Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi

Tornadoes in Jones County, Mississippi

89 tornadoes have crossed Jones County since 1950, 4 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 5th of the 82 counties in Mississippi with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 20 people and injured 640. 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
89
Deaths
20
Injuries
640
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, April 12, 2020

The deadliest in Jones County

  1. EF4 Bassfield–Soso tornado, MississippiApril 12, 20207 killed, 98 injured
  2. F4, Jones, Wayne and Clarke counties, MississippiFebruary 28, 19876 killed, 350 injured
  3. F3, Jones and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 21, 19512 killed, 16 injured
  4. EF2, Jones County, MississippiDecember 23, 20142 killed
  5. F3, Jones County, MississippiMay 27, 19731 killed, 35 injured
  6. F3, Covington, Jones and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 14, 19991 killed, 33 injured
  7. EF2, Jones, Smith and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 6, 20251 killed

The strongest

  1. EF4 Bassfield–Soso tornado, MississippiApril 12, 2020EF4, 67.4 mi (108 km)
  2. F4, Jones, Wayne and Clarke counties, MississippiFebruary 28, 1987F4, 35.0 mi (56 km)
  3. EF3, Lawrence, Jefferson Davis, Covington and Jones counties, MississippiApril 12, 2020EF3, 83.2 mi (134 km)
  4. EF3, Jones, Wayne, Clarke and Choctaw counties, Mississippi and AlabamaDecember 16, 2019EF3, 61.2 mi (98 km)
  5. F3, Jones and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 21, 1951F3, 33.5 mi (54 km)
  6. F3, Covington, Jones and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 14, 1999F3, 25.5 mi (41 km)
  7. F3, Jones and Wayne counties, MississippiJanuary 9, 1972F3, 23.6 mi (38 km)
  8. F3, Jones and Wayne counties, MississippiNovember 15, 2006F3, 15.9 mi (26 km)
  9. F3, Jones County, MississippiMay 27, 1973F3, 15.0 mi (24 km)
  10. F3, Jones County, MississippiApril 3, 1974F3, 12.0 mi (19 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 44 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Jones County. Each year links to every tornado in Mississippi that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20264EF1
202531EF2
20241EF1
20232EF1
20225EF1
202037100EF4
201912EF3
201812EF1
20161EF0
20146223EF3
20123EF1
2011315EF2
20102EF0
200911EF2
200832EF1
200732EF2
200641F3
20051F1
20032F1
20021F1
20014F0
19991133F3
19981F1
19941F1
19891F1
198726350F4
198611F2
19851F0
198321F2
198112F2
198021F2
19771F2
19751F2
197421F3
19733135F3
1972212F3
197122F2
19671F1
19663F1
196121F2
19601F1
195712F2
1954235F3
19511216F3

Every tornado that crossed Jones County

89 tornadoes, newest first. The 4 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 9, 20268:47 AM CSTEF0Jones0.350
March 11, 20269:33 PM CDTEF1Jones4.2400
March 11, 20269:47 PM CDTEF0Jones0.650
March 11, 20269:48 PM CDTEF1Jones1.1150
April 6, 20255:13 AM CDTEF0Jones4.650
April 6, 20254:43 AM CDTEF2Jones12.42001$2.0 million
March 15, 20253:27 PM CDTEF1Covington6.8580
December 27, 20243:01 PM CSTEF1Jones13.0330$10,000
April 3, 20235:45 AM CDTEF1Jones3.5220$20,000
January 3, 202310:47 PM CSTEF1Jones2.6365$50,000
December 14, 20225:09 AM CSTEF1Jones4.050$20,000
April 17, 20228:01 PM CDTEF1Jones2.9150$3,000
April 13, 20228:44 PM CDTEF1Jones14.6500$75,000
April 5, 20227:56 AM CDTEF1Jones8.6250$50,000
April 5, 20227:22 AM CDTEF1Covington16.5440$81,000
April 23, 20204:14 AM CDTEF2Jones16.92,640$300,000
April 12, 20204:36 PM CDTEF3Lawrence83.22,0412$18 million
April 12, 20204:12 PM CDTEF4Bassfield–Soso tornado67.43,960798$62 million
December 16, 20195:59 PM CSTEF3Jones to AL61.23502$1.2 million
January 22, 20189:16 AM CSTEF1Covington7.32502$45,000
July 22, 20162:04 PM CDTEF0Jones0.9100$45,000
December 23, 20143:22 PM CSTEF2Jones5.93502$2.2 million
November 16, 20148:27 PM CSTEF1Jones2.6100$45,000
April 28, 20149:40 PM CDTEF3Jones10.588015$1.6 million
April 7, 20142:02 AM CDTEF2Covington16.56008$12 million
February 20, 20149:50 PM CSTEF0Jones0.650$10,000
February 20, 20149:28 PM CSTEF1Jones4.6100$400,000
December 25, 20124:09 PM CSTEF1Jones1.2100$50,000
December 9, 20125:20 PM CSTEF0Jones0.150$1,000
March 21, 20125:31 PM CDTEF0Jones0.075$25,000
November 16, 20115:12 AM CSTEF2Jones12.930015$650,000
November 16, 20115:03 AM CSTEF1Jones2.250$60,000
April 26, 20117:12 AM CDTEF1Jones1.2100$180,000
November 30, 20105:50 AM CSTEF0Jones7.030$70,000
May 20, 20107:57 PM CDTEF0Jones3.575$40,000
March 26, 20092:43 AM CDTEF2Jones9.95001$800,000
December 10, 20081:08 AM CSTEF1Jones1.01502$250,000
September 2, 20089:19 AM CDTEF0Jones0.725$5,000
September 2, 20088:44 AM CDTEF0Jones0.430$80,000
December 20, 200710:32 AM CSTEF2Jones1.91502$450,000
April 14, 200710:35 AM CDTEF0Jones0.325
January 5, 200712:27 AM CSTUnratedJones1.2100$75,000
November 15, 20063:40 AM CSTF1Jones0.8150
November 15, 20063:31 AM CSTF3Jones15.98501$1.9 million
March 20, 20063:20 PM CSTF1Jones8.050$100,000
March 20, 200612:45 PM CSTF0Jones3.050$20,000
March 22, 20058:33 AM CSTF1Jones5.0100$800,000
November 27, 20034:55 AM CSTF1Jones3.0200$10,000
May 17, 20036:30 PM CDTF1Jones1.075$30,000
March 15, 20027:03 PM CSTF1Jones1.0300$3.3 million
October 13, 20012:20 PM CDTF0Jones0.225$30,000
October 13, 20011:58 PM CDTF0Jones0.225
June 13, 20014:50 PM CDTF0Jones0.3100
February 16, 20014:10 PM CSTF0Jones0.5150$1,000
April 14, 199910:52 PM CDTF3Covington25.5880133$6.8 million
February 26, 19982:53 PM CSTF1Jones5.5100$30,000
January 27, 19946:46 PM CSTF1Jones2.0100$500,000 to $5 million
June 8, 198910:45 AM CDTF1Jones0.870$5,000 to $50,000
March 17, 198710:15 PM CSTF1Jones9.073$50,000 to $500,000
February 28, 19879:05 AM CSTF4Jones35.01,2306350$5 million to $50 million
April 8, 19864:45 PM CSTF2Jones5.01,0001$500,000 to $5 million
October 29, 19854:30 AM CSTF0Jones0.730$500 to $5,000
December 11, 19832:00 AM CSTF1Jones1.01001$50,000 to $500,000
December 3, 19834:00 PM CSTF2Jones1.0100$500,000 to $5 million
March 31, 19818:10 PM CSTF2Covington8.21002$50,000 to $500,000
October 27, 19808:15 PM CSTF2Jones1.01001$50,000 to $500,000
October 17, 19807:20 PM CDTF2Jones1.3100$50,000 to $500,000
December 13, 19775:30 PM CSTF2Jones1.0300$50,000 to $500,000
May 7, 19752:30 PM CDTF2Forrest5.4150$50,000 to $500,000
April 22, 19743:00 PM CDTF2Jones0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 3, 19745:00 PM CDTF3Jones12.01001$50,000 to $500,000
May 27, 19732:15 PM CDTF3Jones15.0400135$500,000 to $5 million
April 24, 197310:45 PM CSTF2Jones1.510$50,000 to $500,000
April 24, 197310:45 PM CSTF2Jones1.010$50,000 to $500,000
March 2, 19725:00 AM CSTF1Jones4.3200$5,000 to $50,000
January 9, 197211:20 PM CSTF3Jones23.630012$500,000 to $5 million
December 15, 19717:50 AM CSTF2Jones6.1772$5,000 to $50,000
March 2, 19716:15 PM CSTF2Jones2.010$50,000 to $500,000
December 2, 19672:00 PM GMT-6F1Jones3.810$5,000 to $50,000
June 29, 19664:00 PM GMT-5F1Jones0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 26, 19663:30 PM GMT-5F1Jones1.510$5,000 to $50,000
March 14, 19666:00 PM GMT-6F0Jones0.110under $50
December 17, 19616:30 PM GMT-6F1Jones1.030$500 to $5,000
November 22, 19618:45 PM GMT-6F2Jones4.3501$50,000 to $500,000
November 23, 19606:25 PM GMT-6F1Jones0.110$5,000 to $50,000
November 18, 19571:30 PM GMT-6F2Jones6.2502$5,000 to $50,000
December 28, 19546:00 PM GMT-6F3Jones11.525025$500,000 to $5 million
February 20, 195412:35 AM GMT-6F2Lamar37.120010$50,000 to $500,000
April 21, 19517:25 PM GMT-6F3Jones33.510216$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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