Hancock County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

High tide flooding

1. High tide flooding days are days on which a NOAA tide gauge recorded water at or above NOAA's minor flood threshold, set from the gauge's tide range, counted by meteorological year (May to April). These are the counts in NOAA's annual high tide flooding reports; they are not National Weather Service flood stages. Years with less than 80 percent of data are left out.

NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, through April 2026, 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, 2005Storm Surge/Tide, Hancock$3.4 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm surge damage across coastal Mississippi was catastrophic and approached or exceeded the surge associated with Hurricane Camille and impacted a much more extensive area. Almost total destruction was observed along the immediate coast in Hancock and Harrison Counties with storm surge damage extending north along bays and bayous to Interstate Highway 10 in some instances. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed by the storm surge. Most tide gages were destroyed by the storm surge so storm surge was determined primarily by post storm high water mark surveys conducted by FEMA. An estimated storm surge of approximately 23.0 feet occurred at the Hancock County EOC…

2. Aug 28, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Hancock$1.5 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…

3. Oct 28, 2020Hurricane (Typhoon), Hancock$40.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Zeta produced hurricane force winds with wind gusts nearing or exceeding 100 mph, especially near the coast. Away from the coast, most places experienced sustained tropical storm force winds with at least a few hurricane force wind gusts. Zeta's winds resulted in widespread damage across the county including snapped|trees, downed power lines and power poles. At the peak, about 77 percent of the county was without power. Hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses were also damaged, some from falling trees. One home collapsed when its 18ft pilings gave way in the wind. However, inspection of the structure suggests the pilings were not|properly reinforced. The county ordered…

4. Sep 27, 1998Hurricane (Typhoon), Hancock$20.0 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…

5. Oct 28, 2020Storm Surge/Tide, Hancock$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The county ordered mandatory evacuations of low lying areas near the coast and opened several shelters. Storm surge flooding resulted in hundreds of roads becoming impassible around Bay St. Louis. The Waveland (WYCM6) tide gauge measured a peak water level of 8.16ft MHHW. The Claiborne (EPCM6) tide gauge measured a peak water level of 9.22 ft NAVD88.

6. Sep 25, 2002Tropical Storm, Hancock$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…

7. Jul 5, 2005Tropical Storm, Hancock$3.8 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…

8. Aug 29, 2021Hurricane (Typhoon), Hancock$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The county experienced widespread tree damage and minor to moderate structure damage due to Ida���s winds and 4 confirmed tornadoes. Most signs along South Beach Blvd were also blown down or damaged. In total, county damage assessments indicate 96 public roads suffered damage along with 13 publicly owned buildings and 60 homes, including one mobile home that was completely destroyed. At the peak, roughly 6400 customers were without power due to the storm.

9. Aug 28, 2012Storm Surge/Tide, Hancock$2.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Isaac entered the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical storm on August 26, moving northwest after crossing Haiti, Cuba and the Florida Straits. Isaac moved slowly north northwest over the eastern Gulf . Isaac strengthened into a hurricane on the morning of the 28th when it was 75 miles south southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Isaac made landfall in Plaquemines Parish as a Category 1 Hurricane near Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River on the evening of the 28th. A second landfall occurred near Port Fourchon the following morning. The storm weakened to a tropical storm on the afternoon of the 29th about 50 miles west southwest of New Orleans, and weakened further…

10. Oct 2, 2002Tropical Storm, Hancock$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…

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

104°F5 times, most recently Aug 26, 2023

All-time low

1°FFeb 12, 1899

Warmest night

88°F2 times, most recently Aug 18, 1975

Coldest day

25°FFeb 12, 1899

Wettest day

11.30 inSep 28, 1998

Snowiest day

6.3 inFeb 15, 1895

Hottest year

2023mean 71.4°F

Coldest year

1895mean 64.9°F

Wettest year

202191.63 in

Driest year

193834.64 in

Station Biloxi (USC00220792), 10 ft elevation, 24.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 2, 2026; 96.4% 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 USC00220792.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Tide gauges NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, 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.