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Tornado in Alcorn County, Mississippi
25 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Alcorn County, Mississippi, has 25 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 20 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 9 events against 5 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.7% of the 3,532 tornado events recorded in Mississippi; its 6.2 per 100 square miles compares with 7.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 4 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 7 at (E)F0, 10 at (E)F1, 4 at (E)F2, 2 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Mississippi
| Measure | Alcorn County | Mississippi | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 25 | 3,532 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.2 | 7.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 7.3 | 12.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 4 | 537 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
4Mar
3Apr
8May
6Jun
1Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
2Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 25 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2025 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | $900K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 2022 | Tornado | EF0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Feb 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 5 May 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2000 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1989 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1989 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1980 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1971 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 19 Apr 1970 | Tornado | F4 | $2.5M | — | 4 | 78 | County |
| 10 Nov 1966 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 17 Mar 1965 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Feb 1956 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1954 | Tornado | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1954 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 1953 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Alcorn County had?
25 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Alcorn County?
15 Mar 2026 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Alcorn County?
The tornado of 19 Apr 1970, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M; 4 deaths recorded.
How does Alcorn County compare with Mississippi for tornado?
6.2 events per 100 square miles against 7.5 statewide; the county holds 25 of the state's 3,532 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.