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Gulfport, MS Tornado History — 151 Tornadoes Since 1950

Mississippi · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Gulfport, MS had?

Gulfport has had 151 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 7 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Gulfport?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Gulfport was an EF0 on March 30, 2025.

When is tornado season in Gulfport?

April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Gulfport, with 25 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
151
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
7
4.6% of total
Peak Month
April
25 on record
Per Year Avg
2.0
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Gulfport

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 59 total, averaging 3.0 per year over this window.

2026 0+2 prelim
2025 1
2024 7
2023 0
2022 3
2021 14
2020 5
2019 3
2018 4
2017 3
2016 1
2015 0
2014 0
2013 0
2012 6
2011 6
2010 0
2009 3
2008 1
2007 2

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Gulfport since December 29, 2025

These are 2 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.

Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.

Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.

Preliminary EF1° June 18, 2026
8 NE Kiln, Hancock County, MS
Preliminary April 25, 2026
3 WNW Gulfport, Harrison County, MS

Within 25 miles of Gulfport. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 4
1960s 12
1970s 23
1980s 22
1990s 13
2000s 24
2010s 23
2020s 30

Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating

F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.

EF0 68
EF1 57
EF2 18
EF3 7
Unrated 1

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 2
Feb 8
Mar 15
Apr 25
May 23
Jun 11
Jul 6
Aug 24
Sep 16
Oct 8
Nov 9
Dec 4

Casualties on Record Near Gulfport

6 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Gulfport since 1950, across 2 events. 103 injuries have been reported across all events. 1967 was the deadliest year on record.

The deadliest single event was a F3 on October 30, 1967, which caused 4 fatalities along a 2.0-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Gulfport

Deadliest Tornado
F3 on October 30, 1967 — 4 fatalities, 2.0 mi path, 400 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F3 on May 19, 1980 — est. ~$27.5M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
F3 on May 19, 1980 — 800 yards wide.
Longest Path
F2 on February 26, 1958 — 28.4 mile track.
Most Recent
EF0 on March 30, 2025.

About Tornadoes in Gulfport

This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.

Between outbreaks, Gulfport can feel almost sheltered: sea-breeze showers, summer thunder, little else along the Mississippi Sound. Then a sharpening spring front or a landfalling tropical system flips the coast into tornado weather within hours. The setting explains the swing. The city sits on flat coastal plain where warm, humid Gulf of Mexico air collides with cold fronts pushing south across the interior of the United States, and the landscape offers little relief to disrupt low-level winds, so rotating storms born over open water or the piney flatlands inland can cross the shoreline intact.

The active days have left real scars here. An F3 tornado tore through on October 30, 1967, killing 4 people and injuring 17 along a short but unusually wide damage path. The spring of 1980 brought repeated F3 strikes, including a tornado on April 13, 1980, that injured 25 people along a 15.9-mile track. In an eerie echo of that date, an F2 on April 13, 1994 killed 2 people and injured 16. Weaker touchdowns continue in the modern era, such as the brief EF0 of March 30, 2025.

Threats cluster in spring, when clashing air masses and Gulf moisture favor organized supercells, and again in late summer, when tropical systems spin up quick, low-topped tornadoes near the coast. Activity spans the decades from the 1950s through the 2020s, and the ratings and notable-event details shown elsewhere on this page draw on the database maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Gulfport, MS had?
Since 1950, 151 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Gulfport. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Gulfport?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Gulfport was a F3 on October 30, 1967, which caused 4 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Gulfport?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Gulfport, with 25 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
When was the most recent tornado near Gulfport?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Gulfport was an EF0 on March 30, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Gulfport?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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