Holmes County, Mississippi Tropical Cyclone History
Since 1860, 25 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Holmes County, Mississippi — about one every 6.6 years. Of those, 1 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 19 miles away on 12 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 19 mi away, 12 September 2024
- Strongest stormCamille (1969) — 66 kt (76 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordCamille (1969) — 3.1 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles13 of 25
- Peak monthAugust — 9 storms (36% of all)
- Most active year1879 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1930s — 4 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 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 12 Sep 2024 | 18.8 mi | TS / TD | 26 kt |
| Ida (2021) | 31 Aug 2021 | 10.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Gordon (2018) | 5 Sep 2018 | 41.5 mi | TS / TD | 22 kt |
| Harvey (2017) | 31 Aug 2017 | 41.2 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Erin (1995) | 4 Aug 1995 | 23.2 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Andrew (1992) | 27 Aug 1992 | 36.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Danny (1985) | 16 Aug 1985 | 41.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Bob (1979) | 12 Jul 1979 | 17.3 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Camille (1969) | 18 Aug 1969 | 3.1 mi | TS / TD | 54 kt |
| Audrey (1957) | 28 Jun 1957 | 49.3 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 5 Sep 1949 | 27.3 mi | TS / TD | 27 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 5.3 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 17 Jun 1934 | 17.0 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 20 Sep 1932 | 19.9 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 2 Sep 1932 | 20.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 30 Jul 1926 | 20.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 7 Jul 1916 | 6.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1908) | 3 Aug 1908 | 33.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 28 Sep 1906 | 34.6 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 28 Aug 1890 | 5.2 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 20 Aug 1888 | 41.3 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 7 Oct 1879 | 25.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 2 Sep 1879 | 44.9 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1872) | 13 Jul 1872 | 41.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 3 Oct 1860 | 4.7 mi | TS / TD | 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta (2020) | Post-tropical | 10 Oct 2020 | 27.4 mi | 25 kt |
| Beta (2020) | Post-tropical | 24 Sep 2020 | 32.6 mi | 22 kt |
| Olga (2019) | Post-tropical | 26 Oct 2019 | 19.5 mi | 43 kt |
| Humberto (2007) | Remnant low | 14 Sep 2007 | 30.1 mi | 20 kt |
How Holmes County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Holmes County, Mississippi ranks #640 — more exposed than 71.0% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #55 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 1 Camille (1969) passed 3 miles away on 18 August 1969 as a hurricane, reaching 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 41 miles away on 20 August 1888 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 45 miles away on 2 September 1879 as a tropical storm, reaching 48 kt (55 mph) while within 50 miles.
- TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1860) passed 5 miles away on 3 October 1860 as a tropical storm, reaching 48 kt (55 mph) while within 50 miles.
24 of the 25 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 6.6 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 25 storms spread over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025. 2 separate years saw more than one storm pass within 50 miles while decades have gone by with none. The longest recorded quiet stretch was 22 years, between 1995 and 2017. It has been 1 year since the last one; 21 of the 22 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Holmes County, Mississippi?
1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Holmes County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1860. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 25.
When was the last hurricane in Holmes County, Mississippi?
Camille (1969), on 18 August 1969, passing 3 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 Holmes County, Mississippi?
Camille (1969), which reached 66 kt (76 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 3 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Holmes County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 6.6 years — 25 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
Holmes County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Yazoo County, Mississippi has 27 on record.