Southaven, MS Tornado History — 101 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Southaven, MS had?
Southaven has had 101 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 10 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Southaven?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Southaven was an EF1 on May 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Southaven?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Southaven, with 22 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
Recent Tornado Activity Near Southaven
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 23 total, averaging 1.1 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
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.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Southaven
38 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Southaven since 1950, across 9 events. 493 injuries have been reported across all events. 1952 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on March 21, 1952, which caused 16 fatalities along a 29.6-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Southaven
About Tornadoes in Southaven
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.
Southaven lies where the loess bluffs east of the Mississippi River flatten into open DeSoto County suburb and farm country, just south of Memphis along the Tennessee line. The terrain puts up scant resistance: warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico streams north across the low Delta plain to the west, and when cold fronts and jet-stream disturbances dig in from the Plains, the collision often unfolds directly overhead. With little relief to disrupt low-level inflow, squall lines and supercells cross the area with their rotation intact.
The severe-weather archive maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows what that setup can deliver. An F4 tore through the area on March 22, 1952, killing 16 people and injuring 74 along a 29.6-mile track. An F3 followed on April 4, 1968, leaving 4 dead and 32 injured. A December 15, 1987 F3 injured 121 people and killed 6. During the Super Tuesday outbreak, an EF2 struck on February 5, 2008, claiming 3 lives. An EF3 struck again on April 3, 2025, injuring 2.
Spring remains the prime season, when Gulf moisture and wind shear overlap, yet November and December events in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s show the danger extends into the cool months. The live tables and event list elsewhere on this page pull current figures straight from that same archive.