Oktibbeha County, Mississippi Tropical Cyclone History

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

Since 1855, 29 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi — about one every 5.9 years. Of those, 1 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Ida (2021), which passed 39 miles away on 31 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.

Key facts

Most recentIda (2021) — 39 mi away, 31 August 2021
Strongest stormFrederic (1979) — 58 kt (67 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
Closest pass on recordKatrina (2005) — 5.2 miles
Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
Passes within 25 miles16 of 29
Peak monthSeptember — 12 storms (41% of all)
Most active year2005 — 2 storms
Most active decade2000s — 5 storms
Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
Record span1855–2021

When storms arrive

JFMAMJJASOND

Storms by month of closest approach; the peak is highlighted and labelled. In Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, September is the most active month, with 12 of the 29 recorded storms (41%). The primary season runs July to September, accounting for 93% of all activity. The 2000s was the most active decade on record, with 5 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	0	1	5	10	12	1	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: 4 storms in 1950–1987 against 8 in 1988–2025.

1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1	0	2	2	2	2	3	2	1	2	1	1	2	0	2	5	0	1

Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles

Storm	Closest approach	Distance	Status	Wind
Ida (2021)	31 Aug 2021	38.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Fay (2008)	26 Aug 2008	46.5 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Katrina (2005)	30 Aug 2005	5.2 mi	TS / TD	45 kt
Dennis (2005)	11 Jul 2005	10.6 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Isidore (2002)	27 Sep 2002	18.0 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Barry (2001)	7 Aug 2001	12.7 mi	TS / TD	15 kt
Erin (1995)	4 Aug 1995	49.1 mi	TS / TD	22 kt
Andrew (1992)	27 Aug 1992	7.6 mi	TS / TD	27 kt
Frederic (1979)	13 Sep 1979	37.1 mi	TS / TD	52 kt
Babe (1977)	7 Sep 1977	48.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Ethel (1960)	16 Sep 1960	18.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Baker (1950)	31 Aug 1950	37.1 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1949)	5 Sep 1949	26.0 mi	TS / TD	24 kt
Unnamed Storm (1948)	5 Sep 1948	14.0 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1939)	17 Jun 1939	8.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1926)	30 Jul 1926	26.9 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1923)	18 Oct 1923	15.2 mi	TS / TD	39 kt
Unnamed Storm (1919)	5 Jul 1919	26.6 mi	TS / TD	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1916)	7 Jul 1916	21.9 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1912)	15 Sep 1912	22.6 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1906)	28 Sep 1906	38.9 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1901)	16 Aug 1901	8.1 mi	TS / TD	33 kt
Unnamed Storm (1895)	17 Aug 1895	49.8 mi	TS / TD	25 kt
Unnamed Storm (1893)	9 Sep 1893	5.4 mi	TS / TD	34 kt
Unnamed Storm (1881)	29 Aug 1881	29.2 mi	TS / TD	40 kt
Unnamed Storm (1880)	1 Sep 1880	11.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1879)	2 Sep 1879	11.0 mi	TS / TD	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1872)	13 Jul 1872	8.9 mi	TS / TD	30 kt
Unnamed Storm (1855)	17 Sep 1855	44.3 mi	TS / TD	40 kt

Post-tropical and extratropical passes

A further 5 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
Francine (2024)	Post-tropical	12 Sep 2024	47.5 mi	25 kt
Delta (2020)	Post-tropical	11 Oct 2020	49.9 mi	25 kt
Beta (2020)	Post-tropical	24 Sep 2020	22.1 mi	20 kt
Unnamed Storm (1915)	Post-tropical	30 Sep 1915	19.0 mi	42 kt
Unnamed Storm (1905)	Post-tropical	10 Oct 1905	11.5 mi	25 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 Oktibbeha County, Mississippi compares

Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi ranks #544 — more exposed than 75.4% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #44 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.

Notable storms

TS / TD Frederic (1979) passed 37 miles away on 13 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Katrina (2005) passed 5 miles away on 30 August 2005 as a tropical storm, reaching 48 kt (55 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1906) passed 39 miles away on 28 September 1906 as a tropical storm, reaching 45 kt (52 mph) while within 50 miles.
TS / TD Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 11 miles away on 2 September 1879 as a tropical storm, reaching 45 kt (52 mph) while within 50 miles.

27 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 171 years from 1855 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 17 years, between 1855 and 1872. It has been 4 years since the last one; 13 of the 27 gaps in this record were longer than that.

Common questions

How many hurricanes have hit Oktibbeha County, Mississippi?

1 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1855. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 29.

When was the last hurricane in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi?

Frederic (1979), on 13 September 1979, passing 37 miles away — 47 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Ida (2021) in 2021.

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

Frederic (1979), which reached 58 kt (67 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 37 miles.

How often do hurricanes hit Oktibbeha County, Mississippi?

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

Oktibbeha County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. Winston County, Mississippi has 34 on record.

Winston County, Mississippi34 storms within 50 mi Noxubee County, Mississippi33 storms within 50 mi Lowndes County, Mississippi32 storms within 50 mi Webster County, Mississippi31 storms within 50 mi Choctaw County, Mississippi30 storms within 50 mi Clay County, Mississippi26 storms within 50 mi