Clay County, Mississippi
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 28025 · population 18,616 · 410 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 323 records for Clay County, Mississippi from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 255 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (157 records). The deadliest single record is the March 20, 1980 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1973, 25 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on February 6, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 323on 255 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 16 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Clay County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 157 since 1960. The rank column places the county among Mississippi's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 157 | 130 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 2 | $4.5M | 30 of 82 |
| Hail | 63 | 55 | 1965-2025 | 0 | 0 | $189K | 36 of 82 |
| Winter storms | 24 | 23 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | 20 of 82 |
| Floods | 23 | 19 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 49 of 82 |
| Drought | 17 | 17 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.2M | 22 of 82 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 17 | 1950-2024 | 1 | 4 | $13M | 57 of 82 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 2009-2025 | 0 | 0 | $99K | 26 of 82 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 2005-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 82 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2004-2021 | 0 | 0 | $17M | 27 of 82 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | $271K | 36 of 82 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2016-2024 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 42 of 82 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 82 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Clay County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Clay County from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 4 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 19 tornadoes whose track touched Clay County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Clay County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-03-20 20:20, as SPC files it | Hatley | F3 | 49.4 mi | 1 |
| 1980-03-20 15:45, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F1 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
| 2011-04-27 01:29, as SPC files it | Eupora | EF3 | 58.74 mi | 0 |
| 1988-01-19 12:20, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 10 mi | 0 |
| 1973-11-26 13:30, as SPC files it | Mantee to Amory | F3 | 54.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Mississippi.
Every tornado record filed for Clay County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-28 | Tibbee, Clay County | EF0 4.6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 2022-03-22 | West Pt Mc Charen Ar, Clay County | EF1 9.37 mi x 650 yd | 0 | 0 | $101K |
| 2016-11-29 | Abbott, Clay County | EF1 2.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2011-04-27 | Pinebluff, Clay County | EF2 15.16 mi x 1,800 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2010-11-29 | West Pt, Clay County | EF1 1.68 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2010-04-24 | Whites, Clay County | EF2 1.87 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $108K |
| 2006-03-13 | West Pt, Clay County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-18 | West Pt, Clay County | F0 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1988-01-19 | Clay County | F3 8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1985-08-25 | Clay County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1980-03-20 | Clay County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-20 | Clay County | F3 21.7 mi x 1,400 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1966-06-26 | Clay County | F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1956-04-03 | Clay County | F2 5.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1953-05-14 | Clay County | F2 7.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1953-04-14 | Clay County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1950-03-27 | Clay County | F2 4.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Clay County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 8, 2025 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindMontpelier, Clay County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindWest Pt, Clay County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindWest Pt, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Ice StormClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-13 | Thunderstorm WindWest Pt, Clay County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-08 | Thunderstorm WindGriffith, Clay County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindWest Pt, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindCedarbluff, Clay County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindPinebluff, Clay County | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500 |
| 2025-05-02 | HailWaverly Station, Clay County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-03-20 | TornadoClay County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-04-03 | TornadoClay County | F2 5.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2013-03-18 | Thunderstorm WindCahns, Clay County There was a swath of damaging thunderstorm winds across the county. A 20 foot section of the roof was blown off the Justice Court Building. There was roof damage to a home on Torbert Drive, and a tree fell and crushed a truck on Mapleview Drive. Numerous other trees and power lines were blown down across portions of ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $633K |
| 2008-01-10 | Thunderstorm WindWest Pt Mc Charen Ar, Clay County Straight line winds, from the forward flank downdraft, produced damage across the south side of West Point. This downdraft came from the supercell thunderstorm which eventually produced the Caledonia Tornado. Several trees were blown down along with a couple power lines. Numerous signs were blown down and a ... | 72 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $206K |
| 1976-03-20 | TornadoClay County | F3 21.7 mi x 1,400 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1953-05-14 | TornadoClay County | F2 7.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoPinebluff, Clay County | EF2 15.16 mi x 1,800 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2006-10-01 | DroughtClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 1994-07-25 | Thunderstorm WindWest Point, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2011-04-15 | Flash FloodWest Pt, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $787K | |
| 2013-03-18 | Thunderstorm WindCahns, Clay County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $633K |
| 1998-12-23 | Ice StormClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | $543K | |
| 2008-01-10 | Thunderstorm WindWest Pt, Clay County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $411K |
| 2009-02-27 | Flash FloodPheba, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $344K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: January 19, 1988 (tornado, Clay County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Clay County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 45 | 43 | 28 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 28 | 17 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Clay County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 22 · Mar 36 · Apr 55 · May 38 · Jun 43 · Jul 30 · Aug 24 · Sep 8 · Oct 14 · Nov 7 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clay County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Clay County: 23 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and hurricane (6).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-06 | DR-4899 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3640 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021-10-22 | DR-4626 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-28 | EM-3569 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-05-04 | DR-4598 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2020-04-23 | DR-4538 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-16 | DR-4536 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4528 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3474 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020-03-12 | DR-4478 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2019-06-20 | DR-4450 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2019-04-23 | DR-4429 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2016-01-04 | DR-4248 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-04-29 | DR-1972 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2008-08-30 | EM-3291 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 2005-08-29 | DR-1604 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-07-10 | DR-1594 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dennis |
| 2004-09-15 | DR-1550 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ivan |
| 2003-05-23 | DR-1470 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds |
| 2002-11-14 | DR-1443 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2001-02-23 | DR-1360 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1999-01-25 | DR-1265 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Ice and Freezing Rain |
| 1991-05-17 | DR-906 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1991-03-05 | DR-895 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1991-01-03 | DR-888 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1979-04-16 | DR-577 | Severe Storm | Storms, Tornadoes, Floods |
| 1973-03-27 | DR-368 | Severe Storm | Heavy Rains, Tornadoes & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Clay County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Clay County from 1997 to 2021, on 19 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clay County ranks 1207th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005-08-29 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.3 million on 121 claims filed in Clay County; the most in one year was 23 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 9 · 1982: 2 · 1983: 16 · 1985: 1 · 1988: 3 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 13 · 1994: 4 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2002: 3 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 21 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 23 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Clay County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $220K | 67 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.0M | once in about 323 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | $377K | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $420K | 12 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $209K | 14 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $203K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clay County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MississippiEvery Mississippi tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MississippiThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Mississippi recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Clay CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clay County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis