Wayne County, Mississippi Hurricane History
Since 1852, 50 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wayne County, Mississippi — about one every 3.5 years. Of those, 8 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Claudette (2021), which passed 3 miles away on 19 June 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentClaudette (2021) — 3 mi away, 19 June 2021
- Strongest stormFrederic (1979) — 90 kt (104 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1860) — 0.7 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles23 of 50
- Peak monthSeptember — 21 storms (42% of all)
- Most active year1912 — 3 storms
- Most active decade1930s and 2000s — 6 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1852–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claudette (2021) | 19 Jun 2021 | 2.7 mi | TS / TD | 29 kt |
| Zeta (2020) | 29 Oct 2020 | 9.9 mi | Cat 1 | 72 kt |
| Gordon (2018) | 5 Sep 2018 | 41.8 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Nate (2017) | 8 Oct 2017 | 22.3 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Fay (2008) | 24 Aug 2008 | 8.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Katrina (2005) | 29 Aug 2005 | 42.0 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Dennis (2005) | 11 Jul 2005 | 44.1 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Cindy (2005) | 6 Jul 2005 | 28.2 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Bill (2003) | 1 Jul 2003 | 29.3 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Allison (2001) | 11 Jun 2001 | 47.3 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Erin (1995) | 4 Aug 1995 | 4.2 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1987) | 13 Aug 1987 | 15.1 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Frederic (1979) | 13 Sep 1979 | 6.8 mi | Cat 1 | 75 kt |
| Babe (1977) | 6 Sep 1977 | 36.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1977) | 19 Jul 1977 | 42.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1976) | 24 Sep 1976 | 45.6 mi | TD | — |
| Edith (1971) | 17 Sep 1971 | 48.4 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Ethel (1960) | 16 Sep 1960 | 16.3 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Baker (1950) | 31 Aug 1950 | 42.8 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1948) | 4 Sep 1948 | 33.9 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 8 Sep 1947 | 43.2 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 25 Sep 1940 | 20.0 mi | TS / TD | 16 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 26 Sep 1939 | 23.7 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 14 Aug 1939 | 41.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1939) | 16 Jun 1939 | 14.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 1 Sep 1937 | 37.0 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1936) | 1 Aug 1936 | 46.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 1 Sep 1932 | 11.1 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 18 Oct 1923 | 27.0 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1916) | 6 Jul 1916 | 31.6 mi | TS / TD | 63 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 14 Sep 1912 | 10.5 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 17 Jul 1912 | 1.4 mi | TS / TD | 20 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1912) | 13 Jun 1912 | 16.0 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1907) | 22 Sep 1907 | 19.1 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1906) | 27 Sep 1906 | 22.5 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1901) | 16 Aug 1901 | 35.2 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1900) | 14 Sep 1900 | 45.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1898) | 3 Aug 1898 | 37.4 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1895) | 17 Aug 1895 | 21.0 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 8 Aug 1894 | 43.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1893) | 8 Sep 1893 | 40.7 mi | TS / TD | 44 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1892) | 12 Sep 1892 | 14.4 mi | TS / TD | 38 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1887) | 14 Jun 1887 | 7.3 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 36.0 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1881) | 4 Aug 1881 | 1.8 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1880) | 1 Sep 1880 | 34.5 mi | TS / TD | 43 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1872) | 12 Jul 1872 | 33.3 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 15 Sep 1860 | 0.7 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1855) | 16 Sep 1855 | 13.2 mi | TS / TD | 57 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1852) | 26 Aug 1852 | 45.8 mi | Cat 1 | 70 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 | 20.7 mi | 40 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 13 Aug 2010 | 41.5 mi | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | Post-tropical | 16 Oct 1932 | 13.8 mi | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1922) | Post-tropical | 17 Oct 1922 | 40.0 mi | 25 kt |
How Wayne County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Wayne County, Mississippi ranks #204 — more exposed than 90.8% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #9 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Frederic (1979) passed 7 miles away on 13 September 1979 as a hurricane, reaching 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Zeta (2020) passed 10 miles away on 29 October 2020 as a hurricane, reaching 76 kt (87 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1916) passed 32 miles away on 6 July 1916 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1906) passed 22 miles away on 27 September 1906 as a hurricane, reaching 75 kt (86 mph) while within 50 miles.
45 of the 50 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 3.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 50 storms spread over the 174 years from 1852 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 12 years, between 1860 and 1872. It has been 4 years since the last one; 17 of the 42 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Wayne County, Mississippi?
8 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wayne County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1852. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 50.
When was the last hurricane in Wayne County, Mississippi?
Zeta (2020), on 29 October 2020, passing 10 miles away — 6 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Claudette (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Wayne County, Mississippi?
Frederic (1979), which reached 90 kt (104 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 7 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Wayne County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 3.5 years — 50 storms over the 174 years from 1852 to 2025, the end of the HURDAT2 record. That is a historical average, not a schedule or a forecast.
Nearby counties
Wayne County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 7 other counties with a published storm record. Washington County, Alabama has 54 on record.