Hancock County, Mississippi Hurricane History

No active tropical cyclones are within 500 miles of Hancock County, Mississippi as of Thursday, 10 September 2026. Official forecasts at nhc.noaa.gov.

Since 1855, 59 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hancock County, Mississippi — about one every 2.9 years. Of those, 16 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 49 miles away on 12 September 2024.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

2.9

Avg. years between

Years since the last

Storm tracks within 50 miles

TS / TDCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5

Each line is one storm track, coloured by the strongest category it reached while within 50 miles. The dashed ring marks that 50-mile radius; hairlines are one-degree graticule. Source: NOAA NHC HURDAT2.

How strong they get

Cat 5 · 1Cat 3 · 5Cat 2 · 5Cat 1 · 4TS / TD · 44

The 59 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 1 of them reached Cat 5.

Key facts

Most recentFrancine (2024) — 49 mi away, 12 September 2024
Strongest stormCamille (1969) — 150 kt (173 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1926) — 5.0 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Camille (1969) — 7.6 miles
Passes within 25 miles22 of 59
Peak monthSeptember — 26 storms (44% of all)
Most active year2002 — 3 storms
Most active decade2000s — 7 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi6
Record span1855–2024

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Hancock County, Mississippi, September is the most active month, with 26 of the 59 recorded storms (44%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 81% of all activity. The 2000s was the most active decade on record, with 7 storms. 6 of the 59 storms were major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger) while within 50 miles.

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	0	0	0	5	6	12	26	10	0	0

Activity by decade

19002000

Tropical cyclones passing within 50 miles, by decade, 1850s to 2020s. Decades with no storms are shown as empty columns. Comparing two equal 38-year windows inside the aircraft-reconnaissance era: 14 storms in 1950–1987 against 16 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	2	2	3	4	4	3	3	3	4	2	3	6	5	1	7	2	4

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Francine (2024)	12 Sep 2024	49.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Claudette (2021)	19 Jun 2021	28.4 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Zeta (2020)	29 Oct 2020	16.7 mi	Cat 1	81 kt
Cristobal (2020)	8 Jun 2020	44.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Gordon (2018)	5 Sep 2018	48.7 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Nate (2017)	8 Oct 2017	28.8 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Katrina (2005)	29 Aug 2005	10.2 mi	Cat 3	97 kt
Cindy (2005)	6 Jul 2005	10.9 mi	TS / TD	43 kt
Bill (2003)	1 Jul 2003	40.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Isidore (2002)	26 Sep 2002	23.9 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Hanna (2002)	14 Sep 2002	48.9 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Bertha (2002)	5 Aug 2002	31.8 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Allison (2001)	11 Jun 2001	14.5 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Georges (1998)	29 Sep 1998	32.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Florence (1988)	10 Sep 1988	41.1 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Beryl (1988)	8 Aug 1988	38.9 mi	TS / TD	28 kt
Elena (1985)	2 Sep 1985	9.2 mi	Cat 2	92 kt
Unnamed Storm (1984)	28 Oct 1984	40.3 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1980)	20 Jul 1980	9.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1977)	25 Oct 1977	29.2 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1976)	24 Sep 1976	44.8 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1975)	17 Oct 1975	41.1 mi	TD	—
Unnamed Storm (1975)	29 Jul 1975	30.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Fern (1971)	5 Sep 1971	12.7 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1971)	9 Aug 1971	41.1 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Camille (1969)	18 Aug 1969	7.6 mi	Cat 4	132 kt
Hilda (1964)	4 Oct 1964	20.2 mi	TS / TD	56 kt
Ethel (1960)	15 Sep 1960	26.6 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1955)	27 Aug 1955	23.7 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Brenda (1955)	1 Aug 1955	26.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	4 Sep 1948	14.9 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	19 Sep 1947	49.8 mi	Cat 2	91 kt
Unnamed Storm (1947)	8 Sep 1947	49.2 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	6 Sep 1945	5.3 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	26 Sep 1939	10.1 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	23 Aug 1936	5.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1936)	28 Jul 1936	40.4 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	21 Sep 1926	5.0 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	18 Oct 1923	29.5 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	26 Jun 1923	31.9 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	30 Sep 1915	39.1 mi	Cat 1	67 kt
Unnamed Storm (1914)	18 Sep 1914	16.3 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1911)	12 Aug 1911	32.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1907)	21 Sep 1907	33.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	27 Sep 1906	45.3 mi	Cat 2	90 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	15 Aug 1901	37.2 mi	Cat 1	75 kt
Unnamed Storm (1900)	13 Sep 1900	38.5 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	16 Aug 1895	39.5 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	2 Oct 1893	30.5 mi	Cat 2	95 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	7 Sep 1893	37.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1892)	12 Sep 1892	6.4 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	19 Oct 1887	25.4 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1887)	14 Jun 1887	45.1 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1885)	26 Sep 1885	31.7 mi	TS / TD	60 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	7 Oct 1879	14.0 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	11 Jul 1872	28.8 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	15 Sep 1860	11.6 mi	Cat 2	83 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	12 Aug 1860	20.1 mi	Cat 3	100 kt
Unnamed Storm (1855)	16 Sep 1855	8.9 mi	Cat 2	95 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 4 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	31.1 mi	40 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	17 Aug 2010	18.5 mi	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	Post-tropical	16 Oct 1932	12.1 mi	47 kt
Unnamed Storm (1863)	Post-tropical	1 Oct 1863	14.4 mi	40 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1855–2025. Tracks are recorded every six hours and are interpolated to one-hour steps before distances are measured, so closest-approach figures are not distorted by the sampling interval. Distances are measured to the county's Census internal point, not to its nearest boundary, so a storm listed at 55 miles may still have crossed the coastline — see Methodology. Records before about 1900 are sparser and less precise than modern ones, and storms that stayed at sea were less likely to be recorded at all.

How Hancock County, Mississippi compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Hancock County, Mississippi ranks #123 — more exposed than 94.4% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #1 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 5 Camille (1969) passed 8 miles away on 18 August 1969 as a hurricane, reaching 150 kt (173 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Katrina (2005) passed 10 miles away on 29 August 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Unnamed Storm (1855) passed 9 miles away on 16 September 1855 as a hurricane, reaching 108 kt (124 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 3 Elena (1985) passed 9 miles away on 2 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 100 kt (115 mph) while within 50 miles.

50 of the 59 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 2.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 59 storms spread over the 171 years from 1855 to 2025. 13 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 1 year since the last one; 32 of the 44 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Hancock County, Mississippi?

16 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Hancock County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1855. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 59.

When was the last hurricane in Hancock County, Mississippi?

Zeta (2020), on 29 October 2020, passing 17 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Francine (2024) in 2024.

What was the strongest storm to affect Hancock County, Mississippi?

Camille (1969), which reached 150 kt (173 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 8 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Hancock County, Mississippi?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 2.9 years — 59 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

Hancock County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana has 59 on record.

St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana59 storms within 50 mi Harrison County, Mississippi58 storms within 50 mi Pearl River County, Mississippi54 storms within 50 mi Stone County, Mississippi54 storms within 50 mi St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana51 storms within 50 mi