Picayune

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.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

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 Pearl River County, the county that contains Picayune.

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.

River crests

River gauges in Pearl River County, the county that contains Picayune.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Pearl River County, the county that contains Picayune.

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.

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. Aug 28, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Pearl River$1.1 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest and most destructive hurricanes on record to impact the coast of the United States. It will likely be recorded as one the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States to date resulting in catastrophic damage and numerous casualties in southeast Louisiana and along the Mississippi coast. Damage and casualties resulting from Hurricane Katrina extended as far east as Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Katrina developed from a tropical depression southeast of the Bahamas on August 24th. After moving through the Bahamas as a tropical storm, Katrina strengthened to a category 1 hurricane prior to landfall in south Florida…

2. Oct 28, 2020Tropical Storm, Pearl River$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Zeta produced tropical storm force winds which downed scattered trees and power lines throughout the county. At the peak, over 10,000 customers representing 35 percent of the county, were without power.

3. Sep 25, 2002Tropical Storm, Pearl River$6.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical Storm Isidore moved steadily northward across the central Gulf of Mexico on September 24th and September 25th before making landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana during the early morning of September 26th. The tropical storm moved north across southeast Louisiana and by the evening of the 26th was located in central Mississippi where it was downgraded to a tropical depression. Tropical Storm Isidore had a large circulation with tropical storm force winds extending several hundred miles from its center. Prior to moving onto the Yucatan Peninsula earlier in the week and weakening, Isidore was classified as a major hurricane.The large circulation caused a significant storm…

4. Oct 29, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe thunderstorms produced damaging thunderstorm winds gusts across southern Pearl River County, particularly in the vicinity of Picayune. The thunderstorm wind gusts downed numerous trees and utility poles and caused damage to a few hundred homes and businesses in Picayune and surrounding areas of southern Pearl River County. Most of the property damage occurred when trees and large tree limbs were blown onto houses and businesses. Approximately 9,500 customers lost power during the storm.

5. Dec 25, 2012Tornado$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado initially touched down on Harris Road on the southwest side of McNeil causing EF0 and EF1 damage, where it snapped several pine trees. It moved northeastward and rapidly intensified, resulting in a small area of upper range EF-2 and low end EF-3 damage along Joe Smith Road and Sones Chapel Road. The worst damage occurred when a single story brick veneer triplex dwelling was destroyed with only two small interior walls standing. The tornado weakened after crossing Highway 11, causing mainly tree and minor roof damage, until it re-intensified in the far northeast corner of Pearl River County near Red Hill church Road. It caused upper range EF-1 damage as it was leaving…

6. Sep 27, 1998Hurricane (Typhoon), Pearl River$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Georges, a strong Category 2 hurricane moved slowly northwest across the Gulf of Mexico toward southeast Louisiana and coastal Mississippi on the September 25 and September 26. As the hurricane approached the mouth of the Mississippi River on September 27, it slowly turned toward the north making landfall along the Mississippi Coast just to the east of Biloxi, MS at 0400 CST on September 28. The hurricane moved only slowly north during the morning hours, at times becoming nearly stationary. The hurricane finally was downgraded to a tropical storm at 1500CST on September 28 when it was located north of Biloxi. The tropical storm then moved very slowly eastward into…

7. Oct 2, 2002Tropical Storm, Pearl River$1.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Lili, a major hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico, during the daylight hours of October 2, 2002 moved steadily northwest around 15 mph toward the Louisiana coast during the evening hour. The hurricane weakened rapidly to a Saffir Simpson Scale Category 1 Hurricane by the time it made landfall during the morning of October 3rd along the south central Louisiana coast. The hurricane moved north northwest across south central Louisiana before turning northeast across the northern portion of the Louisiana. While Hurricane Lili made landfall in south central Louisiana, tropical storm force wind gusts affected nearly all of south Mississippi during October 3rd as rainbands moved…

8. Aug 29, 2021Hurricane (Typhoon), Pearl River$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread minor to moderate damage to trees and homes was reported across the county. Most structural damage was exterior, such as shingle damage, carport damage, or fascia damage. However, some homes did suffer major damage due to falling trees. Several roads, including state Hwy 43, were blocked by trees or other storm debris. At the peak of the storm approximately 60% of the electric customers in the county were without power.

9. Jul 5, 2005Tropical Storm, Pearl River$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Cindy developed from a tropical depression that formed over the extreme western Caribbean Sea on July 3. This depression moved northwest over the Yucatan Peninsula and emerged over the south central Gulf of Mexico on July 4. On July 5th the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and moved north toward the southeast Louisiana coast and reached hurricane strength for a short period of time. Cindy made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a minimal hurricane early on July 6th just to the west of Grand Isle. Cindy then turned toward the northeast and weakened to a tropical storm as it moved onto the Mississippi coast before dissipating inland over central Alabama later…

10. Aug 29, 2012Flash Flood$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Rainbands associated with Tropical Storm Isaac produced torrential rainfall across the county. Extensive secondary roadway flooding was reported and some houses flooded. A number of water rescues were conducted due to the flooding. Interstate Highway 59 at mile marker 31 was closed for several hours due to flooding.

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

108°FAug 26, 2023

All-time low

8°FJan 22, 2025

Warmest night

86°FAug 10, 2023

Coldest day

32°FFeb 4, 1996

Wettest day

11.36 inMay 10, 1995

Snowiest day

5.0 inJan 21, 2025

Hottest year

2023mean 71.3°F

Coldest year

2014mean 66.4°F

Wettest year

199193.07 in

Driest year

200038.48 in

Station Slidell Airport (USW00053865), 25 ft elevation, 15.8 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1994 to October 27, 2026; 99.6% 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 Pearl River 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 USW00053865.
• 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.