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Tornado in DeSoto County, Mississippi
29 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.
NCEI records 29 tornado events in DeSoto County, Mississippi, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 20 years.
January is the busiest month, with 5 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 10 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.8% of the 3,532 tornado events recorded in Mississippi; its 6.1 per 100 square miles compares with 7.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 8 at (E)F0, 8 at (E)F1, 12 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Mississippi
| Measure | DeSoto County | Mississippi | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 29 | 3,532 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 6.1 | 7.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.5 | 12.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 537 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | January | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
5Feb
3Mar
4Apr
5May
3Jun
3Jul
1Aug
1Sep
0Oct
0Nov
4Dec
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 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | $800K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $600K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.6M | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2009 | Tornado | EF2 | $6.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 2009 | Tornado | EF2 | $4.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF2 | $28M | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $150K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 Mar 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2001 | Tornado | F2 | $1.9M | — | — | 9 | County |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jan 1988 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 12 Mar 1986 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 10 | County |
| 27 Nov 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 15 | County |
| 27 Nov 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | 1 | 50 | County |
| 24 Apr 1970 | Tornado | F3 | $3K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 24 Jun 1969 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 7 | County |
| 3 Apr 1968 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 30 Jun 1967 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Feb 1965 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 Apr 1962 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has DeSoto County had?
29 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 DeSoto County?
18 May 2025 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in DeSoto County?
The tornado of 5 Feb 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $28M.
How does DeSoto County compare with Mississippi for tornado?
6.1 events per 100 square miles against 7.5 statewide; the county holds 29 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.