Union County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Union County: 4.
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.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by NASA (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 5, 2025Tornado$1.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed into Union County near Flatwood. Trees and a few homes/outbuildings sustained damage along McLaughlin Road and County Road 102, as well as in the Bald Hill and Fairview areas. The tornado weakened as it crossed Highway 15, with damage becoming more sporadic. The circulation was still relatively weak as it crossed Interstate 22 southeast of New Albany, but a semi truck was overturned. Minor damage to homes, trees, and utility poles was observed on the eastern side of New Albany from Highway 348 to Highway 30, mainly east of Sub Station Road. Mostly tree damage was observed as the tornado moved northeast through Keownville, though a few homes had minor roof…

2. May 2, 2010Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain produced flash flooding across Union County. Twenty-eight roads and one bridge sustained major damage. Fifteen businesses and one public building received damage from flooding as well. In addition, fourteen homes and six mobile homes sustained minor damage.

3. Jan 23, 2026Ice Storm, Union$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Sleet accumulation up to 1 inch, followed by 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice.

4. May 27, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hole in the roof of the Health and Rehab Center. Several homes damaged along county roads 73 and 75 north of New Albany. Some home suffered damage along county road 107 south of the city. More damage occurred on Highway 15 near Ingomar. One distinct home suffered roof and column damage in New Albany.

5. Mar 1, 1997Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A second tornado developed in Calhoun county near Banner. This tornado also tracked northeast through extreme southeast Lafayette county, through the northwest part of Pontotoc county and through the middle of Union county. While damage occurred in all four counties, the most damage took place in Union county near the town of Martintown. All told 17 persons were injured. Ninety-one homes were damaged with forty-nine of these homes deemed uninhabitable.

6. Jan 3, 2000Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado first developed just south of Highway 315 in the community of Hawkins Crossing and moved northeast across the northeast corner of Yalobusha county. The tornado continued into southwest Lafayette county and continued to travel northeast ending in Union county. In the town of Pinedale in southwest Union county, a new brick and vinyl siding home was obliterated. The debris extended up to 400 yards where a large freezer landed in a lake. A nearby pickup truck was rolled 20 yards and sustained extensive damage. Trees two to three feet in diameter were completely uprooted. In the town of Enterprise, a mobile home was completely destroyed and a conventional home sustained…

7. Apr 3, 2018Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Damage reported to several businesses , signs, and roofs in New Albany.

8. Jul 3, 2015Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Very heavy rain caused widespread flash flooding across Union County. Multiple roads were closed including County Road 115, County Road 45, County Road 51, County Road 238, County Road 16, County Road 180 and Highway 178. County Road 238 was washed out in areas. The Little Tallahatchie River flooded into Downtown New Albany. The park adjacent to the river was closed due to flooding. Six houses were evacuated due to flooding. Eight businesses were flooded as well. A trained spotter reported a total of 9.95 inches of rain for the event.

9. May 2, 2008Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado first touched down in the Enterprise community in Western Union County near County Road 46 where a couple of sheds were destroyed and trees were uprooted. The intensifying tornado moved northeast causing damage to the roofs and exterior walls of several homes. The tornado was at its most powerful as it crossed State Highway 30. A gas station canopy and sign along with several large buildings were damaged. One large metal building suffered moderate damage. There was roof damage to a church and the steeple was knocked down. Many trees were knocked down and several power poles were snapped. A large bus was flipped on to its side. The tornado lifted near County Road 51 or…

10. Dec 16, 2019Tornado$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The first damage was observed to trees along Highway 348. The tornado was intermittently on the ground for the first six miles of its track, causing sporadic tree damage. The tornado intensified as it crossed County Road 172, with trees uprooted. As the tornado crossed Highway 9, several structures were damaged. Some were damaged by falling trees. Trees were also uprooted or trunks snapped. The last damage was observed along County Road 174 east of Highway 9. A total of 12 homes suffered damage. Peak winds were estimated at 90 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

107°FAug 15, 2007

All-time low

−12°FJan 30, 1966

Warmest night

80°F3 times, most recently Jul 3, 2024

Coldest day

10°FDec 22, 1989

Wettest day

7.89 inMay 26, 1991

Snowiest day

8.0 inMar 22, 1968

Hottest year

2023mean 65.9°F

Coldest year

1976mean 59.2°F

Wettest year

199181.05 in

Driest year

198130.98 in

Snowiest season

11.0 in1967-68

Station Tupelo Regional Airport (USW00093862), 340 ft elevation, 20.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1962 to October 26, 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 USW00093862.
• 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.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• 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.