Clarke County, Mississippi Hurricane History
Since 1855, 45 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Clarke County, Mississippi — about one every 3.8 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 21 miles away on 19 June 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentClaudette (2021) — 21 mi away, 19 June 2021
- Strongest stormFrederic (1979) — 80 kt (92 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1939) — 0.9 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles20 of 45
- Peak monthSeptember — 17 storms (38% of all)
- Most active year1912 — 3 storms
- Most active decade1930s and 2000s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1855–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudette (2021) | 19 Jun 2021 | 21.4 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 29 Oct 2020 | 24.0 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Nate (2017) | 8 Oct 2017 | 32.8 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Claudette (2009) | 17 Aug 2009 | 44.2 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 24 Aug 2008 | 20.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Katrina (2005) | 29 Aug 2005 | 34.1 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Dennis (2005) | 11 Jul 2005 | 29.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 6 Jul 2005 | 46.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Bill (2003) | 1 Jul 2003 | 11.9 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Erin (1995) | 4 Aug 1995 | 12.8 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 13 Aug 1987 | 11.5 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Frederic (1979) | 13 Sep 1979 | 5.6 mi | Cat 1 | 70 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 6 Sep 1977 | 20.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1977) | 19 Jul 1977 | 40.4 mi | TD | — |
| Edith (1971) | 17 Sep 1971 | 25.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Ethel (1960) | 16 Sep 1960 | 12.7 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 1 Jun 1959 | 41.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Baker (1950) | 31 Aug 1950 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 4 Sep 1948 | 27.3 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 25 Sep 1940 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 26 Sep 1939 | 41.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 14 Aug 1939 | 40.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 16 Jun 1939 | 0.9 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 1 Aug 1936 | 40.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 1 Sep 1932 | 20.9 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 18 Oct 1923 | 25.3 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1919) | 5 Jul 1919 | 45.9 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 6 Jul 1916 | 48.1 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 14 Sep 1912 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 17 Jul 1912 | 28.5 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 22 Sep 1907 | 39.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 27 Sep 1906 | 28.9 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 16 Aug 1901 | 33.2 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 28.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1895) | 17 Aug 1895 | 27.2 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 8 Sep 1893 | 29.1 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1892) | 12 Sep 1892 | 28.4 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 14 Jun 1887 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 4 Aug 1881 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 1 Sep 1880 | 19.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1872) | 12 Jul 1872 | 45.1 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 16 Sep 1860 | 11.4 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1855) | 17 Sep 1855 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 3 systems passed within 50 miles after losing tropical characteristics. These are excluded from the counts above because they were no longer tropical cyclones at their closest approach — but several were highly damaging, so they are listed here.
| Storm | Status | Closest approach | Distance | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee (2011) | Post-tropical | 5 Sep 2011 | 44.0 mi | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 33.3 mi | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | Post-tropical | 30 Sep 1915 | 39.9 mi | 50 kt |
Storms that came back
1 named storm in this record passed Clarke County, Mississippi more than once.
- Claudette — 2 passes (2009, 2021)
How Clarke County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Clarke County, Mississippi ranks #253 — more exposed than 88.5% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #13 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Frederic (1979) passed 6 miles away on 13 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Zeta (2020) passed 24 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 72 kt (83 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Katrina (2005) passed 34 miles away on 29 August 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1906) passed 29 miles away on 27 September 1906 as a hurricane, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
41 of the 45 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.8 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 45 storms spread over the 171 years from 1855 to 2025. 4 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while stretches of a decade or more have passed with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 12 years, between 1860 and 1872. It has been 4 years since the last one; 16 of the 37 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Clarke County, Mississippi?
4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Clarke County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1855. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 45.
When was the last hurricane in Clarke County, Mississippi?
Zeta (2020), on 29 October 2020, passing 24 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Clarke County, Mississippi?
Frederic (1979), which reached 80 kt (92 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 6 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Clarke County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.8 years — 45 storms over the 171 years from 1855 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Clarke County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Wayne County, Mississippi has 50 on record.