Copiah County, Mississippi Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1860, 33 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Copiah County, Mississippi — about one every 5.0 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 21 miles away on 12 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 21 mi away, 12 September 2024
- Strongest stormCamille (1969) — 88 kt (101 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1890) — 3.9 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles13 of 33
- Peak monthSeptember — 14 storms (42% of all)
- Most active year1879 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1870s, 1940s, 1950s and 2000s — 3 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1860–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 12 Sep 2024 | 21.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Ida (2021) | 30 Aug 2021 | 12.8 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Gordon (2018) | 5 Sep 2018 | 30.8 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 25 Aug 2008 | 41.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Matthew (2004) | 10 Oct 2004 | 32.7 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Isidore (2002) | 26 Sep 2002 | 37.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Andrew (1992) | 27 Aug 1992 | 12.8 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 12 Aug 1987 | 13.0 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Elena (1985) | 2 Sep 1985 | 46.2 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Bob (1979) | 11 Jul 1979 | 24.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 25.0 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Camille (1969) | 18 Aug 1969 | 33.5 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 31 May 1959 | 11.1 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Esther (1957) | 19 Sep 1957 | 18.8 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1956) | 14 Jun 1956 | 23.6 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 5 Sep 1949 | 7.4 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 6 Sep 1945 | 44.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 25 Sep 1940 | 30.3 mi | TS / TD | 19 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 17 Jun 1934 | 30.5 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 20 Sep 1932 | 32.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 16 Oct 1923 | 34.3 mi | TS / TD | 49 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 6 Jul 1916 | 43.1 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 30 Sep 1915 | 45.1 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 10 Oct 1905 | 31.8 mi | TS / TD | 31 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 30 Sep 1905 | 28.9 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 9 Aug 1894 | 25.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 28 Aug 1890 | 3.9 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 20 Aug 1888 | 32.5 mi | Cat 1 | 64 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 46.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 7 Oct 1879 | 17.2 mi | TS / TD | 37 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 2 Sep 1879 | 15.3 mi | TS / TD | 55 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 32.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 3 Oct 1860 | 11.8 mi | TS / TD | 53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta (2020) | Post-tropical | 24 Sep 2020 | 32.2 mi | 25 kt |
| Olga (2019) | Post-tropical | 26 Oct 2019 | 28.8 mi | 45 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 17 Aug 2010 | 27.9 mi | 17 kt |
How Copiah County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Copiah County, Mississippi ranks #452 — more exposed than 79.5% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #32 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Camille (1969) passed 33 miles away on 18 August 1969 as a hurricane, reaching 88 kt (101 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 32 miles away on 20 August 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 15 miles away on 2 September 1879 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1915) passed 45 miles away on 30 September 1915 as a tropical storm, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
31 of the 33 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 5.0 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 33 storms spread over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025. 2 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 15 years, between 1860 and 1875. It has been 1 year since the last one; 28 of the 30 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Copiah County, Mississippi?
2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Copiah County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1860. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 33.
When was the last hurricane in Copiah County, Mississippi?
Camille (1969), on 18 August 1969, passing 33 miles away — 57 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Francine (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Copiah County, Mississippi?
Camille (1969), which reached 88 kt (101 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 33 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Copiah County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.0 years — 33 storms over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Copiah County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Lincoln County, Mississippi has 42 on record.