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.

Itawamba County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank 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.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Itawamba County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2011-04-27 14:42, as SPC files itSmithvilleCrossed AL, MSEF537.3 mi23
2023-03-24 21:38, as SPC files itAmoryEF336.56 mi2
2014-04-28 13:38, as SPC files itTupeloEF330.97 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Mississippi.

Every tornado record filed for Itawamba County (21)
Every tornado recorded in Itawamba County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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).

The 12 most recent records kept for Itawamba County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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

Records with deaths or injuries in Itawamba County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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.

The costliest records in Itawamba County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
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).

Itawamba County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind0321548314136
Hail002630221818
Heat––––022367
Winter storms––––36117
Drought––––07107
Tornadoes10302447

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).

Declarations including Itawamba County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-02-06DR-4899Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2026-01-24EM-3640Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2025-05-21DR-4874Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2023-08-12DR-4727Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes.
2021-10-22DR-4626HurricaneHurricane Ida
2021-08-28EM-3569HurricaneHurricane Ida
2020-04-05DR-4528BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3474BiologicalCovid-19
2019-12-06DR-4470Severe StormSevere Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2019-06-20DR-4450Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2019-04-23DR-4429Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2016-01-04DR-4248Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2014-04-30DR-4175Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2011-04-29DR-1972Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding
2008-08-30EM-3291HurricaneHurricane Gustav
2005-08-29DR-1604HurricaneHurricane Katrina
2005-07-10DR-1594HurricaneHurricane Dennis
2003-05-23DR-1470Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds
2001-02-23DR-1360Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
1999-01-25DR-1265Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms, Ice and Freezing Rain
1994-02-18DR-1009Severe StormSevere Winter Storm, Freeezing Rain and Sleet
1991-05-17DR-906Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1991-03-05DR-895FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1991-01-03DR-888Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1977-02-22EM-3032SnowstormDrought & Freezing
1973-03-27DR-368Severe StormHeavy 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Itawamba County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Cold WaveRelatively High$5.0M1.2 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$496K63 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$1.7Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Low$965Konce in about 282 years (modeled)
LandslideRelatively Low$7Kabout once a year (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$702K16 modeled event-days a year
Strong WindRelatively Low$378K3 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Low$53K18 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

  1. Lee County 881
  2. Franklin County, AL 732
  3. Monroe County 682
  4. Marion County, AL 619
  5. Itawamba County 476
  6. Tishomingo County 457
  7. Prentiss County 396

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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