Jefferson County, Mississippi Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1856, 29 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Jefferson County, Mississippi — about one every 5.9 years. Of those, 2 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Ida (2021), which passed 15 miles away on 30 August 2021.

Storms within 50 mi

At hurricane strength

5.9

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 1 · 2TS / TD · 27

The 29 storms by the strongest category each reached while within 50 miles. 2 of them reached Cat 1.

Key facts

Most recentIda (2021) — 15 mi away, 30 August 2021
Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1909) — 75 kt (86 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1934) — 2.4 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles17 of 29
Peak monthSeptember — 13 storms (45% of all)
Most active year2020 — 2 storms
Most active decade1940s, 1950s, 1980s and 2020s — 3 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1856–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Jefferson County, Mississippi, September is the most active month, with 13 of the 29 recorded storms (45%). The primary season runs August to October, accounting for 83% of all activity. The 1940s, 1950s, 1980s and 2020s are tied as the most active decades on record, with 3 storms. 0 of the 29 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	1	4	0	7	13	4	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: 6 storms in 1950–1987 against 7 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	1	2	2	2	2	0	1	2	3	3	0	1	3	1	2	0	3

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Ida (2021)	30 Aug 2021	14.8 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Delta (2020)	10 Oct 2020	45.8 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Cristobal (2020)	8 Jun 2020	23.4 mi	TS / TD	31 kt
Humberto (2007)	14 Sep 2007	45.3 mi	TS / TD	21 kt
Matthew (2004)	10 Oct 2004	3.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Andrew (1992)	27 Aug 1992	8.8 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Florence (1988)	10 Sep 1988	20.6 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1987)	11 Aug 1987	30.0 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Elena (1985)	2 Sep 1985	19.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Edith (1971)	16 Sep 1971	42.4 mi	TS / TD	47 kt
Arlene (1959)	31 May 1959	15.4 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Esther (1957)	19 Sep 1957	17.7 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1956)	14 Jun 1956	14.5 mi	TS / TD	32 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	5 Sep 1949	36.1 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1945)	6 Sep 1945	17.7 mi	TS / TD	23 kt
Unnamed Storm (1940)	24 Sep 1940	35.6 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Unnamed Storm (1934)	17 Jun 1934	2.4 mi	TS / TD	50 kt
Unnamed Storm (1932)	20 Sep 1932	4.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	16 Oct 1923	9.2 mi	TS / TD	49 kt
Unnamed Storm (1909)	21 Sep 1909	36.7 mi	Cat 1	72 kt
Unnamed Storm (1905)	30 Sep 1905	8.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1894)	9 Aug 1894	9.6 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1890)	28 Aug 1890	35.8 mi	TS / TD	35 kt
Unnamed Storm (1888)	20 Aug 1888	5.3 mi	Cat 1	65 kt
Unnamed Storm (1886)	15 Jun 1886	42.8 mi	TS / TD	38 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	2 Sep 1879	44.4 mi	TS / TD	58 kt
Unnamed Storm (1875)	18 Sep 1875	34.5 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1860)	3 Oct 1860	20.0 mi	TS / TD	57 kt
Unnamed Storm (1856)	12 Aug 1856	30.1 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	13.0 mi	25 kt
Five (2010)	Remnant low	18 Aug 2010	3.5 mi	15 kt
Unnamed Storm (1933)	Post-tropical	26 Jul 1933	43.6 mi	30 kt

About this data. Computed from NOAA's HURDAT2 Atlantic and Northeast Pacific hurricane databases (hurdat2-1851-2025-02272026.txt), covering 1856–2025. 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 Jefferson County, Mississippi compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Jefferson County, Mississippi ranks #542 — more exposed than 75.4% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #42 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.

Notable storms

Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1909) passed 37 miles away on 21 September 1909 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 5 miles away on 20 August 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 68 kt (78 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 44 miles away on 2 September 1879 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1860) passed 20 miles away on 3 October 1860 as a tropical storm, reaching 60 kt (69 mph) while within 50 miles.

28 of the 29 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.

How often to expect a storm

A return interval of 5.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 29 storms spread over the 170 years from 1856 to 2025. 1 separate year 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 4 years since the last one; 12 of the 27 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Jefferson County, Mississippi?

2 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Jefferson County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 29.

When was the last hurricane in Jefferson County, Mississippi?

Unnamed Storm (1909), on 21 September 1909, passing 37 miles away — 117 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Ida (2021) in 2021.

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

Unnamed Storm (1909), which reached 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 37 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Jefferson County, Mississippi?

On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 5.9 years — 29 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

Jefferson County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Lincoln County, Mississippi has 42 on record.

Lincoln County, Mississippi42 storms within 50 mi Adams County, Mississippi38 storms within 50 mi Franklin County, Mississippi35 storms within 50 mi Copiah County, Mississippi33 storms within 50 mi Claiborne County, Mississippi30 storms within 50 mi