Simpson County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Simpson County: 16.
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.

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.

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), Simpson$100 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. Mar 26, 2009Tornado$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado first touched down just north of Mount Zion Road in Southwest Simpson County and continued northeast through the northwest side of Magee and then across the Smith County line before lifting near South County Road 503. Along the path, 60 homes were damaged or destroyed. A large, well-built church was destroyed. A warehouse was significantly damaged and a radio tower was snapped. Hundreds of hardwood and softwood trees were snapped and uprooted. The highest winds occurred at the church and nearby houses and trees just southwest of Magee along and just off Highway 28. Maximum winds were around 150 mph.||The EF3 rating was in Simpson County while the highest rated damage…

3. Jan 19, 2017Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado touched down just east of Magee along Highway 28 at the intersection of Pine Grove Road. The tornado snapped a few trees here, then quickly grew and intensified. In the first half to 1 mile along Pine Grove Road, numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along with power lines being knocked down and some power poles snapped. Multiple homes had minor to moderate roof damage and most|of these were along the edge of the tornado. However, there were a few that were more directly in the path. These sustained heavier damage with one home completely destroyed. The roof was blown off along with most of the outer wall off. Here peak intensity was reached with winds estimated at…

4. Nov 24, 2004Tornado$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado continued out of northern Lawrence county and moved into southwest Simpson county 5 miles southwest of the Shivers community. As this tornado tracked northeast, several hundred trees were uprooted and snapped. Several chicken houses sustained major damage along with a few totally destroyed. Three homes sustained major damage and nine mobile homes sustained major damage. This tornado tracked across several highways including State Highway 28 and 13. This tornado also crossed US Highway 49, 4 miles northwest of Magee. Here the tornado severely damaged the VFW Post 9122 building and rolled over an RV. This tornado weakened as moved a little more northeast and dissipated…

5. Feb 11, 2010Heavy Snow, Simpson$800,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Up to 5 inches of snow fell across portions of Simpson County, with 4.5 inches reported in Mendenhall.

6. Apr 4, 2011Tornado$550,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed west of Braxton, near Barney Smith Road, and moved east northeast through northern Simpson County, through the town of Braxton, and then lifted near St. John Road, east of Braxton. Many trees were snapped and uprooted along the path with some down on houses in a convergent pattern along its path. Some trees fell on vehicles and many power lines were blown down across roads. The tornado was a half to three quarters of a mile wide for most of its path. Maximum winds were around 100 mph.

7. Jun 4, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A 55-foot tall mobile oil well tower was blown over near MS Highway 28 and Mangum Garner Road. A 24-year old male worker on the tower died when the tower blew over.

8. Mar 29, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A macroburst occurred in northwest Simpson County along Old Pearl Road, Crisco Road and Lewis Road. Numerous hardwood and softwood trees were uprooted and snapped. Several trees were blown down on homes and outbuildings. Several power poles were snapped in the area, and several homes had significant roof damage.

9. Dec 28, 2024Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado began along Big Woods Rd where several trees were snapped and proceeded east northeastward resulting in additional tree damage and damaged multiple chicken houses along Jupiter Rd before it reached the city of Mendenhall. Several trees and utility lines were downed throughout the city, some fell on homes. Power poles were snapped. A shed was pushed over along Dixie Ave, the roofs were peeled from some buildings in the downtown area, and one roof was lofted into power lines along W Jackson Ave. The brick facade of a downtown church was blown down. East of the city, the tornado continued across US 49, Eugie Palmer Rd, Poplar Springs Rd, and Ponder Mason Rd, before it…

10. Jan 8, 2008Tornado$400,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This tornado touched down just northwest of Harrisville along Highway 469. Here, the most intense damage occurred where a large section of the roof of a framed house was removed. At this location, an outbuilding was destroyed and blown away along with numerous trees snapped and uprooted. The tornado then moved just north of due east, across northern Simpson County, downing trees and power lines, mainly EF0 type damage with another area of EF1 damage around Ainsworth Road. Here, some large trees were snapped and uprooted along with some shingle damage to a home and tin roof damage to some outbuildings occurred. The tornado then crossed US Highway 49 between Braxton and D'Lo,…

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

107°FAug 30, 2000

All-time low

2°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Warmest night

82°FAug 11, 2023

Coldest day

18°FDec 22, 1989

Wettest day

7.38 inApr 6, 2003

Snowiest day

6.0 inFeb 13, 1960

Hottest year

2023mean 68.8°F

Coldest year

1979mean 62.4°F

Wettest year

197992.75 in

Driest year

200734.82 in

Snowiest season

9.1 in1959-60

Station Jackson International Airport (USW00003940), 296 ft elevation, 30.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1963 to October 25, 2026; 99.9% 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.

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 USW00003940.
• 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.