Franklin County, Mississippi Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1856, 35 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Franklin County, Mississippi — about one every 4.9 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 44 miles away on 12 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 44 mi away, 12 September 2024
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1909) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordIda (2021) — 1.6 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles24 of 35
- Peak monthSeptember — 13 storms (37% of all)
- Most active year1879 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1950s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1856–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 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 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 12 Sep 2024 | 43.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Ida (2021) | 30 Aug 2021 | 1.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Cristobal (2020) | 8 Jun 2020 | 20.6 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Matthew (2004) | 10 Oct 2004 | 4.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 5 Aug 2002 | 40.0 mi | TS / TD | 17 kt |
| Andrew (1992) | 27 Aug 1992 | 10.4 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Florence (1988) | 10 Sep 1988 | 19.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 11 Aug 1987 | 45.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Elena (1985) | 2 Sep 1985 | 12.2 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Bob (1979) | 11 Jul 1979 | 46.7 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1975) | 30 Jul 1975 | 33.6 mi | TD | — |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 24.2 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 31 May 1959 | 1.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Esther (1957) | 19 Sep 1957 | 11.6 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1956) | 14 Jun 1956 | 9.6 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 2 Aug 1955 | 41.7 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 5 Sep 1949 | 21.3 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 6 Sep 1945 | 7.5 mi | TS / TD | 24 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 24 Sep 1940 | 16.2 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 17 Jun 1934 | 12.2 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 20 Sep 1932 | 23.5 mi | TS / TD | 39 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 16 Oct 1923 | 6.3 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 13 Aug 1911 | 33.1 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1909) | 21 Sep 1909 | 47.7 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 10 Oct 1905 | 44.1 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 29 Sep 1905 | 9.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 9 Aug 1894 | 7.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 28 Aug 1890 | 23.4 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 20 Aug 1888 | 6.9 mi | Cat 1 | 67 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 23.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 7 Oct 1879 | 47.9 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 2 Sep 1879 | 29.7 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 15.7 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 3 Oct 1860 | 7.5 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 12 Aug 1856 | 13.7 mi | TS / TD | 40 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 | 32.0 mi | 25 kt |
| Olga (2019) | Post-tropical | 26 Oct 2019 | 44.8 mi | 45 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 17 Aug 2010 | 9.8 mi | 17 kt |
How Franklin County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Franklin County, Mississippi ranks #414 — more exposed than 81.2% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #27 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1909) passed 48 miles away on 21 September 1909 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 7 miles away on 20 August 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 69 kt (79 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 30 miles away on 2 September 1879 as a tropical storm, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1860) passed 7 miles away on 3 October 1860 as a tropical storm, reaching 65 kt (75 mph) while within 50 miles.
32 of the 35 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 35 storms spread over the 170 years from 1856 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 16 years, between 2004 and 2020. It has been 1 year since the last one; 28 of the 32 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Franklin County, Mississippi?
2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Franklin County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 35.
When was the last hurricane in Franklin County, Mississippi?
Unnamed Storm (1909), on 21 September 1909, passing 48 miles away — 117 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Francine (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Franklin County, Mississippi?
Unnamed Storm (1909), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 48 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Franklin County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.9 years — 35 storms over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Franklin County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Lincoln County, Mississippi has 42 on record.