Clarksdale

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Coahoma County, the county that contains Clarksdale.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

The drought index is for Coahoma County, the county that contains Clarksdale.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 30, 2009Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado crossed into the Jackson Point area from Phillips County, Arkansas and continued northeast. Several trees were snapped in the area. Approximately, 50-55 residences including mobile homes, houses, and hunting camps were damaged or destroyed. The tornado continued northeast crossing back into Phillips County, Arkansas.

2. Dec 21, 2013Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down in Rena Lara and tracked northeast. There was major damage to a mobile home where the fatality occurred. Two large garage sheds were completely destroyed. Two football light poles were bent and destroyed at the Cohoma County High School. There was roof and window damage to the elementary school on Bobo-Sharard Road. Several homes had minor roof damage and four homes had significant roof damage on County Road 332. Several trees were uprooted or snapped off along the path of the tornado. The tornado lifted just west of Clarksdale. The peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.

3. Mar 10, 2016Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several rounds of heavy rain resulting in flooding of the Big Sunflower River in Coahoma County. Several homes had to be evacuated near the river in Clarksdale. Eighty-five homes suffered minor flood damage while two mobile homes suffered major flood damage. One road received major damage.

4. Jul 30, 2009Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado continued northeast crossing over from Phillips County, Arkansas into Coahoma County, Mississippi and weakend. The tornado produced EF-1 damage near Burke Landing. Two hunting cabins were heavily damaged due to trees falling. An additional three to four houses were damaged. Several trees were knocked down in the area as well. The tornado continued northeast crossing back into Phillips County, Arkansas.

5. May 1, 2011Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Mississippi River rose to near record levels during the beginning and middle part of May. A few homes located right along the river were flooded and sustained damage but mostly forest area along the river was flooded. A few roads were flooded and/or damaged. Several hundred acres of fields were flooded. The river remained above flood stage through the end of the month.

6. Dec 23, 2015Tornado$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed over Northern Bolivar County and moved into Coahoma County. It strengthened and produced EF-3 damage south and east of Clarksdale where the two fatalities occurred. Twelve homes and two businesses were destroyed. Two homes also suffered minor damage. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado continued into Quitman County.

7. Jun 25, 2023Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous large trees and powerlines were knocked down in Clarksdale. There was damage to street signs, stop lights, and utility poles.

8. Dec 21, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Straight line winds caused widespread damage across Coahoma county. Many homes had minor damage with several receiving major damage. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down as well.

9. Oct 17, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Straight line winds shifted a home off its foundation south of Dublin near the Sunflower County line. One child was injured as a result. One agricultural shop and a couple of grain bins sustained major damage. Farm equipment inside the shop was damaged as a well.

10. Jun 10, 2021Flash Flood$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    One business and one home were flooded. Ten roads were flooded.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

109°FAug 8, 1935

All-time low

−8°FJan 12, 1918

Warmest night

85°F2 times, most recently Aug 27, 2000

Coldest day

9°FDec 23, 1989

Wettest day

9.61 inOct 11, 2001

Snowiest day

10.0 in4 times, most recently Jan 6, 1988

Hottest year

1938mean 66.9°F

Coldest year

1989mean 59.7°F

Wettest year

198974.68 in

Driest year

195429.89 in

Snowiest season

15.5 in1935-36

Station Clarksdale (USC00221707), 173 ft elevation, 0.8 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1892 to October 28, 2026; 86.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Coahoma County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00221707.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.