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Tornado in Panola County, Mississippi
24 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.
Panola County, Mississippi, has 24 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 18 different years.
March is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 6 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 3.5 per 100 square miles compares with 7.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 6 at (E)F0, 12 at (E)F1, 5 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 | Panola County | Mississippi | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 24 | 3,532 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.5 | 7.5 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 7.3 | 12.0 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 537 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | March | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
2Mar
6Apr
3May
3Jun
1Jul
1Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
2Dec
3
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 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $140K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $140K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $300K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2015 | Tornado | EF3 | $1.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 21 Dec 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2013 | Tornado | EF2 | $120K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2010 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $12K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Mar 2006 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2001 | Tornado | F2 | $2.0M | — | 1 | 12 | County |
| 21 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Dec 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Nov 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $25M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1975 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Feb 1962 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | 4 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Panola County had?
24 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 Panola County?
24 Mar 2023 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Panola County?
The tornado of 12 May 1978, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M.
How does Panola County compare with Mississippi for tornado?
3.5 events per 100 square miles against 7.5 statewide; the county holds 24 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.