Wilkinson County, Mississippi Hurricane History
Since 1856, 38 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wilkinson County, Mississippi — about one every 4.5 years. Of those, 8 were at hurricane strength at their closest approach. The most recent was Ida (2021), which passed 27 miles away on 30 August 2021.
Storm tracks within 50 miles
How strong they get
Key facts
- Most recentIda (2021) — 27 mi away, 30 August 2021
- Strongest stormUnnamed Storm (1909) — 83 kt (96 mph) at its strongest within 50 miles
- Closest pass on recordUnnamed Storm (1905) — 1.7 miles
- Closest major hurricane (Cat 3+)None on record
- Passes within 25 miles23 of 38
- Peak monthSeptember — 16 storms (42% of all)
- Most active year1926 — 2 storms
- Most active decade1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s — 4 storms
- Major hurricanes (Cat 3+) within 50 mi0
- Record span1856–2021
When storms arrive
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Activity by decade
| 1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Every tropical or subtropical cyclone within 50 miles
| Storm | Closest approach | Distance | Status | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ida (2021) | 30 Aug 2021 | 27.2 mi | TS / TD | 48 kt |
| Cristobal (2020) | 8 Jun 2020 | 14.0 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Isaac (2012) | 30 Aug 2012 | 26.6 mi | TS / TD | 50 kt |
| Matthew (2004) | 10 Oct 2004 | 22.3 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Bertha (2002) | 6 Aug 2002 | 22.7 mi | TS / TD | 15 kt |
| Andrew (1992) | 26 Aug 1992 | 3.1 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Florence (1988) | 10 Sep 1988 | 14.6 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Elena (1985) | 2 Sep 1985 | 24.0 mi | TS / TD | 52 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1975) | 30 Jul 1975 | 22.2 mi | TD | — |
| Edith (1971) | 16 Sep 1971 | 23.3 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Betsy (1965) | 10 Sep 1965 | 32.0 mi | TS / TD | 62 kt |
| Arlene (1959) | 31 May 1959 | 13.9 mi | TS / TD | 28 kt |
| Esther (1957) | 18 Sep 1957 | 37.0 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1956) | 14 Jun 1956 | 39.2 mi | TS / TD | 34 kt |
| Brenda (1955) | 2 Aug 1955 | 10.9 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1949) | 4 Sep 1949 | 40.9 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1947) | 19 Sep 1947 | 46.7 mi | Cat 1 | 67 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1945) | 6 Sep 1945 | 25.2 mi | TS / TD | 23 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1940) | 24 Sep 1940 | 11.2 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1937) | 3 Oct 1937 | 39.9 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1934) | 17 Jun 1934 | 6.8 mi | TS / TD | 58 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1932) | 20 Sep 1932 | 15.2 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1931) | 16 Jul 1931 | 24.9 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 22 Sep 1926 | 41.1 mi | TS / TD | 33 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1926) | 26 Aug 1926 | 42.3 mi | TS / TD | 47 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1923) | 16 Oct 1923 | 19.4 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1920) | 22 Sep 1920 | 36.6 mi | TS / TD | 53 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1911) | 13 Aug 1911 | 11.2 mi | TS / TD | 32 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1909) | 21 Sep 1909 | 19.0 mi | Cat 1 | 79 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1905) | 29 Sep 1905 | 1.7 mi | TS / TD | 35 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1894) | 9 Aug 1894 | 33.9 mi | TS / TD | 25 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1890) | 27 Aug 1890 | 45.8 mi | TS / TD | 36 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1888) | 20 Aug 1888 | 20.1 mi | Cat 1 | 68 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1886) | 15 Jun 1886 | 6.5 mi | TS / TD | 42 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1879) | 1 Sep 1879 | 44.6 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1875) | 18 Sep 1875 | 7.4 mi | TS / TD | 30 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1860) | 2 Oct 1860 | 24.9 mi | Cat 1 | 65 kt |
| Unnamed Storm (1856) | 12 Aug 1856 | 4.5 mi | TS / TD | 40 kt |
Post-tropical and extratropical passes
A further 2 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 | 28.5 mi | 25 kt |
| Five (2010) | Remnant low | 17 Aug 2010 | 41.7 mi | 16 kt |
How Wilkinson County, Mississippi compares
Among the 2,208 U.S. counties and county-equivalents that have recorded at least one tropical cyclone within 50 miles, Wilkinson County, Mississippi ranks #367 — more exposed than 83.4% of them. Within Mississippi it ranks #25 of 82, against a state average of 32.3 storms per county.
Notable storms
- Cat 2 Unnamed Storm (1909) passed 19 miles away on 21 September 1909 as a hurricane, reaching 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Betsy (1965) passed 32 miles away on 10 September 1965 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1947) passed 47 miles away on 19 September 1947 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
- Cat 1 Unnamed Storm (1888) passed 20 miles away on 20 August 1888 as a hurricane, reaching 70 kt (81 mph) while within 50 miles.
36 of the 38 storms made a documented landfall somewhere along their track.
How often to expect a storm
A return interval of 4.5 years does not mean storms arrive on a schedule. It is simply 38 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; 13 of the 36 gaps in this record were longer than that.
Common questions
How many hurricanes have hit Wilkinson County, Mississippi?
8 tropical cyclones have passed within 50 miles of Wilkinson County, Mississippi at hurricane strength since 1856. Counting all tropical cyclones — including tropical storms and depressions — the total is 38.
When was the last hurricane in Wilkinson County, Mississippi?
Ida (2021), on 30 August 2021, passing 27 miles away — 5 years ago. The most recent tropical cyclone of any strength was Ida (2021) in 2021.
What was the strongest storm to affect Wilkinson County, Mississippi?
Unnamed Storm (1909), which reached 83 kt (96 mph) while within 50 miles; its closest approach was 19 miles.
How often do hurricanes hit Wilkinson County, Mississippi?
On average, one tropical cyclone passes within 50 miles every 4.5 years — 38 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
Wilkinson County, Mississippi borders or sits close to 6 other counties with a published storm record. East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana has 46 on record.