Washington County

Population 40,446 (2025) 724 sq mi

Property owners in Washington County have filed 1,955 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 6th most of 82 counties in Mississippi.

Hazard fingerprint for Washington County Tornado: 57th percentile. Tropical: 57th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 69th percentile. Hail & wind: 54th percentile. Heat: 43th percentile. Cold: 9th percentile. Winter: 21th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 195032
  • Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger22
  • Major flood years since 197810

At a glance

The record for Washington County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Flood insurance claims

1,955

6th of 82 in Mississippi

$37.0 million paid since 1978

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

32

47th of 82 in Mississippi

About as many as the typical Mississippi county

Details

Tropical cyclones within 50 mi

10

69th of 82 in Mississippi

None at hurricane strength since 1851

Details

Strongest tornado

F5

February 21, 1971, 109.2 mile path

Strongest tropical cyclone

TS

Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 0.0 miles away

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

4.6magnitude

December 16, 1931, 42.4 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

30

Most recent: Severe Winter Storm, 2026

Details

Record high

110°F

August 17, 1909

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 2.4 years since 1950, 4 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

February 21, 1971

F5, 109.2 mile path

500 yards wide; 47 killed along the whole path.

Most recent

Saturday, January 11, 2020

EF2, 17.7 mile path

6 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 3 3 1960s: 5 5 1970s: 7 7 1980s: 2 2 1990s: 4 4 2000s: 8 8 2010s: 2 2 2020s: 1 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 3 F: 5 M: 2 A: 9 9 M: 1 J: 3 J: 0 A: 0 S: 2 O: 2 N: 4 D: 1 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Washington County since 1950
Jan 11, 2020EF217.785010
Apr 18, 2017EF00.04000
Apr 18, 2013EF00.35000
Oct 9, 2009EF12.010021
May 2, 2008EF03.05000
Apr 7, 2006F01.05000
Nov 28, 2005F01.03000
Sep 24, 2005F00.510000
Sep 24, 2005F22.030000
Nov 24, 2001F430.3880480
Feb 24, 2001F237.044000
Jan 21, 1999F01.05000
Jan 21, 1999F13.05000
Mar 9, 1992F420.088010
Apr 19, 1991F112.010000
Apr 4, 1989F00.35000
Oct 17, 1980F251.220000
Apr 17, 1978F43.610030
Feb 17, 1976F26.26000
Apr 22, 1974F222.41030
Dec 4, 1973F212.53060
Apr 21, 1972F10.510000
Feb 21, 1971F5109.250051047
Jun 4, 1970F00.11000
Jun 19, 1969F20.11010
Nov 10, 1966F10.11000
Jun 28, 1966F10.11000
Feb 9, 1965F10.11000
Nov 19, 1964F211.91000
Apr 3, 1957F111.91040
Mar 22, 1953F2234.7200222
Feb 20, 1953F21.010020
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Washington County: 1.
  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.

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

0.0 miles at closest approach, winds near 69 mph.

Most recent

August 27, 2020

Laura, Tropical storm

84.6 miles at closest approach.

Tropical cyclones within 50 miles by decade 50s: 0 60s: 1 70s: 0 80s: 1 90s: 0 00s: 2 2 10s: 1 20s: 1 30s: 2 40s: 0 50s: 1 60s: 1 70s: 0 80s: 0 90s: 0 00s: 0 10s: 0 20s: 0 50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s
Storms within 50 miles, by decade. Records before about 1900 miss storms that never reached land or ships.

Every storm within 100 miles

Tropical cyclones within 100 miles
Laura202084.6Tropical storm48Category 4
Olga201952.7Post-tropical49Tropical storm
Katrina200598.0Tropical storm55Category 5
Isidore200279.3Tropical storm43Category 3
Elena198585.0Tropical storm48Category 3
Edith197199.7Tropical storm48Category 4
Camille196935.5Tropical storm62Category 5
Audrey19573.4Tropical storm46Category 3
Unnamed194192.1Tropical storm40Category 3
Unnamed193416.2Tropical storm43Category 2
Unnamed193216.8Tropical storm41Tropical storm
Unnamed192390.7Tropical storm45Tropical storm
Unnamed19231.8Tropical storm53Category 1
Unnamed192097.7Tropical storm44Category 2
Unnamed191627.7Tropical storm46Category 3
Unnamed191597.5Post-tropical58Category 4
Unnamed190913.9Tropical storm60Category 3
Unnamed190666.3Tropical storm46Category 3
Unnamed19052.1Tropical storm40Tropical storm
Unnamed18880.0Tropical storm69Category 3
Unnamed188697.5Tropical storm40Category 3
Unnamed187966.4Tropical storm58Category 3
Unnamed187998.2Tropical storm44Category 2
Unnamed186028.6Tropical storm52Category 2
  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.

Wildfire and smoke

No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 67 days

Heavy smoke on 4 days in 2023, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

16.5 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

9 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 34 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 9 2012: 7 2013: 3 2014: 2 2015: 1 2016: 1 2017: 3 2018: 5 2019: 4 2020: 6 2021: 28 2022: 29 2023: 67 67 2024: 13 2025: 9 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

1,955 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $37.0 million paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1978: 5 1979: 105 1982: 16 1983: 131 1984: 78 1985: 6 1989: 9 1990: 8 1991: 176 1993: 6 1994: 61 1995: 92 1996: 9 1997: 100 1998: 34 1999: 15 2000: 14 2001: 24 2002: 45 2003: 11 2004: 12 2005: 22 2008: 421 421 2009: 30 2011: 117 2012: 6 2013: 10 2014: 6 2016: 197 2017: 5 2018: 35 2019: 96 2020: 20 1978198519941999200420122018
Claims per year since 1978. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

2008: 421 claims

$9.2 million paid.

2nd most

2016: 197 claims

$4.0 million paid.

3rd most

1991: 176 claims

$1.0 million paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
387031,017$20.8 million
38701673$11.2 million
3875687$1.1 million
77$649,000
3870234$1.5 million
3874830$249,000
3870410$60,000
387228$197,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Flash Flood59
  • Flood6

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 118 of 1,581 months since 1895 (7%); the longest spell lasted 17 months.

118

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

21

Months in extreme drought

7%

Share of all months, severe or worse

14

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

July 1925

−5.25, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

17 months

July 2010 to November 2011.

Latest month

September 2026

−4.44, extreme drought

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 5 1897: 9 1898: 2 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 4 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 6 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 2 1925: 8 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 1 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 0 1935: 0 1936: 8 1937: 1 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 0 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 6 1944: 1 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 5 1953: 1 1954: 4 1955: 1 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 3 1964: 0 1965: 1 1966: 3 1967: 3 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 2 1982: 1 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 1 1986: 7 1987: 0 1988: 0 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 1 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 4 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 6 2011: 11 11 2012: 4 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

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

6

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; 42.4 miles away.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

January 8, 2019

Magnitude 3.7

8 km WNW of Hollandale, Mississippi; inside the county.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 1 1 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 1 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 0 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 1 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 1 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 1 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 1 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Jun 4, 19674.34.63.77 km SW of Shaw, Mississippi
Dec 16, 19314.642.4—South of Charleston, Mississippi
  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.

Severe weather and other events

627 events in the National Weather Service record, 475 of them since 1996.

100

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

7

Hail, 2 inches or larger

190

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

30

Winter weather events since 1996

7

Heat events since 1996

2

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

April 1, 1974

3.00 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

June 19, 2019

90 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning300Oct 6, 2013

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Sep 3, 2008Flash Flood$10.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    During the late afternoon and evening of the 3rd, a heavy band of storms developed across the region and produced 5 to 9 inches of rainfall in 3 to 5 hours. This additional rainfall made the total across Washington County between 7 and 11 inches for the entire 3 day event. This extreme rainfall flooded numerous roads, many which were closed or even washed out. Some 250 to 270 structures were flooded with flood damage ranging from minor to major. Flood damage was widespread and significant for this area.||Agriculture was hard hit as well. Farmland was flooded and entire crops were lost or significantly damaged. Any crops that were salvaged produced low yields.

  2. May 5, 2011Flood$5.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland and urban areas around the river. All of the flood waters were within the mainline levee. Sixty one homes were destroyed, 18 sustained major damage and 63 sustained minor damage. One mobile home and 1 business were destroyed, with 19 businesses sustaining minor damage. Twenty four roads had major damage, and 3 public buildings were destroyed.

  3. Nov 24, 2001Tornado$3.5 million
  4. Mar 9, 1997Flood, Washington$1.4 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Mississippi River when above flood stage around the 9th of March and crested between the 21st and 26th. Considerable damage occurred on the Mississippi side of the river. The following is a summary of property damage for each county. Bolivar County - at total of 68 homes and mobile homes were damaged. Claiborne county a total of 5 homes and mobile homes were damaged. Issaquena county a total of 23 homes and mobile homes were damaged. Jefferson county at total of 9 home and mobile homes were damaged. Warren county a total of 177 homes and mobile homes were damaged. Washington county a total of 68 homes and mobile homes were damaged. Adams county had no damage to dwellings.…

  5. Dec 23, 1998Ice Storm, Washington$1.2 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A crippling ice storm struck the three state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi at one of the worst times, just before Christmas. Much of the fall and early winter season of late 1998 had been very mild for southerners. But on Tuesday December 22nd, a strong surge of shallow Arctic air drove southward and spelled a quick end to the unseasonable warmth and helped set the stage for one of winter's nasty tricks. A moist southwest flow above the cold air brought several upper level disturbances. This combination of cold air and moisture held together for several days and brought periods of freezing rain and sleet to the three state region, beginning tuesday night and not…

  6. May 15, 2008Flash Flood$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain fell across the southern and southeast portion of Washington County during the early morning hours of the 15th. This area received 3 to 5 inches of rain as slow moving storms tracked across the area. Many roads were flooded along with 7 homes taking in water.

  7. Sep 24, 2005Tornado$680,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    This strong tornado touched down a few miles southeast of Downtown Greenville on Dodd Road. The tornado tracked 2 miles to the northwest, crossed Highway 82 and dissipated at the Delta Village mobile home park. Ten mobile homes were significantly damaged or destroyed, 15 sheds were destroyed and 3 more were damaged. One barn was destroyed along with 2 carports heavily damaged. One business had its roof blown off and a nearby tower was blown over. Additionally, numerous power poles and power lines were taken down along the path.

  8. Aug 29, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Washington$500,000
    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…

  9. Jun 14, 2023Hail$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Hail up to the size of golf balls fell in a swath across the Wayside, Arcola, and Darlove areas.

  10. Jun 11, 2023Hail$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Hail up to the size of hen eggs fell in Arcola.

  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.

Weather records

From Portland, 29.7 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1909.

All-time high
110°FAug 17, 1909
All-time low
−4°FJan 19, 1930
Warmest night
87°FJul 9, 1998
Coldest day
14°FJan 16, 2024
Wettest day
10.08 inMar 10, 2016
Snowiest day
12.5 inDec 22, 1929
Hottest year
1921mean 68.0°F
Coldest year
2014mean 60.6°F
Wettest year
201985.75 in
Driest year
201030.08 in
Snowiest season
21.5 in1929-30
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Portland 32°F 54° 32° 5.3 Jan 58° 36° 5.1 Feb 67° 44° 5.4 Mar 76° 52° 5.4 Apr 83° 62° 5.0 May 90° 70° 3.8 Jun 92° 72° 3.9 Jul 93° 71° 3.7 Aug 88° 64° 3.6 Sep 79° 52° 3.9 Oct 66° 42° 4.2 Nov 56° 36° 5.3 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1976: 12 1977: 33 1979: 6 1981: 35 1982: 18 1983: 42 1984: 11 1985: 43 1986: 48 1987: 42 1988: 49 1989: 15 1990: 57 1991: 24 1992: 11 1993: 56 1994: 16 1995: 45 1996: 22 1997: 53 1998: 85 85 1999: 35 2000: 59 2001: 33 2002: 38 2003: 24 2006: 33 2007: 20 2008: 15 2009: 17 2010: 52 2011: 54 2012: 32 2013: 25 2014: 1 2017: 5 2018: 8 2019: 39 2020: 20 2021: 19 2022: 39 2023: 40 2024: 36 2025: 36 19761988199820102022
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 32.3.
Snowfall by winter 1974: 2.8 in 1975: 0.0 in 1976: 2.5 in 1978: 0.0 in 1981: 4.0 in 1982: 0.0 in 1983: 1.5 in 1984: 5.0 in 1986: 0.0 in 1988: 2.5 in 1989: 0.0 in 1990: 0.0 in 1991: 2.5 in 1992: 0.0 in 1993: 0.0 in 1994: 0.0 in 1995: 1.0 in 1996: 0.0 in 1997: 0.0 in 1998: 0.0 in 1999: 7.0 in 7.0 2000: 4.2 in 2001: 0.0 in 2002: 0.0 in 2003: 0.0 in 2004: 0.0 in 2006: 0.0 in 2007: 1.3 in 2008: 0.0 in 2009: 0.8 in 2010: 5.0 in 2011: 0.0 in 2012: 0.0 in 2013: 0.6 in 2014: 3.3 in 2015: 0.3 in 2016: 0.0 in 2017: 1.4 in 2020: 4.0 in 2021: 2.0 in 2022: 0.0 in 2023: 0.0 in 19741989199920102022
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

January 18

Earliest: November 22, 1929

Median last snow

February 2

Latest: March 22, 1968

51 of 100 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Portland (USC00035866), 128 ft elevation, 29.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1909 to October 27, 2026; 94.4% 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.

Federal disaster declarations

30 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, February 6, 2026.

Federal disaster declarations
Feb 6, 2026Winter StormSevere Winter StormMajor disasterDR-4899-MS
Jan 24, 2026Winter StormSevere Winter StormEmergencyEM-3640-MS
May 21, 2025Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4874-MS
Mar 26, 2023Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disasterDR-4697-MS
Oct 22, 2021HurricaneHurricane IdaMajor disasterDR-4626-MS
Aug 28, 2021HurricaneHurricane IdaEmergencyEM-3569-MS
Apr 5, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4528-MS
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3474-MS
Mar 12, 2020Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4478-MS
Apr 23, 2019Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4429-MS
Mar 25, 2016FloodSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4268-MS
May 11, 2011FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-1983-MS
May 4, 2011FloodFloodingEmergencyEM-3320-MS
Sep 22, 2008HurricaneHurricane GustavMajor disasterDR-1794-MS
Aug 30, 2008HurricaneHurricane GustavEmergencyEM-3291-MS
May 8, 2008Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1753-MS
Aug 29, 2005HurricaneHurricane KatrinaMajor disasterDR-1604-MS
Dec 7, 2001Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1398-MS
Feb 23, 2001Severe StormSevere Storms and TornadoesMajor disasterDR-1360-MS
Jan 25, 1999Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms, Ice and Freezing RainMajor disasterDR-1265-MS
Jun 13, 1997FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-1178-MS
Feb 18, 1994Severe StormSevere Winter Storm, Freeezing Rain and SleetMajor disasterDR-1009-MS
Mar 20, 1992TornadoSevere Storms & TornadoesMajor disasterDR-939-MS
May 17, 1991Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disasterDR-906-MS
Mar 5, 1991FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-895-MS
Jun 1, 1983Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-683-MS
Apr 24, 1978TornadoTornadoesEmergencyEM-3063-MS
Feb 22, 1977SnowstormDrought & FreezingEmergencyEM-3032-MS
Mar 27, 1973Severe StormHeavy Rains, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disasterDR-368-MS
Feb 22, 1971TornadoStorms & TornadoesMajor disasterDR-302-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 Washington County stands among 82 counties in Mississippi and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19503247 / 82918 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger441 / 82387 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi1069 / 82782 / 3,143
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19840——
Flood insurance claims1,9556 / 82194 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$37.0 million5 / 82199 / 3,143
Disaster declarations3021 / 82383 / 3,143
Flood events since 19966515 / 821,096 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199633324 / 821,025 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19963017 / 822,430 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$35.4 million48 / 821,051 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189511815 / 821,805 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years16.55 / 821,407 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 190023 / 821,151 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 197317 / 82826 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Bolivar County57100994
Chicot County AR4380153
Humphreys County37130343
Issaquena County25120127
Sharkey County43110238
Sunflower County34110191

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 USC00035866.
  • 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.