Itawamba County, Mississippi
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 28057 · population 23,822 · 533 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 476 records for Itawamba County, Mississippi from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 370 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (176 records). The deadliest single record is the April 27, 2016 lightning: 1 death and $12,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1973, 24 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
- 476on 370 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 37 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $9.1Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest EF5
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Itawamba County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 176 since 1967. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 fell in May and June. 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 | 176 | 146 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 1 | $1.5M | 41 of 82 |
| Hail | 96 | 71 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $252K | 37 of 82 |
| Heat | 92 | 90 | 2000-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 of 82 |
| Winter storms | 27 | 27 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $93K | 25 of 82 |
| Drought | 24 | 24 | 2007-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 82 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 18 | 1954-2025 | 0 | 6 | $6.7M | 70 of 82 |
| Floods | 20 | 17 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $458K | 69 of 82 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 9 | 2004-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 of 82 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | $89K | 52 of 82 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 3 | 2004-2005 | 0 | 0 | $46K | 54 of 82 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2000-2016 | 1 | 0 | $12K | 48 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 Itawamba County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Itawamba County from 1954 to 2025, the strongest rated EF5, with 0 deaths and 6 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched Itawamba County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 25 people, 0 of them in Itawamba County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 14:42, as SPC files it | SmithvilleCrossed AL, MS | EF5 | 37.3 mi | 23 |
| 2023-03-24 21:38, as SPC files it | Amory | EF3 | 36.56 mi | 2 |
| 2014-04-28 13:38, as SPC files it | Tupelo | EF3 | 30.97 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Mississippi.
Every tornado record filed for Itawamba County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-15 | Eastman, Itawamba County | EF1 1.41 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-02-15 | Fulton Itawanba Co A, Itawamba County | EF0 1.03 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-02-15 | Evergreen, Itawamba County | EF1 6.62 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2024-06-05 | Tremont, Itawamba County | EF1 1.77 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2023-03-24 | New Salem, Itawamba County | EF1 6.37 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2023-03-03 | Sand Spgs, Itawamba County | EF1 2.27 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $73K |
| 2021-05-02 | Centerville, Itawamba County | EF0 0.66 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2018-11-05 | Ratliff, Itawamba County | EF1 5.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $588K |
| 2017-08-31 | Kirkville, Itawamba County | EF1 2.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 2014-04-28 | Centerville, Itawamba County | EF3 10.74 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $3.7M |
| 2011-04-27 | New Salem, Itawamba County | EF5 10.98 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2009-05-02 | Fairview, Itawamba County | EF0 1.74 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2009-05-02 | Centerville, Itawamba County | EF0 1.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2008-05-08 | Ratliff, Itawamba County | EF2 1.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 2003-05-06 | Mantachie, Itawamba County | F2 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $561K |
| 1995-05-18 | Itawamba County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $19K |
| 1991-04-13 | Itawamba County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-05-13 | Itawamba County | F2 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1975-03-29 | Itawamba County | F2 1.5 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-05-27 | Itawamba County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-04-28 | Itawamba County | F2 3.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K 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.
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 Itawamba County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 1, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | HeatItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-29 | HeatItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindRatliff, Itawamba County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-01 | HailKirkville, Itawamba County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindNew Salem, Itawamba County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-02-26 | HailFairview, Itawamba County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-27 | Cold/Wind ChillItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2025-08-19 | HeatItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-27 | LightningMantachie, Itawamba County A man and the horse he was riding were struck by lightning in Mantachie. | 1 | 0 | $12K | |
| 2004-12-25 | Cold/Wind ChillItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba One man was found dead in a wooded area. The cause of death was hypthermia. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-08-22 | HeatItawamba County · forecast zone Itawamba An 81-year-old woman was found dead near her home in the town of Ozark. Her death was caused by the excessive heat. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-04-28 | TornadoCenterville, Itawamba County A tornado moved from Lee County into Northwest Itawamba County. The tornado tracked across rural parts of Itawamba County before moving into Prentiss County. Ten homes were destroyed in Itawamba County while 29 homes suffered major damage. 107 other homes had minor damage. 14 mobile homes were destroyed and 17 had ... | EF3 10.74 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $3.7M |
| 2003-05-06 | TornadoMantachie, Itawamba County The tornado move into extreme western Itawamba County from Lee County hitting the Shiloh community. Six mobile homes were destroyed and one other mobile home and a house were damaged. Two vehicles were rolled onto their roofs. A carport was demolished along with a couple of barns and outbuildings. Numerous trees were ... | F2 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $561K |
| 1954-04-28 | TornadoItawamba County | F2 3.3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1997-10-25 | Thunderstorm WindKirkville, Itawamba County An old schoolhouse was demolished. Several trees were blown down on top on some mobile homes. One person suffered a broken arm injury when a tree hit their house. | 0 | 1 | $18K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-04-28 | TornadoCenterville, Itawamba County | EF3 10.74 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $3.7M |
| 2018-11-05 | TornadoRatliff, Itawamba County | EF1 5.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $588K |
| 2003-05-06 | TornadoMantachie, Itawamba County | F2 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $561K |
| 2023-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWhite Spgs, Itawamba County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $339K |
| 2008-05-08 | TornadoRatliff, Itawamba County | EF2 1.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 1997-10-25 | HailKirkville, Itawamba County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $202K |
| 2017-08-31 | TornadoKirkville, Itawamba County | EF1 2.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 2023-03-03 | TornadoSand Spgs, Itawamba County | EF1 2.27 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $73K |
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: April 13, 1991 (tornado, Itawamba 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 Itawamba 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 | 2 | 15 | 48 | 31 | 41 | 36 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 30 | 22 | 18 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 23 | 67 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 11 | 7 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 34 · Mar 58 · Apr 39 · May 53 · Jun 83 · Jul 70 · Aug 50 · Sep 8 · Oct 18 · Nov 15 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Itawamba County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Itawamba County: 21 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and hurricane (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-06 | DR-4899 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3640 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4874 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-08-12 | DR-4727 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes. |
| 2021-10-22 | DR-4626 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2021-08-28 | EM-3569 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ida |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4528 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3474 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-12-06 | DR-4470 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, 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 |
| 2014-04-30 | DR-4175 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 2003-05-23 | DR-1470 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds |
| 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 |
| 1994-02-18 | DR-1009 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Freeezing Rain and Sleet |
| 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 |
| 1977-02-22 | EM-3032 | Snowstorm | Drought & Freezing |
| 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 Itawamba County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Itawamba County from 1997 to 2025, on 17 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Itawamba County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $52,000 on 3 claims filed in Itawamba County; the most in one year was 2 in 1999. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1999: 2 · 2000: 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 Itawamba County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Itawamba County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.0M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $496K | 63 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $965K | once in about 282 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $7K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $702K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $378K | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $53K | 18 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Itawamba 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 Itawamba CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Itawamba County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis