Choctaw County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Choctaw County: 8.
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.

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.

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 24, 2010Tornado$90.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado moved into Choctaw County and crossed Black Road around 128 pm. Here, minor damage occurred to a brick home. Tree damage in this area was more substantial and was in the upper EF2 range. Thousands of trees were uprooted and snapped. Many trees were also splintered in this area. The tornado then crossed Highway 413, just east of French Camp. The tornado reached high end EF3 intensity at this point and produced significant structural damage to a number of structures. Wind speeds ranged from 155 to 165 mph at this location. Three well built brick homes were nearly flattened with only 1 outer wall left standing. Other well built structures sustained major damage to the…

2. Aug 29, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Choctaw$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 10, 2008Tornado$3.0 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…

4. Jul 13, 2023Flash Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding occurred across Choctaw county with numerous roads flooded and some washed out. Particularly around the city of Ackerman, water rescues were required due to vehicles becoming stalled in high water as well as high water entering buildings. This included numerous buildings, one of which was a church, that was flooded along Main Street. An apartment complex in Ackerman required evacuation of numerous residents. One building had its roof destroyed by the weight of accumulated rainfall.

5. Dec 23, 1998Ice Storm, Choctaw$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A crippling ice storm struck the three state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi at one of the worst times, just before Christmas. Much of the fall and early winter season of late 1998 had been very mild for southerners. But on Tuesday December 22nd, a strong surge of shallow Arctic air drove southward and spelled a quick end to the unseasonable warmth and helped set the stage for one of winter's nasty tricks. A moist southwest flow above the cold air brought several upper level disturbances. This combination of cold air and moisture held together for several days and brought periods of freezing rain and sleet to the three state region, beginning tuesday night and not…

6. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado touched down in northern Choctaw County and eventually tracked across multiple counties as it moved northeast. Many thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted along the path of this tornado. Numerous roofs of homes were severely damaged. Numerous mobile homes were severely damaged and several mobile homes were completely destroyed. Numerous barns and sheds received heavy damage or were destroyed. Numerous power poles and power lines were down. Extensive damage occurred to a school in Cumberland in Webster County, and this was the basis for the EF-3 rating. Maximum winds were around 140 mph. Total path length across Choctaw, Webster, Clay, Chickasaw, and Monroe…

7. Apr 15, 2011Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Significant flash flooding occurred across the northern half of the county. Many roads were under water with ten roads having sections washed out. Five to seven inches of rain had fallen across this area.

8. Apr 27, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the central portion of the county. Some of these trees were down on homes and across roads. One tree fatally injured a person at Jeff Busby Park. This person was camping in a tent when the tree was knocked down.

9. Feb 9, 2011Heavy Snow, Choctaw$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy snow, between 3-4 inches fell across the county. Many accident were reported due to the slick roads.

10. May 6, 2009Tornado$350,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This tornado touched down just southeast of Weir and tracked just south of east to Highway 15. Hundreds of trees, both hardwood and softwood were snapped and uprooted along the path. At least 5 houses suffered minor to moderate roof damage from the winds. One church had shingle damage. One mobile home was destroyed by downed trees. Another mobile home had roof damage along with the skirting blown out. Maximum winds were around 110 mph.

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, 24.7 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.