Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi

Tornadoes in Leake County, Mississippi

75 tornadoes have crossed Leake County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 9th of the 82 counties in Mississippi with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.0 years. They have killed 74 people and injured 726. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above, 1 at the top of the scale.

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
75
Deaths
74
Injuries
726
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
F5, March 3, 1966

The deadliest in Leake County

  1. F5 Jackson tornado, Mississippi and AlabamaMarch 3, 196658 killed, 518 injured
  2. EF4 Louisville tornado, MississippiApril 28, 201410 killed, 84 injured
  3. F3, Leake, Neshoba and Kemper counties, MississippiApril 2, 19823 killed, 40 injured
  4. F3, Simpson, Rankin, Scott and Leake counties, MississippiFebruary 26, 19581 killed, 34 injured
  5. F3, Leake and Neshoba counties, MississippiFebruary 18, 19761 killed, 27 injured
  6. F3, Leake County, MississippiMay 9, 19711 killed, 3 injured

The strongest

  1. F5 Jackson tornado, Mississippi and AlabamaMarch 3, 1966F5, 202.5 mi (326 km)
  2. EF4 Louisville tornado, MississippiApril 28, 2014EF4, 33.4 mi (54 km)
  3. F3, Warren, Madison, Leake and Attala counties, MississippiDecember 2, 1967F3, 82.3 mi (132 km)
  4. F3, Simpson, Rankin, Scott and Leake counties, MississippiFebruary 26, 1958F3, 71.0 mi (114 km)
  5. F3, Leake, Neshoba and Kemper counties, MississippiApril 2, 1982F3, 42.0 mi (68 km)
  6. F3, Leake and Neshoba counties, MississippiFebruary 18, 1976F3, 27.3 mi (44 km)
  7. F3, Leake County, MississippiJanuary 21, 1959F3, 26.1 mi (42 km)
  8. F3, Leake County, MississippiFebruary 23, 1977F3, 11.4 mi (18 km)
  9. EF3, Attala and Leake counties, MississippiNovember 29, 2010EF3, 9.6 mi (15 km)
  10. F3, Leake County, MississippiMay 9, 1971F3, 1.0 mi (2 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 37 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Leake County. Each year links to every tornado in Mississippi that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261EF0
20241EF1
20231EF0
20223EF2
20212EF1
20202EF1
201913EF1
20171EF1
20162EF1
20159EF1
201421084EF4
20122EF1
20111EF1
201016EF3
20092EF0
20085EF1
20054F1
20042F2
20031F0
20021F2
20011F1
19971F2
19921F1
198812F2
19831F1
19821340F3
197711F3
19761127F3
19732F2
1971113F3
197021F2
19681F2
196713F3
1966158518F5
19591F3
19581134F3
195017F2

Every tornado that crossed Leake County

75 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
January 9, 20266:29 AM CSTEF0Madison4.675
December 28, 20247:04 PM CSTEF1Rankin37.5880$1.7 million
November 20, 20236:36 PM CSTEF0Leake0.850$1,000
May 25, 202212:53 PM CDTEF0Leake2.5150$50,000
April 13, 20228:05 PM CDTEF1Leake10.5400$27,000
March 30, 20225:32 PM CDTEF2Leake10.71,200$850,000
May 4, 20213:06 PM CDTEF1Leake15.01,050$100,000
May 2, 20218:17 PM CDTEF0Leake2.950$10,000
February 5, 20205:50 PM CSTEF1Leake4.9150$40,000
February 5, 20205:33 PM CSTEF1Leake9.1250$55,000
December 29, 20193:35 PM CSTEF1Leake7.3400$29,000
April 25, 20196:36 PM CDTEF0Leake1.425$40,000
April 18, 20194:25 PM CDTEF1Leake1.7180$10,000
April 18, 20194:22 PM CDTEF1Leake0.675$9,000
April 18, 20194:20 PM CDTEF1Leake6.0350$5,000
April 18, 20194:19 PM CDTEF1Leake2.1300$10,000
April 18, 20194:04 PM CDTEF1Leake9.91,600$6,000
April 18, 20193:46 PM CDTEF1Leake10.31,000$5,000
April 18, 20193:45 PM CDTEF1Scott11.71,760$30,000
April 18, 20193:40 PM CDTEF1Leake11.31,320$13,000
April 13, 20197:35 PM CDTEF1Leake4.9300
February 12, 20194:53 AM CSTEF1Leake4.2500$40,000
January 19, 20196:42 AM CSTEF1Leake1.4250$45,000
April 26, 201710:31 PM CDTEF1Leake10.6600$120,000
November 29, 20163:57 PM CSTEF1Rankin23.9300$200,000
February 15, 201612:15 PM CSTEF1Leake1.9300$800,000
November 18, 201512:30 AM CSTEF1Leake3.0300$13,000
November 18, 201512:21 AM CSTEF1Leake7.0250$10,000
November 18, 201512:14 AM CSTEF1Leake8.1500$40,000
November 18, 201512:05 AM CSTEF0Leake0.575$5,000
November 18, 201512:05 AM CSTEF1Leake7.3400$50,000
April 25, 20152:28 AM CDTEF1Leake3.4500$200,000
April 25, 20152:20 AM CDTEF0Leake0.950$10,000
April 25, 20152:17 AM CDTEF1Leake2.5300$35,000
April 13, 20158:05 PM CDTEF0Leake1.150$11,000
April 28, 20147:08 PM CDTEF1Leake5.0100$400,000
April 28, 20143:51 PM CDTEF4Louisville tornado33.41,3201084$117 million
October 17, 201212:32 AM CDTEF1Leake0.8150$400,000
October 17, 201212:11 AM CDTEF1Leake0.7525$50,000
April 15, 201111:58 AM CDTEF1Scott7.0200$375,000
November 29, 20109:38 PM CSTEF3Attala9.64006$1.1 million
December 8, 20098:35 PM CSTEF0Leake6.575$2,000
May 3, 20097:00 AM CDTEF0Leake4.3100$8,000
April 18, 20085:33 PM CDTEF1Leake7.875$200,000
April 18, 20085:18 PM CDTEF1Leake1.675$160,000
April 18, 20084:52 PM CDTEF1Leake6.0150$100,000
April 18, 20084:50 PM CDTEF1Madison8.275$350,000
February 6, 20081:25 AM CSTEF1Leake1.550
September 25, 20052:47 PM CDTF1Leake1.5100$200,000
August 29, 20051:21 PM CDTF1Leake2.075$10,000
April 6, 20053:10 PM CDTF1Leake3.0200$250,000
April 6, 20058:26 AM CDTF1Leake23.0300$500 million
November 24, 20041:43 AM CSTF1Leake3.075$120,000
November 24, 20041:15 AM CSTF2Leake10.5400$300,000
April 24, 20038:47 PM CDTF0Leake0.325$10,000
November 10, 20027:30 PM CSTF2Attala10.01,000$140,000
November 24, 20016:25 AM CSTF1Leake0.250$1,000
February 21, 19974:10 AM CSTF2Leake1.0200$1.5 million
August 26, 19925:00 PM CDTF1Leake1.5150$5,000 to $50,000
November 19, 19887:45 PM CSTF2Leake12.0902$50,000 to $500,000
May 19, 19834:45 AM CDTF1Scott7.077$50,000 to $500,000
April 2, 198211:35 PM CSTF3Leake42.0400340$5 million to $50 million
February 23, 19773:20 PM CSTF3Leake11.41771$50,000 to $500,000
February 18, 19767:30 AM CSTF3Leake27.3200127$500,000 to $5 million
May 23, 19736:15 PM CDTF1Leake0.110$500 to $5,000
January 18, 19738:30 PM CSTF2Leake2.767$5,000 to $50,000
May 9, 19719:13 PM CDTF3Leake1.01013
October 13, 19707:00 AM CDTF2Leake0.1101
October 13, 19706:40 AM CDTF1Leake0.310
December 27, 19687:45 PM GMT-6F2Leake1.0100
December 2, 19678:30 AM GMT-6F3Warren82.3503$50,000 to $500,000
March 3, 19666:30 PM GMT-6F5Jackson tornado202.590058518$5 million to $50 million
January 21, 19599:45 AM GMT-6F3Leake26.110$5,000 to $50,000
February 26, 19585:40 PM GMT-6F3Simpson71.060134$500,000 to $5 million
March 27, 19507:45 AM GMT-6F2Hinds59.3507$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

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