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Laurel, MS Tornado History — 182 Tornadoes Since 1950

Mississippi · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Laurel, MS had?

Laurel has had 182 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 22 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Laurel?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Laurel was an EF2 on April 6, 2025, causing 1 fatality.

When is tornado season in Laurel?

April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Laurel, with 46 on record. April through June account for 67 of the 182 tornadoes on record near Laurel.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
182
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
22
12.1% of total
Peak Month
April
46 on record
Per Year Avg
2.4
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Laurel

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 93 total, averaging 4.7 per year over this window.

2026 0+9 prelim
2025 10
2024 3
2023 3
2022 13
2021 2
2020 9
2019 4
2018 2
2017 3
2016 1
2015 1
2014 7
2013 1
2012 5
2011 7
2010 2
2009 5
2008 9
2007 6

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

Preliminary tornado reports near Laurel since December 29, 2025

These are 9 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 EF0° April 29, 2026
3 SSW Oak Bowery, Jasper County, MS
This weak brief EF0 tornado touched down near the intersection of CR 8 and CR 31. Multiple large branches were broken off with an uprooted tree along CR 31. (JAN)
Preliminary EF0° April 25, 2026
2 W Paulding, Jasper County, MS
This EF0 tornado tracked along CR 16 west of Paulding... uprooting trees and snapping large tree limbs along its path. Max wind 80 mph. Path length 1.2 miles. Max path (JAN)
Preliminary EF1° March 16, 2026
5 W Boice, Wayne County, MS
High resolution satellite imagery revealed an EF1 tornado began along Waynesboro Shubuta Road tracking east-southeast for roughly 2 miles. The tornado primarily damaged (MOB)
Preliminary March 12, 2026
7 NNW Strengthford, Wayne County, MS
Corrects previous tornado report from 6 W Whistler. This is the third of three EF1 tornadoes within the Pleasant Grove area... with these final two tornadoes featuring (MOB)
Preliminary EF1° March 12, 2026
2 NW Sanford, Covington County, MS
An EF-1 tornado began just west of Okatoma Creek... uprooting several trees. The tornado continued northeast and ended just east of Old Highway 49... uprooting a few mo (JAN)
Preliminary EF0° February 15, 2026
3 SSW Taylorsville, Covington County, MS
This very brief EF0 tornado resulted in minor tree damage south of Taylorsville as it tracked across Charlie Red Drive and Ben Stroud Road. Max wind 75 mph... max path (JAN)
Preliminary EF1° January 10, 2026
2 SSE Heidelberg, Jasper County, MS
This EF-1 tornado began near the intersection of US Highway 11 and MS Highway 528... initially mainly producing damage to tree limbs as it tracked across southeast Jasp (JAN)
Preliminary January 10, 2026
4 WSW Stringer, Jasper County, MS
This weak... brief tornado touched down along Jasper Co Road 7. A barn had tin pealed off the roof and a tree was snapped along with other large limbs broken. The path (JAN)
Preliminary January 9, 2026
1 SSE Shady Grove, Jones County, MS
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 1 SSE Shady Grove. Video provided by Jones County EOC shows that this damage was produced by a tornado. Roof damage occurred (JAN)

Within 25 miles of Laurel. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

What storm spotters reported near Laurel

2 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Laurel and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 5, 2025 and the most recent on April 5, 2025. They are already counted in the Laurel totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.

April 6, 2025
2 SSE Eastabuchie, Forrest County, MS
TDS noted on radar. (JAN)
EF0° April 6, 2025
2 S Soso, Jones County, MS
This brief EF-0 tornado touched down near Highway 29 south of Taw Jeffcoat road where it downed trees and limbs moving northeast. The tornado continued northeast doing (JAN)

Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

Tornadoes by Decade

1950s 9
1960s 11
1970s 17
1980s 20
1990s 12
2000s 40
2010s 33
2020s 40

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 36
EF1 82
EF2 41
EF3 19
EF4 3
Unrated 1

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 9
Feb 13
Mar 32
Apr 46
May 14
Jun 7
Jul 3
Aug 1
Sep 7
Oct 7
Nov 14
Dec 29

Casualties on Record Near Laurel

27 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Laurel since 1950, across 11 events. 848 injuries have been reported across all events. 2020 was the deadliest year on record near Laurel.

The deadliest single event was an EF4 on April 12, 2020, which caused 7 fatalities along a 67.4-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Laurel

Deadliest Tornado
EF4 on April 12, 2020 — 7 fatalities, 67.4 mi path, 3,960 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
EF4 on April 12, 2020 — $61.5M in reported property damage.
Widest Tornado
EF4 on April 12, 2020 — 3,960 yards wide.
Longest Path
F2 on April 12, 1955 — 112.8 mile track.
Most Recent
EF2 on April 6, 2025 — 1 fatality.

What the record shows near Laurel

The 2000s were the busiest decade near Laurel, with 40 of the 182 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 40 so far. The Laurel record runs from the 1950s to today.

Of the tornadoes rated near Laurel, 118 reached EF0 or EF1 and 63 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Laurel is rated EF4, of which 3 are logged. A further 1 near Laurel is unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.

Across the last 20 years Laurel has averaged 4.7 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 93 in total. 2022 was the busiest of them with 13, and 1 of those years passed with none at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Laurel, MS had?
Since 1950, 182 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Laurel. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Laurel?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Laurel was an EF4 on April 12, 2020, which caused 7 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Laurel?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Laurel, with 46 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.
Has Laurel been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Laurel, there have been 0 EF5 and 3 EF4 tornadoes recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Laurel?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Laurel was an EF2 on April 6, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Laurel?
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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