Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi

Tornadoes in Holmes County, Mississippi

51 tornadoes have crossed Holmes County since 1950, 29th of the 82 counties in Mississippi with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.5 years. They have killed 35 people and injured 372. 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
51
Deaths
35
Injuries
372
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, March 24, 2023

The deadliest in Holmes County

  1. EF4 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado, MississippiMarch 24, 202317 killed, 165 injured
  2. F4, Warren, Yazoo and Holmes counties, MississippiFebruary 21, 197113 killed, 182 injured
  3. F3, Holmes and Carroll counties, MississippiNovember 7, 19572 killed, 1 injured
  4. F3, Holmes and Carroll counties, MississippiDecember 21, 19901 killed, 15 injured
  5. F2, Holmes County, MississippiFebruary 16, 20011 killed, 1 injured
  6. EF2, Yazoo and Holmes counties, MississippiApril 30, 20171 killed

The strongest

  1. F4, Warren, Yazoo and Holmes counties, MississippiFebruary 21, 1971F4, 65.2 mi (105 km)
  2. EF4 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado, MississippiMarch 24, 2023EF4, 59.2 mi (95 km)
  3. F3, Holmes and Carroll counties, MississippiNovember 7, 1957F3, 31.2 mi (50 km)
  4. EF3, Holmes and Carroll counties, MississippiApril 27, 2011EF3, 23.0 mi (37 km)
  5. F3, Holmes County, MississippiMay 2, 1997F3, 20.0 mi (32 km)
  6. F3, Holmes and Carroll counties, MississippiDecember 21, 1990F3, 20.0 mi (32 km)
  7. EF3, Holmes and Attala counties, MississippiJanuary 10, 2008EF3, 9.7 mi (16 km)
  8. EF2, Humphreys, Holmes and Leflore counties, MississippiMarch 14, 2025EF2, 35.8 mi (58 km)
  9. EF2, Yazoo and Holmes counties, MississippiDecember 9, 2008EF2, 28.6 mi (46 km)
  10. EF2, Yazoo and Holmes counties, MississippiApril 30, 2017EF2, 23.4 mi (38 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 29 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Holmes County. Each year links to every tornado in Mississippi that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF2
20241EF1
2023117165EF4
202241EF1
20214EF2
202024EF2
20191EF1
201731EF2
20116EF3
200823EF3
20071EF0
20061F1
20052F2
20042F0
2001111F2
19993F0
19972F3
19941F0
19931F0
19921F0
19901115F3
19881F1
19863F2
19741F2
1971113182F4
19701F1
19691F0
19661F2
1957121F3

Every tornado that crossed Holmes County

51 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 14, 202511:14 PM CDTEF2Humphreys35.81,320
July 9, 20246:08 AM CDTEF1Holmes0.785
March 24, 20237:57 PM CDTEF4Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado59.21,32017165$96 million
December 14, 20221:04 AM CSTEF0Holmes5.9100$10,000
March 30, 20224:21 PM CDTEF1Holmes11.51,7001$140,000
March 22, 202212:52 PM CDTEF1Holmes14.2700$600,000
March 22, 202212:49 PM CDTEF1Holmes7.4700$50,000
May 2, 20217:20 PM CDTEF1Holmes4.2300$100,000
May 2, 20216:44 PM CDTEF0Yazoo8.2100$15,000
May 2, 20216:31 PM CDTEF2Holmes6.0510$75,000
May 2, 20215:53 PM CDTEF1Holmes10.6450$40,000
April 12, 20201:46 PM CDTEF0Holmes2.350$40,000
February 5, 20203:57 PM CSTEF2Yazoo18.79004$126,000
April 13, 20196:42 PM CDTEF1Holmes1.6100
April 30, 20179:42 AM CDTEF1Holmes3.0600$30,000
April 30, 20179:38 AM CDTEF1Holmes9.1400$40,000
April 30, 20179:16 AM CDTEF2Yazoo23.41,9001$3.8 million
April 27, 20111:59 AM CDTEF2Holmes8.8880$10,000
April 27, 20111:51 AM CDTEF0Holmes1.750$25,000
April 27, 20111:40 AM CDTEF2Holmes12.31,760$100,000
April 27, 20111:40 AM CDTEF3Holmes23.01,760$700,000
April 27, 20111:12 AM CDTEF1Yazoo9.7250$70,000
April 15, 20111:54 PM CDTEF1Holmes6.1150$10,000
December 9, 20084:50 PM CSTEF2Yazoo28.6450$1.4 million
January 10, 200811:51 AM CSTEF3Holmes9.71,3203$3.0 million
October 17, 200710:03 PM CDTEF0Holmes2.425
October 16, 20067:39 PM CDTF1Holmes4.950$20,000
September 24, 20056:25 PM CDTF0Holmes1.050$10,000
September 24, 20056:00 PM CDTF2Leflore9.0250
October 23, 20045:46 PM CDTF0Holmes3.040$2,000
March 5, 20046:01 PM CSTF0Holmes0.250$10,000
February 16, 200112:10 PM CSTF2Holmes4.050011$50,000
April 14, 19997:40 PM CDTF0Holmes1.050$2,000
January 22, 19993:00 PM CSTF0Holmes1.050
January 22, 199910:20 AM CSTF0Holmes1.050$3,000
May 14, 19975:35 PM CDTF0Holmes2.030
May 2, 19976:30 PM CDTF3Holmes20.0200$200,000
November 27, 19947:10 PM CSTF0Yazoo15.0100$5,000 to $50,000
February 15, 19935:10 PM CSTF0Holmes0.530
August 26, 19926:00 PM CDTF0Holmes1.5100$5,000 to $50,000
December 21, 19904:50 PM CSTF3Holmes20.0880115
December 28, 198812:30 AM CSTF1Holmes1.570$50,000 to $500,000
November 8, 19866:30 AM CSTF0Holmes0.550
March 18, 19864:30 PM CSTF0Holmes0.640$5,000 to $50,000
March 18, 19862:10 PM CSTF2Yazoo14.0100$50,000 to $500,000
April 1, 19748:40 PM CDTF2Holmes0.110$5,000 to $50,000
February 21, 19715:06 PM CSTF4Warren65.21013182
April 26, 19709:30 AM CDTF1Holmes0.5200$500 to $5,000
May 17, 19696:08 PM GMT-5F0Holmes0.110
April 26, 19667:45 PM GMT-5F2Holmes4.167$50,000 to $500,000
November 7, 195711:00 PM GMT-6F3Holmes31.230021$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

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