Mississippi
The storm surge at Pass Christian reached 28 feet during Katrina. The Rolling Fork tornado in 2023 proved Dixie Alley is still deadly. The Mississippi River flood of 2019 was the longest on record. This state has been tested more than most, and it keeps rebuilding.
Enter your Mississippi ZIP for live alerts, forecasts, and county-specific data.
Know your region
Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, Ocean Springs. Hurricane Katrina's storm surge reached 28 feet here. Hurricane Camille (1969) was Category 5 at landfall. The coast has been rebuilt twice in living memory. Casino barges, bridges, and entire neighborhoods were erased.
Primary hazards: hurricanes, storm surge, flooding, heat
Jackson, Tupelo, Columbus, Starkville, the Delta. The 2023 Rolling Fork tornado (EF4) killed 26 people. Tornadoes strike at night and during winter months. Jackson's water system has been compromised repeatedly by flooding and infrastructure failure.
Primary hazards: tornadoes, flooding, severe storms, heat
Greenville, Vicksburg, Natchez, Yazoo City, the Mississippi River corridor. The 2019 Mississippi River flood was the longest in recorded history. The Delta is flat, low, and flood-prone. Poverty limits household preparedness capacity.
Primary hazards: river flooding, tornadoes, severe storms, extreme heat
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to MS.
Katrina (2005) killed 238 in Mississippi with 28-foot storm surge. Camille (1969) was Category 5. The low-lying coast is exposed to every Gulf hurricane. Storm surge is the deadliest component. Evacuate when ordered.
Read the hurricanes guide →
The 2023 Rolling Fork tornado (EF4) killed 26 people. Mississippi averages 46 tornadoes per year. Tornadoes here frequently strike at night and during cooler months. A NOAA weather radio is critical.
Read the tornadoes guide →
The 2019 Mississippi River flood was the longest on record. Jackson's water system has been compromised by flooding. Flash flooding in hilly terrain is sudden and deadly. Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood.
Read the flooding guide →
Straight-line winds, large hail, and dangerous lightning strike frequently. Storms can produce tornado-like damage without a tornado. Severe weather season runs nearly year-round.
Read the severe thunderstorms guide →
Heat indices routinely exceed 110 degrees F. Prolonged heat events are dangerous for outdoor workers, the elderly, and anyone without reliable cooling. Mississippi's heat season lasts from May through October.
Read the extreme heat guide →
Mississippi resources
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Coordinates hurricane response, manages shelters, and administers disaster recovery programs.
Central Mississippi forecasts. Severe weather warnings, tornado watches, and flood alerts for the state's most populated region.
Mississippi's official preparedness app. Shelter locations, evacuation routes, weather alerts, and county emergency contacts.
Statewide referral service. Disaster recovery, energy assistance, food banks, water distribution, and housing resources.
March 24, 2023
On the night of March 24, 2023, an EF4 tornado struck Rolling Fork, Mississippi, killing 26 people and destroying much of the small Delta town. The tornado hit after dark, when many residents were asleep or had limited visibility of the approaching storm.
Rolling Fork is a community of about 1,800 people. It is poor. Many homes were older construction without safe rooms or basements. The tornado warnings were issued, but in a town where many residents rely on outdoor sirens rather than smartphone alerts, nighttime tornadoes are uniquely deadly.
For every Mississippi household, the Rolling Fork lesson is about nighttime vulnerability. A NOAA weather radio set to alarm mode is the only reliable way to be woken by a tornado warning at 2 a.m. Mobile homes are not safe shelter. If you live in a mobile home, your tornado plan must include a separate structure.