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Tornado in Franklin County, Mississippi
21 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.
Franklin County, Mississippi, has 21 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 13 different years.
December is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 5 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 3,532 tornado events recorded in Mississippi; its 3.7 per 100 square miles compares with 7.5 statewide.
By rating: 6 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 3 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 | Franklin County | Mississippi | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 21 | 3,532 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.7 | 7.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 27.4 | 12.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 537 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | December | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
0Mar
0Apr
2May
0Jun
1Jul
0Aug
0Sep
3Oct
3Nov
5Dec
6
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 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Dec 2024 | Tornado | EF3 | $1.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 20 Nov 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $7K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Oct 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Dec 2019 | Tornado | EF2 | $125K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 Nov 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $40K | $300K | — | — | County |
| 1 Nov 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Dec 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $300K | $200K | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | $15K | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Tornado | F0 | — | $10K | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 2001 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Nov 1987 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Nov 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Oct 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 14 Oct 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 1983 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 4 | County |
| 4 Jan 1972 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Franklin County had?
21 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 Franklin County?
28 Dec 2024 (Tornado, EF3). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Franklin County?
The tornado of 5 Apr 1983, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Franklin County compare with Mississippi for tornado?
3.7 events per 100 square miles against 7.5 statewide; the county holds 21 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.