Attala County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Attala County: 2.
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.

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.

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 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. Apr 24, 2010Tornado$60.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado then moved into western Attala County from just east of Durant in Holmes County. The tornado re-intensified somewhat and began causing significant tree damage in rural western Attala County. The tornado continued across Attala County, causing tree and power line damage,and heavily damaging a number of rural residences, including in the community of Hesterville. The tornado continued to the northeast and crossed the Natchez Trace Parkway. Here numerous trees were damaged and thrown across the Parkway. The maximum intensity in Attala County was EF2 with maximum winds around 130 mph.

2. Aug 29, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Attala$50.0 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…

3. Jan 1, 2011Tornado$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado began in the vicinity of State Highway 12, east southeast of Durant. The tornado moved roughly east-northeast, initially producing damage of EF1 intensity to trees, and damaging the roof of at least one home. As the tornado approached State Highway 19, it intensified and began causing extensive tree damage, snapping and uprooting hundreds of trees. After crossing Highway 19, it caused extensive damage to a church conference center, heavily damaging the roof of the main church building and causing major damage to several camp buildings. In this area, the tornado also caused significant roof damage to several homes and destroyed a number of outbuildings. From here, the…

4. Feb 16, 2001Thunderstorm Wind$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major derecho storm caused significant damage across much of the northern half of the county. Serious wind damage was reported from Possumneck to Hesterville to north of Kosciusko to Ethel to McCool. Damage in the county included three houses and three mobile homes destroyed, 30 houses and 12 mobile homes sustained major damage, and 101 houses and six mobile homes sustained minor damage. At least 20 farm structures received major damage. Several schools, businesses, and farm buildings received minor damage. Thousands of trees were blown down along a 15-mile stretch of the Natchez Trace in the northeastern part of the county. Many trees blocked the Natchez Trace and other roads…

5. Apr 4, 2001Flash Flood$1.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A significant flash flooding event occurred due to the training of thunderstorms with heavy rain across most of the county during much of the day. The first reports of street flooding occurred at 1610 CST as several roads in the city of Kosciusko were becoming impassable. The flooding continued throughout the evening hours across much of the county as the heavy rains continued. The damage totals due to flooding in the county included major damage to 60 houses, 15 mobile homes, 15 businesses, 225 public roads, and 7 bridges. Minor damage occurred to 40 houses, 10 mobile homes, 16 businesses, 105 public roads, and 6 bridges. A total of 57 culverts had to be replaced on roads across…

6. Jan 10, 2008Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado started, just west of Ethel, with a path of tree damage which intensified shortly after the beginning point. In some areas nearly every tree was snapped off or uprooted. The tornado reached its widest point as it crossed the Natchez Trace Parkway, where dozens of trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado caused significant structural damage to several buildings just to the southwest of McCool. One cinder block constructed building sustained nearly total destruction from a combination of a very large hardwood tree falling on it, along with other wind damage. A room addition to the back of a frame home was removed. After the tornado passed McCool, it narrowed and…

7. Nov 29, 2010Tornado$900,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The initial damage where the tornado developed was limited to some minor tree damage along Buddy Odom Road. The tornado tracked north northeast and rapidly became strong, with EF2 and low end EF3 damage occurring along the rest of the path. The tornado affected Shiloh and Buddy Odom Roads as well as State Highway 429 in Leake County; and County Roads 4022, 4033, 4126, 4045, 4171, 4142 and State Highway 14 in Attala County. Several mobile homes, including at least two double wides, were completely destroyed at several locations along the path, with debris carried well away from the remains. Impressive tree damage occurred at numerous locations along the path, including a couple of…

8. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$550,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado started southwest of Sallis near County Road 4106 where a large tree was uprooted and a few small trees were snapped. Two power poles were also snapped. The tornado continued north-northeast to County Highway 4110 where a couple of trees were snapped along with a few power poles. The tornado was rated an EF-2 at this point. The tornado continued north-northeast and a home was pushed off its blocks off of Highway 19. Tin was completely torn off a roof at a church camp off of County Highway 4227. Several power poles were snapped along with hundreds of trees snapped and uprooted. The tornado was rated an EF-2 at this point as well. A mobile home and a shed was destroyed…

9. Jun 14, 2023Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   High downburst winds from a supercell thunderstorm caused a swath of damage to trees and power lines with estimated speeds of 80 to 90 mph focused across central portions of Attala County. Numerous trees were blown down in the Kosciusko area and on MS Highway 35 north and south of the city. A tree fell onto a vehicle southwest of the city along MS Highway 14.

10. Apr 6, 2005Flash Flood$400,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several rounds of thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall across portions of Attala county. Around the Sallis Community, a few roads were washed out and water was rising over a local bridge.

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°FAug 31, 2000

All-time low

−9°FJan 30, 1966

Warmest night

79°FJul 5, 2024

Coldest day

8°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

9.07 inMar 16, 1973

Snowiest day

9.0 in2 times, most recently Mar 23, 1968

Hottest year

1953mean 65.6°F

Coldest year

1968mean 58.3°F

Wettest year

198379.95 in

Driest year

195435.91 in

Snowiest season

9.0 in1959-60

Station Winona 5 E (USC00229743), 392 ft elevation, 29.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1953 to December 11, 2025; 92.7% 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 USC00229743.
• 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.