Adams County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Adams County: 0.
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.

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

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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 29, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Adams$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Katrina will likely go down as the worst and costliest natural disaster in United States history. The amount of destruction, the cost of damaged property/agriculture and the large loss of life across the affected region has been overwhelming. Catastrophic damage was widespread across a large portion of the Gulf Coast region. The devastation was not only confined to the coastal region, widespread and significant damage occurred well inland up to the Hattiesburg area and northward past Interstate 20. This hurricane has changed life as we know it across the Gulf Coast region which will take many years to return to normal.Hurricane Katrina was a very large and powerful storm…

2. Feb 26, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$30.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense line of thunderstorms or bow echo configuration moved across the Mississippi River and struck the city of Natchez. Strong outflow from the bow echo produced estimated winds of 80 to 100 miles an hour in the city. These strong winds damaged many of the historic buildings and peeled roofs off of many of the buildings. Numerous windows were broken out of buildings and debris was scattered over a three mile wide area. Four people were injured but none of the injuries were serious. Numerous trees were also blown down.

3. Dec 9, 2008Tornado$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado track started just south of the city limits of Natchez, tracked northeast across the southeast side of the city, and then moved into unincorporated areas east of the city. Numerous hardwood and softwood trees were snapped and uprooted along the path. Around 50 homes were damaged, mostly from trees falling on them. Six commercial buildings were damaged, mainly roof damage. One power pole was snapped and power lines were down in several locations along the path. Maximum winds were around 110 mph.

4. Sep 2, 2008Flash Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   After a few rounds of moderate rains from Hurricane Gustav, a persistent band of heavy storms moved into Adams County and produced flash flooding across the area. This round of heavy rain added a quick 3 to 6 inches to an area that had received 4 to 6 from previous rains. Many roads were under water and mud slides occurred in the steeper terrain.||The heavy rain also caused crop damage as many crops were water logged or were damaged by flooded farm land.

5. May 3, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Significant wind damage occurred across a large portion of Adams County. Winds were rated as high as 80 to 90 mph with a large bowing segment of a progressive derecho. Hundreds of trees and numerous power lines were downed across the county. According to Emergency Manager, 41 structures were damaged across the county. Structural damage was a mix of major to minor and were mostly damaged by fallen trees, but many were also damaged by the intense winds.

6. Sep 1, 2008Tropical Storm, Adams$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tropical storm force winds occurred across Adams County as the outer edges of Hurricane Gustav moved across southern Louisiana. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Tree damage was widespread across the county as wind gusts peaked between 50 and 60 mph for several hours. Many roads were blocked by downed trees and the power outages were extensive and lasted for several days. Sustained winds were around 40 mph.

7. Aug 18, 2010Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extreme heavy rain occurred across portions of southern Adams County as the remnants of TD5 slowly moved across the area. Rainfall totals between 5 and 10 inches fell across this area during the morning hours. Significant flash flooding occurred across the Sibley area. Many roads were flooded with several washed out with a bridge damaged along Bourke Road. Some homes and a few businesses were flooded and several mudslides occurred due to the extensive rainfall.

8. Feb 11, 2010Heavy Snow, Adams$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Up to 6 inches of snow was reported across portions of Adams County, with 6 inches reported in Natchez.

9. Nov 1, 2018Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed along a line of severe thunderstorms that progressed from southwest to northeast across Adams County during the early morning hours. The tornadic damage was mainly seen between Highway 61 and Morgantown Road, along the north side of Natchez. Only a few shingles were removed from the majority of homes, however downed power lines, snapped utility poles and snapped trees bore strong characteristics of tornado damage. Additionally, it was the loss of over 50 percent of a roof of a single home that led to the EF-2 rating. Maximum estimated winds were 115 mph.

10. Nov 1, 2018Tornado$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This tornado developed along Robins Lake Rd. and moved northeastward across Deer Lake Rd., Timberlake Rd., Lower Woodville Rd., and Grove Acres Rd. before crossing US Highway 61. A large metal shed was heavily damaged as the tornado continued northeast and then through the Meadows subdivision and passed north of the Beau Pre Country Club before crossing Cherry Grove Plantation Road and ended just beyond Kingston Rd. Along the path, numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. About 3/4 of the roof of a home was removed along Robins Lake Rd. On Lower Woodville Rd., a mobile home was shifted off its foundation, had multiple windows broken, and had some walls removed with debris blown…

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

105°F5 times, most recently Aug 9, 1935

All-time low

4°F2 times, most recently Jan 27, 1940

Warmest night

87°FJul 9, 1995

Coldest day

20°F2 times, most recently Dec 23, 1989

Wettest day

10.51 inMay 1, 1954

Snowiest day

9.5 inJan 23, 1940

Hottest year

1911mean 69.8°F

Coldest year

2014mean 62.3°F

Wettest year

191984.67 in

Driest year

192434.24 in

Snowiest season

9.5 in1939-40

Station Natchez (USC00226177), 195 ft elevation, 3.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1892 to October 27, 2026; 94.0% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USC00226177.
• 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.