counties, MississippiMarch 30, 2022EF2, 11.3 mi (18 km)
  8. EF2, Forrest County, MississippiApril 6, 2025EF2, 6.5 mi (10 km)
  9. F2, Forrest and Jones counties, MississippiMay 7, 1975F2, 5.4 mi (9 km)
  10. EF2, Forrest County, MississippiDecember 14, 2022EF2, 1.9 mi (3 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 31 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Forrest County. Each year links to every tornado in Mississippi that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF2
20241EF0
20225EF2
2020111EF4
20191EF0
20173457EF3
20161EF0
20151EF0
2013171EF4
201234EF2
20111EF0
2008414EF1
200721EF1
200616F3
20052F1
200115F1
19991F0
19982F1
19961F1
19951F0
19941F1
19921F0
19831F1
198211F3
19772F2
19752F2
19731F1
19661F1
19651F1
19611F1
19571F1

Every tornado that crossed Forrest County

47 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 6, 20255:57 AM CDTEF2Forrest6.5400$1.0 million
December 27, 20247:36 AM CSTEF0Forrest0.660$3,000
December 14, 20223:28 PM CSTEF1Forrest3.950$40,000
December 14, 20221:13 PM CSTEF2Forrest1.9125$100,000
December 14, 20224:44 AM CSTEF0Forrest0.250$40,000
March 30, 20228:11 PM CDTEF2Forrest11.3500$250,000
March 30, 20227:44 PM CDTEF0Lamar7.325$35,000
April 19, 20207:09 PM CDTEF4Walthall53.82,27511$700,000
July 14, 20196:25 AM CDTEF0Forrest0.525$3,000
August 30, 201711:41 AM CDTEF1Forrest1.3160$200,000
January 21, 20173:35 AM CSTEF3Lamar31.1900457$9.5 million
January 2, 20172:52 PM CSTEF1Lamar8.4225$80,000
February 23, 20166:01 PM CSTEF0Forrest3.975$15,000
October 31, 20154:24 PM CDTEF0Forrest4.5100$24,000
February 10, 20135:03 PM CSTEF4Lamar21.61,32071$39 million
December 25, 20123:55 PM CSTEF2Forrest28.63004$200,000
March 21, 20124:00 PM CDTEF0Forrest0.4264$20,000
March 2, 20126:42 PM CSTEF1Forrest3.0300$15,000
September 4, 20117:45 PM CDTEF0Forrest0.040$500
September 1, 20081:18 PM CDTEF0Forrest0.525$2,000
May 15, 200810:15 AM CDTEF1Forrest1.3150$80,000
May 15, 200810:05 AM CDTEF1Lamar15.4600$710,000
March 3, 200811:12 PM CSTEF1Forrest1.110014$1.5 million
October 17, 20078:10 PM CDTEF1Forrest1.62001$100,000
April 14, 200711:41 AM CDTEF1Forrest0.550$200,000
November 15, 20062:30 AM CSTF3Lamar13.05006$1.5 million
August 29, 200511:25 AM CDTF1Forrest0.550$2,000
January 7, 20059:53 PM CSTF1Forrest2.0100$120,000
March 12, 200110:04 AM CSTF1Forrest7.04405$6.0 million
April 14, 199911:58 PM CDTF0Forrest1.050
June 5, 199811:10 PM CDTF1Forrest1.550$20,000
April 17, 19985:32 PM CDTF0Forrest1.550$10,000
February 19, 19962:20 PM CSTF1Forrest2.0100$100,000
March 7, 199510:40 AM CSTF0Forrest2.050$500 to $5,000
March 9, 199411:03 AM CSTF1Forrest3.060$5,000 to $50,000
May 24, 19923:05 PM CDTF0Forrest2.050$5,000 to $50,000
December 11, 19831:58 AM CSTF1Forrest0.673$50,000 to $500,000
May 7, 19821:50 PM CDTF3Forrest13.01001$50,000 to $500,000
March 28, 19776:00 AM CSTF2Forrest0.133$5,000 to $50,000
March 28, 19775:45 AM CSTF2Forrest0.1440$50,000 to $500,000
May 7, 19752:30 PM CDTF2Forrest5.4150$50,000 to $500,000
May 7, 197512:10 PM CDTF1Forrest0.217$500 to $5,000
May 24, 19735:00 PM CDTF1Forrest0.110$500 to $5,000
July 20, 19662:15 PM GMT-5F1Forrest1.010$50,000 to $500,000
December 12, 19659:00 AM GMT-6F1Forrest0.110$50 to $500
February 20, 19615:30 PM GMT-6F1Forrest0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 2, 19578:00 PM GMT-5F1Forrest8.367

Nearby

Warnings in force in Forrest CountyThe forecast for Forrest CountyThe live radar over Forrest 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.