Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi

Tornadoes in Simpson County, Mississippi

81 tornadoes have crossed Simpson County since 1950, 4 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 7th of the 82 counties in Mississippi with a tornado on record, an average of 1.1 a year. They have killed 59 people and injured 760. 5 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
81
Deaths
59
Injuries
760
F4 and above
5
Worst on record
F4, January 23, 1969

The deadliest in Simpson 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. F4, Pike, Lincoln, Lawrence and Simpson counties, MississippiJanuary 10, 19759 killed, 210 injured
  4. F3, Simpson, Smith and Jasper counties, MississippiNovember 27, 19942 killed
  5. F3, Simpson, Smith and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 4, 19571 killed, 75 injured
  6. F3, Simpson, Rankin, Scott and Leake counties, MississippiFebruary 26, 19581 killed, 34 injured
  7. F1, Simpson County, MississippiApril 26, 19661 killed, 10 injured
  8. F2, Simpson, Smith and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 25, 19801 killed, 8 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. F4, Pike, Lincoln, Lawrence and Simpson counties, MississippiJanuary 10, 1975F4, 56.5 mi (91 km)
  5. F4, Simpson County, MississippiMarch 26, 1976F4, 18.5 mi (30 km)
  6. F3, Simpson, Rankin, Scott and Leake counties, MississippiFebruary 26, 1958F3, 71.0 mi (114 km)
  7. F3, Simpson, Smith and Jasper counties, MississippiApril 4, 1957F3, 40.2 mi (65 km)
  8. F3, Simpson, Smith and Jasper counties, MississippiNovember 27, 1994F3, 40.0 mi (64 km)
  9. EF3, Simpson and Smith counties, MississippiDecember 16, 2019EF3, 18.6 mi (30 km)
  10. EF3, Simpson and Smith counties, MississippiMarch 26, 2009EF3, 17.4 mi (28 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 43 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Simpson County. Each year links to every tornado in Mississippi that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20264EF1
20254EF1
20243EF1
20236EF1
20223EF1
20212EF0
20201EF1
20194EF3
201721EF2
20163EF2
20151EF0
20131EF0
20111EF1
20102EF1
2009225EF3
20083EF1
20051F1
20042F2
200312F1
199622F1
199412F3
19931F0
1992212122F4
199021F2
19881F1
19871F2
1980118F2
1976219F4
197519210F4
19741F3
197311F2
19721F2
197033F2
1969132241F4
19671F0
19664111F1
19652F1
196114F2
19591F1
19581134F3
19571175F3
19552F2
195311F1

Every tornado that crossed Simpson County

81 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
April 25, 20262:50 AM CDTEF1Simpson1.7300
April 25, 20262:58 AM CDTEF1Simpson1.7250
April 25, 20263:04 AM CDTEF1Simpson2.7250
April 25, 20263:16 AM CDTEF0Simpson2.2100
March 31, 20255:37 AM CDTEF1Simpson3.3340$300,000
March 15, 202512:47 PM CDTEF0Simpson0.4100
January 5, 20258:32 PM CSTEF1Simpson4.0300$41,000
January 5, 20258:18 PM CSTEF0Lawrence6.075$16,000
December 28, 20247:17 PM CSTEF1Simpson10.5800$500,000
December 28, 20246:49 PM CSTEF1Copiah11.91,200$62,000
December 28, 20246:24 PM CSTEF1Simpson4.6350$15,000
December 9, 20239:18 PM CSTEF0Simpson13.9350$30,000
November 20, 20237:43 PM CSTEF0Simpson0.250$5,000
November 20, 20236:36 PM CSTEF0Simpson3.375$20,000
April 3, 20234:37 AM CDTEF1Simpson4.5430$20,000
February 8, 20238:22 PM CSTEF0Simpson4.2100$75,000
February 8, 20238:06 PM CSTEF1Simpson3.7300$40,000
December 14, 20227:58 AM CSTEF1Jefferson Davis6.5250$50,000
December 14, 20225:48 AM CSTEF1Copiah6.3150$10,000
April 17, 20227:00 PM CDTEF1Simpson0.875$5,000
May 18, 20213:53 PM CDTEF0Simpson1.5300$15,000
March 16, 20217:58 PM CDTEF0Simpson0.550$5,000
February 5, 20202:57 PM CSTEF1Simpson6.2150$200,000
December 16, 20195:19 PM CSTEF3Simpson18.61,320$705,000
April 18, 20193:01 PM CDTEF2Simpson9.4600$105,000
April 18, 20192:54 PM CDTEF1Simpson11.3400$6,000
April 18, 20192:36 PM CDTEF1Simpson28.4600$221,000
January 19, 20177:53 AM CSTEF2Smith19.35001$2.3 million
January 2, 20172:02 PM CSTEF1Simpson9.4400$200,000
February 23, 20164:46 PM CSTEF0Simpson0.640$13,000
February 15, 201612:10 PM CSTEF2Copiah30.3250$960,000
January 21, 20165:20 PM CSTEF1Simpson3.9300$17,000
April 18, 20156:08 PM CDTEF0Simpson0.025
September 20, 20139:57 PM CDTEF0Simpson3.250
April 4, 20115:36 PM CDTEF1Simpson7.41,320$550,000
November 23, 201011:35 AM CSTEF1Simpson2.175$200,000
November 23, 201010:30 AM CSTEF1Simpson8.0150$250,000
May 3, 200911:07 AM CDTEF1Jefferson Davis8.4400$262,000
March 26, 20091:36 AM CDTEF3Simpson17.450025$5.0 million
March 3, 20089:10 PM CSTEF1Simpson1.9150$300,000
March 3, 20089:01 PM CSTEF1Simpson0.475$5,000
January 8, 20085:37 PM CSTEF1Simpson19.4125$400,000
April 6, 20059:06 AM CDTF1Simpson7.050$4,000
November 24, 200412:54 AM CSTF2Lawrence28.0200$1.5 million
February 5, 200410:26 AM CSTF2Simpson10.0300$260,000
November 18, 20038:26 AM CSTF1Simpson23.52202$600,000
November 7, 199612:46 PM CSTF1Simpson13.04402$80,000
March 18, 19962:20 PM CSTF0Simpson2.570$4,000
November 27, 199410:15 PM CSTF3Simpson40.02002$500,000 to $5 million
March 30, 19935:30 PM CSTF0Simpson1.040
November 21, 199211:27 PM CSTF4Copiah128.088012122$5 million to $50 million
August 26, 19929:30 PM CDTF0Simpson2.0150$50 to $500
December 22, 199010:15 AM CSTF1Simpson5.01001$50,000 to $500,000
April 27, 19902:00 PM CDTF2Simpson5.0100$50,000 to $500,000
November 19, 198811:48 AM CSTF1Simpson2.043$5,000 to $50,000
November 16, 19873:28 PM CSTF2Simpson20.0100$50,000 to $500,000
April 25, 19806:50 PM CSTF2Simpson46.190018$500,000 to $5 million
March 29, 19762:05 PM CSTF4Copiah126.58808$500,000 to $5 million
March 26, 197611:55 PM CSTF4Simpson18.588011$500,000 to $5 million
January 10, 19758:14 AM CSTF4Pike56.52009210$5 million to $50 million
February 21, 19744:09 PM CDTF3Simpson14.210$5,000 to $50,000
March 11, 19731:25 AM CSTF2Simpson12.92501$5,000 to $50,000
January 9, 19729:05 PM CSTF2Simpson10.9200$5,000 to $50,000
December 23, 19707:15 PM CSTF1Simpson4.910$500 to $5,000
October 13, 19707:25 AM CDTF0Simpson0.110
October 13, 19706:15 AM CDTF2Simpson0.1503$5,000 to $50,000
January 23, 19695:25 AM GMT-6F4Jefferson117.820032241$50,000 to $500,000
July 5, 19673:55 PM GMT-5F0Simpson0.110
May 6, 19664:30 PM GMT-5F1Simpson0.110$500 to $5,000
May 3, 196610:30 AM GMT-5F1Simpson0.1101$5,000 to $50,000
April 26, 19662:00 PM GMT-5F1Simpson0.110$500 to $5,000
April 26, 19662:00 PM GMT-5F1Simpson0.110110$50,000 to $500,000
September 10, 19651:00 PM GMT-5F1Simpson0.110$500 to $5,000
July 14, 19655:30 PM GMT-5F1Simpson0.3100$500 to $5,000
February 20, 19615:30 PM GMT-6F2Jefferson Davis15.4734$50,000 to $500,000
March 11, 19599:00 AM GMT-6F1Simpson0.130$500 to $5,000
February 26, 19585:40 PM GMT-6F3Simpson71.060134$500,000 to $5 million
April 4, 19571:00 AM GMT-6F3Simpson40.2167175$50,000 to $500,000
April 12, 19556:30 PM GMT-6F2Simpson112.810$50,000 to $500,000
April 12, 19556:00 PM GMT-6F2Simpson57.610$500 to $5,000
March 22, 19533:00 PM GMT-6F1Simpson101.3101

Nearby

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