George County, Mississippi
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 28039 · population 24,246 · 479 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 222 records for George County, Mississippi from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 159 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (94 records). The deadliest single record is the August 30, 2021 flash flood: 3 deaths, 7 injuries and $2.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 34 declarations naming the county since 1969, 32 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Storm Arthur” on August 3, 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
- 222on 159 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 438 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $65Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 34latest 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 George County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 94 since 1968. 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 | 94 | 73 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 16 | $1.2M | 74 of 82 |
| Hail | 43 | 36 | 1959-2023 | 0 | 0 | $968 | 71 of 82 |
| Floods | 35 | 27 | 1998-2022 | 3 | 7 | $2.6M | 34 of 82 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 18 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 15 | $6.0M | 63 of 82 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 9 | 1998-2020 | 0 | 0 | $55M | 13 of 82 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 7 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 82 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 1996-2004 | 1 | 0 | $246K | 23 of 82 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 81 of 82 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2000-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 80 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 George County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in George County from 1967 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 15 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 24 tornadoes whose track touched George County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-05-19 20:45, as SPC files it | Lucedale | F3 | 4.3 mi | 0 |
| 1976-03-27 02:50, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 13.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Mississippi.
Every tornado record filed for George County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | Bexley, George County | EF0 0.86 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | Agricola, George County | EF1 0.92 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-09 | Shipman, George County | EF1 0.21 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-08 | Agricola, George County | EF0 2.09 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-08 | Lucedale, George County | EF0 0.19 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-24 | Agricola, George County | EF1 0.89 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-24 | Lucedale Farmco Airport, George County | EF0 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-24 | Ruble, George County | EF1 1.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-23 | Evanston, George County | EF1 1.45 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2020-04-23 | Evanston, George County | EF1 0.38 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-23 | Lucedale, George County | EF1 2.26 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-03-31 | Benndale, George County | EF1 8.15 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-10-19 | Lucedale, George County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $16K |
| 2001-06-11 | Movella, George County | F1 10 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K |
| 1997-10-25 | Agricola, George County | F1 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 7 | $165K |
| 1992-01-13 | George County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1987-03-29 | George County | F1 3 mi x 123 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-05-19 | George County | F3 4.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-27 | George County | F3 13.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-09-13 | George County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-04-07 | George County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-02-12 | George County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-02-12 | George County | F2 25.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1971-02-12 | George County | F2 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1967-05-02 | George County | F2 | 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 George County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 30, 2021 flash flood (3 deaths, 7 injuries and $2.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Very heavy rainfall with 2 inch per hour rain rates fell over very saturated conditions and resulted in additional flash flooding. This resulted in the collapse of a portion of Highway 26 near Crossroads Road. Several vehicles drove into a 50 foot deep hole. Three people were killed and seven others were injured.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 981948)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | TornadoBexley, George County | EF0 0.86 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-04 | TornadoAgricola, George County | EF1 0.92 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-21 | Heavy SnowGeorge County · forecast zone George | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-01-09 | TornadoShipman, George County | EF1 0.21 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-08 | TornadoAgricola, George County | EF0 2.09 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-08 | TornadoLucedale, George County | EF0 0.19 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-08-30 | Flash FloodBenndale, George County | 3 | 7 | $2.0M | |
| 2020-06-24 | TornadoAgricola, George County | EF1 0.89 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-24 | TornadoLucedale Farmco Airport, George County | EF0 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-06-24 | TornadoRuble, George County | EF1 1.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-04-23 | TornadoEvanston, George County | EF1 1.45 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2020-04-23 | TornadoEvanston, George County | EF1 0.38 mi x 50 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-30 | Flash FloodBenndale, George County Very heavy rainfall with 2 inch per hour rain rates fell over very saturated conditions and resulted in additional flash flooding. This resulted in the collapse of a portion of Highway 26 near Crossroads Road. Several vehicles drove into a 50 foot deep hole. Three people were killed and seven others were injured. | 3 | 7 | $2.0M | |
| 2002-08-19 | LightningBexley, George County A 31 year old female was struck and killed by lightning near Bexley. The woman was going to her automobile to roll up the windows during a thunderstorm. She had just rolled the windows up and was returning to her home when lightning struck a nearby tree. The strike ran through the root system of the tree and into ... | 1 | 0 | $8K | |
| 1997-10-25 | TornadoAgricola, George County A mesocyclone intermittently produced a weak tornado as the storm tracked northeast across George county. The tornado first briefly touched down along River Road near the Barton community where trees were blown down. The tornado touched down again near Grain Elevator Road blowing down several century old Live Oak ... | F1 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 7 | $165K |
| 2001-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindLucedale, George County A cluster of severe thunderstorms spawned from the remains of Tropical Storm Allison moved across central George county during the early morning hours. The high winds from the storms did the most damage from the Twin Creeks area north across Inland Beach road to near US Highway 98 just northwest of Lucedale. The ... | 85 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $417K |
| 1990-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindGeorge County | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 1990-12-03 | Thunderstorm WindGeorge County | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2001-06-11 | TornadoMovella, George County A severe thunderstorm produced an F1 tornado in the southeast part of the county, first touching down near the Howell community about 3 miles east of Movella. The tornado first touched down just inside the George county line near Red Edwards Lane and Howell Road and moved north from there. Initially the tornado just ... | F1 10 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K |
| 1992-01-13 | TornadoGeorge County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-09-25 | Hurricane (Typhoon)George County · forecast zone George | 0 | 0 | $54M | |
| 2021-08-30 | Flash FloodBenndale, George County | 3 | 7 | $2.0M | |
| 2018-04-14 | Flash FloodRuble, George County | 0 | 0 | $588K | |
| 2001-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindLucedale, George County | 85 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $417K |
| 2004-09-14 | Hurricane (Typhoon)George County · forecast zone George | 0 | 0 | $312K | |
| 2001-06-11 | TornadoMovella, George County | F1 10 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K |
| 1997-10-25 | TornadoAgricola, George County | F1 12 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 7 | $165K |
| 1994-03-25 | Thunderstorm WindLucedale, George County | 0 | 1 | $100K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: February 12, 1971 (tornado, George County); January 13, 1992 (tornado, George County); March 27, 1976 (tornado, George 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 George 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 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 31 | 16 | 21 | 16 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 15 | 15 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
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 George County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 14 · Mar 33 · Apr 32 · May 29 · Jun 28 · Jul 14 · Aug 13 · Sep 9 · Oct 10 · Nov 4 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for George County
FEMA's register lists 34 declarations that include George County: 22 major disasters, 12 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (21) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | DR-4930 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Arthur |
| 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 |
| 2020-12-31 | DR-4576 | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta |
| 2020-10-28 | EM-3550 | Hurricane | Hurricane Zeta |
| 2020-10-08 | EM-3548 | Hurricane | Hurricane Delta |
| 2020-09-14 | EM-3544 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020-08-23 | EM-3539 | Hurricane | Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4551 | 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 |
| 2017-11-22 | DR-4350 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nate |
| 2017-10-07 | EM-3393 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nate |
| 2016-03-25 | DR-4268 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-08-29 | DR-4081 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaac |
| 2012-08-28 | EM-3348 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isaac |
| 2008-09-22 | DR-1794 | Hurricane | Hurricane Gustav |
| 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 |
| 2002-10-01 | DR-1436 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Isidore |
| 2001-06-21 | DR-1382 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Allison |
| 1998-10-01 | DR-1251 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges |
| 1998-09-28 | EM-3132 | Hurricane | Hurricane Georges |
| 1991-05-17 | DR-906 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1990-02-28 | DR-859 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1980-04-19 | DR-618 | Severe Storm | Storms, Flood, Mudslides & Tornadoes |
| 1979-09-13 | DR-599 | Hurricane | Hurricane Frederic |
| 1977-02-22 | EM-3032 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
| 1974-04-18 | DR-430 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1969-08-18 | DR-271 | Hurricane | Hurricane Camille |
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 George County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 35 flood or flash flood records for George County from 1998 to 2022, on 27 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), George County ranks 1504th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Ida | 2021-08-30 | 1 | 3 |
| Hurricane Ivan | 2004-09-14 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Georges | 1998-09-25 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $436,000 on 67 claims filed in George County; the most in one year was 9 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 3 · 1980: 9 · 1983: 8 · 1985: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 4 · 1993: 2 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 4 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 9 · 2009: 3 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2026: 2; 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 George County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates George County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | $14M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $501K | 85 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $305K | once in about 266 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $190K | 17 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $420K | 9.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $340K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $356K | about once 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 George 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 George CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download George County's FEMA declarations (CSV)34 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis