Coahoma County
Population 19,849 (2025) 553 sq mi
Coahoma County has recorded 27 tornadoes since 1950, 55th most of 82 counties in Mississippi; the most recent was on December 23, 2015.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195027
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger14
- Major flood years since 19783
At a glance
The record for Coahoma County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes since 1950
27
55th of 82 in Mississippi
Fewer than the typical Mississippi county, which has had 36
DetailsTropical cyclones within 50 mi
10
69th of 82 in Mississippi
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
EF3
December 23, 2015, 61.6 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 1.0 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 2.8 years since 1950, 3 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
December 23, 2015
EF3, 61.6 mile path
800 yards wide; 2 killed along the whole path.
Deadliest
April 29, 1963
5 killed, F3
10 injured along the whole path.
Most recent
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
EF3, 61.6 mile path
11 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF3 | 61.6 | 28 | 2 |
| Dec 21, 2013 | EF2 | 10.1 | 2 | 1 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF0 | 30.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF0 | 27.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2009 | EF2 | 33.4 | 0 | 0 |
| May 6, 2009 | EF1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F1 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 9, 1994 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 19, 1991 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 19, 1988 | F1 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 1984 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2, 1984 | F1 | 7.0 | 13 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 1984 | F1 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 12, 1978 | F2 | 33.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 24, 1976 | F3 | 24.6 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 16, 1974 | F2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 3, 1972 | F1 | 4.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 27, 1971 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 1969 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 19, 1964 | F2 | 21.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 5.7 | 10 | 5 |
| Jun 11, 1959 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 1 |
| Oct 28, 1955 | F2 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec 5, 1953 | F2 | 8.2 | 11 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 1953 | F1 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Coahoma County: 9.
- 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
10 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
August 20, 1888
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
1.0 miles at closest approach, winds near 67 mph.
Most recent
October 26, 2019
Olga, Post-tropical
46.0 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
| Olga | 2019 | 46.0 | Post-tropical |
| Camille | 1969 | 20.9 | Tropical storm |
| Audrey | 1957 | 15.2 | Tropical storm |
| Baker | 1950 | 100.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1941 | 77.7 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1934 | 37.2 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1932 | 34.2 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1923 | 71.5 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1923 | 16.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1916 | 28.2 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1909 | 25.4 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1906 | 31.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1905 | 51.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1888 | 1.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1860 | 39.7 | Tropical storm |
- 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.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 66 days
Heavy smoke on 5 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
17.6 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
10 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 38 so far in 2026.
- 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.
Floods and flood insurance
333 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $6.8 million paid.
Most claims in one year
2016: 51 claims
$3.3 million paid.
2nd most
2011: 45 claims
$1.7 million paid.
3rd most
1991: 39 claims
$258,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 38614 | 166 | $4.5 million |
| 38645 | 30 | $364,000 |
| 38639 | 27 | $132,000 |
| 38617 | 22 | $89,000 |
| 38644 | 21 | $266,000 |
| 38720 | 16 | $383,000 |
| 38767 | 16 | $412,000 |
| 38626 | 11 | $118,000 |
| 38631 | 9 | $393,000 |
| 6 | $51,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood18
- Flood5
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.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 75 of 1,581 months since 1895 (5%); the longest spell lasted 10 months.
75
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
22
Months in extreme drought
5%
Share of all months, severe or worse
40
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 1925
−4.98, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
10 months
June 1954 to March 1955.
Latest month
September 2026
−4.72, extreme drought
- 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.
Earthquakes
2 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.6 in 1931.
1
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
4
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
2
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
December 16, 1931
Magnitude 4.6
South of Charleston, Mississippi; 23.9 miles away.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
October 29, 2012
Magnitude 3.9
8 km SW of Parkin, Arkansas; 47.2 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Jun 4, 1967 | 4.3 | 31.7 |
| Dec 16, 1931 | 4.6 | 23.9 |
- 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).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
497 events in the National Weather Service record, 403 of them since 1996.
33
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
5
Hail, 2 inches or larger
69
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
33
Winter weather events since 1996
158
Heat events since 1996
8
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
February 13, 2000
2.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
May 10, 2008
110 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Jun 10, 2021Flash Flood$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
One business and one home were flooded. Ten roads were flooded.
- 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.
Weather records
From Clarksdale, 2.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1892.
- 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
Median first snow
January 9
Earliest: November 15, 2018
Median last snow
January 27
Latest: March 23, 1968
42 of 84 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Clarksdale (USC00221707), 173 ft elevation, 2.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1892 to October 25, 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.
Federal disaster declarations
23 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, February 6, 2026.
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | DR-4899-MS |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3640-MS |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Hurricane | DR-4626-MS |
| Aug 28, 2021 | Hurricane | EM-3569-MS |
| Apr 16, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4536-MS |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4528-MS |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3474-MS |
| Apr 23, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4429-MS |
| Mar 25, 2016 | Flood | DR-4268-MS |
| Jan 4, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4248-MS |
| May 11, 2011 | Flood | DR-1983-MS |
| May 4, 2011 | Flood | EM-3320-MS |
| Apr 29, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1972-MS |
| Aug 30, 2008 | Hurricane | EM-3291-MS |
| Aug 29, 2005 | Hurricane | DR-1604-MS |
| Dec 7, 2001 | Severe Storm | DR-1398-MS |
| Feb 23, 2001 | Severe Storm | DR-1360-MS |
| Feb 18, 1994 | Severe Storm | DR-1009-MS |
| May 17, 1991 | Severe Storm | DR-906-MS |
| Mar 5, 1991 | Flood | DR-895-MS |
| Feb 28, 1990 | Severe Storm | DR-859-MS |
| Apr 24, 1978 | Tornado | EM-3063-MS |
| Mar 27, 1973 | Severe Storm | DR-368-MS |
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.
How this compares
Where Coahoma County stands among 82 counties in Mississippi and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 27 | 55 / 82 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 3 | 53 / 82 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 10 | 69 / 82 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 333 | 20 / 82 |
| Flood insurance paid | $6.8 million | 16 / 82 |
| Disaster declarations | 23 | 54 / 82 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 23 | 62 / 82 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 130 | 69 / 82 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 33 | 10 / 82 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $8.7 million | 69 / 82 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 0 | — |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 75 | 77 / 82 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 17.6 | 2 / 82 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 2 | 3 / 82 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 1 | 7 / 82 |
Neighbouring counties
| Bolivar County | 57 | 10 |
| Phillips County AR | 26 | 7 |
| Quitman County | 12 | 9 |
| Sunflower County | 34 | 11 |
| Tallahatchie County | 22 | 11 |
| Tunica County | 13 | 8 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- 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.