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Tornado in Lafayette 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.
Lafayette County, Mississippi, has 25 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 16 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 7 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 11 events against 3 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 4.0 per 100 square miles compares with 7.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 4 at (E)F0, 8 at (E)F1, 8 at (E)F2, 5 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Mississippi
| Measure | Lafayette County | Mississippi | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 25 | 3,532 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.0 | 7.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 4.4 | 12.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 537 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
4Mar
5Apr
7May
3Jun
1Jul
0Aug
2Sep
1Oct
0Nov
1Dec
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 2025 | Tornado | EF2 | $175K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $70K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | — | $1K | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2018 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF3 | $1.5M | — | — | 8 | County |
| 2 May 2010 | Tornado | EF2 | $250K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF3 | $35M | — | — | 14 | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2000 | Tornado | F2 | $100K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 1 Mar 1997 | Tornado | F3 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Nov 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1984 | Tornado | F3 | $25M | — | — | 3 | County |
| 24 Apr 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 1975 | Tornado | F3 | $3K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 20 Jun 1970 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1970 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Feb 1962 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Aug 1952 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Lafayette 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 Lafayette County?
5 Apr 2025 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Lafayette County?
The tornado of 5 Feb 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $35M.
How does Lafayette County compare with Mississippi for tornado?
4.0 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.