Walthall County, Mississippi Hurricane History
Since 1860, 43 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Walthall County, Mississippi — about one every 3.9 years. Of those, 4 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Francine (2024), which passed 6 miles away on 12 September 2024.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentFrancine (2024) — 6 mi away, 12 September 2024
- Strongest stormCamille (1969) — 115 kt (132 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1886) — 4.5 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)Camille (1969) — 23.9 miles
- Passes within 25 miles22 of 43
- Peak monthSeptember — 20 storms (47% of all)
- Most active year1879 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1940s, 1970s and 2000s — 5 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi1
- Record span1860–2024
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 4 | 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 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francine (2024) | 12 Sep 2024 | 5.8 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Ida (2021) | 30 Aug 2021 | 44.9 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Claudette (2021) | 19 Jun 2021 | 36.7 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Cristobal (2020) | 8 Jun 2020 | 46.5 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Gordon (2018) | 5 Sep 2018 | 45.2 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 25 Aug 2008 | 11.2 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Katrina (2005) | 29 Aug 2005 | 30.1 mi | Cat 1 | 80 kt |
| Bill (2003) | 1 Jul 2003 | 21.2 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Isidore (2002) | 26 Sep 2002 | 15.6 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 5 Aug 2002 | 33.5 mi | TS / TD | 21 kt |
| Hermine (1998) | 20 Sep 1998 | 12.9 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Florence (1988) | 10 Sep 1988 | 47.4 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Elena (1985) | 2 Sep 1985 | 19.9 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1980) | 21 Jul 1980 | 25.9 mi | TD | — |
| Bob (1979) | 11 Jul 1979 | 6.5 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 6 Sep 1977 | 7.6 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1975) | 30 Jul 1975 | 44.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 25.6 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Fern (1971) | 5 Sep 1971 | 36.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Camille (1969) | 18 Aug 1969 | 23.9 mi | Cat 3 | 102 kt |
| Hilda (1964) | 4 Oct 1964 | 36.7 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Esther (1957) | 18 Sep 1957 | 35.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1956) | 14 Jun 1956 | 31.5 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 2 Aug 1955 | 42.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 5 Sep 1949 | 30.8 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 4 Sep 1948 | 40.1 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 9 Sep 1947 | 42.5 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 6 Sep 1945 | 16.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 25 Sep 1940 | 23.5 mi | TS / TD | 19 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 28 Jul 1936 | 12.8 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 21 Sep 1926 | 48.2 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1915) | 30 Sep 1915 | 6.6 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 10.1 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 12 Aug 1911 | 16.0 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 10 Oct 1905 | 9.9 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 9 Aug 1894 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 8 Sep 1893 | 20.1 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 27 Aug 1890 | 26.4 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 4.5 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 7 Oct 1879 | 6.6 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 2 Sep 1879 | 23.6 mi | TS / TD | 60 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 20.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 3 Oct 1860 | 45.7 mi | TS / TD | 58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olga (2019) | Post-tropical | 26 Oct 2019 | 6.8 mi | 45 kt |
| Lee (2011) | Post-tropical | 5 Sep 2011 | 33.8 mi | 40 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 17 Aug 2010 | 3.7 mi | 21 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1863) | Post-tropical | 1 Oct 1863 | 45.2 mi | 40 kt |
How Walthall County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Walthall County, Mississippi ranks #276 — more exposed than 87.5% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #16 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 4 Camille (1969) passed 24 miles away on 18 August 1969 as a hurricane, reaching 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Katrina (2005) passed 30 miles away on 29 August 2005 as a hurricane, reaching 88 kt (101 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 2 Elena (1985) passed 20 miles away on 2 September 1985 as a hurricane, reaching 84 kt (97 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1879) passed 24 miles away on 2 September 1879 as a tropical storm, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
37 of the 43 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.9 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 43 storms spread over the 166 years from 1860 to 2025. 4 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 15 years, between 1860 and 1875. It has been 1 year since the last one; 29 of the 38 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Walthall County, Mississippi?
4 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Walthall County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1860. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 43.
When was the last hurricane in Walthall County, Mississippi?
Ida (2021), on 30 August 2021, passing 45 miles away — 5 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Francine (2024) in 2024.
What was the strongest storm to affect Walthall County, Mississippi?
Camille (1969), which reached 115 kt (132 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 24 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Walthall County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.9 years — 43 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
Walthall County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 5 other counties with a published storm record. Pike County, Mississippi has 49 on record.