Jefferson Davis County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Jefferson Davis County: 6.
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.

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), Jefferson Davis$115 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. Apr 12, 2020Tornado$18.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This violent, deadly tornado traveled 68 miles through parts of five counties including southeastern Jefferson Davis, central Covington, northwestern Jones, southeastern Jasper, and western Clarke counties. Locations impacted by this tornado include Bassfield, the areas between Collins and Seminary, Soso, Moss, Heidelberg, and Pachuta. This tornado is preliminarily rated EF4 with an estimated peak wind of 190 MPH east of Bassfield in southwestern Jefferson Davis County. Additional EF4 damage was noted near Soso in Jones County and at Moss in Jasper County. The maximum path width was 2.25 miles in the vicinity of Hughes Road west of Seminary in western Covington County. At this…

3. Apr 12, 2020Tornado$7.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This strong tornado traveled over 84 miles through parts of six counties including southern Lawrence, central Jefferson Davis, northern Covington, far northwestern Jones, far southeastern Smith, and Jasper counties. Some of the communities impacted include Oak Vale, the area north of Carson, the north side of Collins, Hot Coffee, Summerland, Stringer, and the west side of Paulding. This tornado is preliminarily rated EF3 with an estimated peak wind of 150 MPH near MS Highway 35 northeast of Carson in Jefferson Davis County. The maximum path width was 1.16 miles also near MS Highway 35 in Jefferson Davis County. No fatalities were reported in this tornado, but there was an…

4. Apr 12, 2020Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down near Jefferson Rd just east of the intersection with Jack Foil Rd in Walthall County. It quickly strengthened as it moved northeastward through the Hope area where it produced damage consistent with 115 mph winds. It also quickly grew in width and was roughly 1200 yd/0.67 mi wide by the time it approached Hwy 27. As it crossed Hwy 27 it continued to cause significant damage along East Sartinville Rd. The tornado was strongest as it approached James Ratcliff Rd. Two homes on this road were leveled, one being reduced to a slab. Consultation with subject matter experts including both engineers and experts in forensic tornado damage analysis supports raising…

5. Feb 11, 2010Heavy Snow, Jefferson Davis$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Up to 6 inches of snow fell across portions of Jefferson Davis County, with 6 inches reported just northeast of Oak Vale.

6. Aug 29, 2012Tropical Storm, Jefferson Davis$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   By late afternoon of the 29th several large limbs and trees were blown down across the county. By mid evening power outages were occurring near Bassfield and in the northwest part of the county. Additional trees and power lines were blown overnight due to the strong winds. By noon on the 30th, widespread trees and power lines were blown down across the county causing widespread power outages.

7. Dec 16, 2019Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado started just north-northwest of the town of Silver Creek off of Stephens Cemetery Road and then crossed Highway 43. A barn and shed were initially damaged along with some downed trees. Damage to trees increased along Highway 43 with several snapped. The tornado then moved into the Silver Creek bottom then crossed Daughdrill Road. where more trees were snapped/uprooted along with downed power lines. One home had minor roof damage with a group of 3 chicken houses damaged, and one house destroyed. The tornado then crossed into Jefferson Davis County and intensified. As it crossed Spring Hill Church Road, trees and power lines were down. One home on blocks was destroyed.…

8. Feb 3, 2011Ice Storm, Jefferson Davis$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A quarter inch of ice accumulated across the county with nearly all bridges iced over. Numerous accidents were reported. One indirect fatality occurred due to a vehicle accident.

9. Jan 19, 2008Heavy Snow, Jefferson Davis$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread three inches of snow fell across Jefferson Davis County. Some heavier amounts, around four inches, may have fallen across other portions of the county.

10. Aug 12, 2005Lightning$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning struck a Beauty Shop and caused the building to catch fire. Significant damage occurred to the shop.

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

113°FJun 7, 1915

All-time low

4°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Warmest night

83°FAug 2, 2022

Coldest day

19°FDec 23, 1989

Wettest day

13.70 inApr 7, 1983

Snowiest day

5.1 inDec 12, 2008

Hottest year

2023mean 71.2°F

Coldest year

1988mean 63.4°F

Wettest year

196195.90 in

Driest year

196339.98 in

Snowiest season

5.5 in2017-18

Station Columbia (USC00221865), 150 ft elevation, 22.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1903 to September 4, 2026; 95.1% 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 USC00221865.
• 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.