Mississippi Hurricane Tracker
Mississippi has only 44 miles of coastline and it has taken the two worst surge events in American history. Hurricane Camille in 1969 came ashore at Waveland as a Category 5 with 190 mph winds and a 24-foot surge. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was weaker on the wind scale but far larger, and its surge, measured at roughly 28 feet at Pass Christian, is the highest ever recorded in the United States. It erased the beachfront of Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, and Gulfport, floated the casino barges in Biloxi onto US-90, and killed 238 people in the state.
The geography explains it. The Mississippi Sound is shallow, the barrier islands are low, and a storm approaching from the south-southeast piles water into the coast with nowhere to go. The effects do not stop at the beach. Katrina still had hurricane-force winds at Hattiesburg, 70 miles inland, and Hurricane Zeta in 2020 and Hurricane Ida in 2021 both put the coast on the strong right side of Louisiana landfalls. Since Katrina the casinos moved onshore by law, US-90 and the bridges were rebuilt higher, and building elevations went up, but the surge risk is what it always was.
Radar
Composite radar, Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Wind
ECMWF wind forecast, Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Know Your Evacuation Zone
The three coastal counties each publish their own zone maps and orders. Harrison County uses Zones A, B, and C from the beach northward. Jackson and Hancock counties use similar lettered or area-based zones. Orders come from the county emergency management agency and the board of supervisors, with the lowest-lying coastal zones ordered out first. The primary evacuation routes are US-49 north to Hattiesburg and Jackson, I-59 north, I-10 east or west, and US-98.
County Emergency Management
The three coastal counties and the inland counties that take the first surge and wind. Your county emergency management agency posts local evacuation orders, shelter openings, and re-entry information.
Metro pages
Gulfport and Biloxi
Coming soon
Pascagoula and Ocean Springs
Coming soon
Bay St. Louis and Waveland
Coming soon
Hattiesburg
Coming soon
Mississippi-specific prep
Standard homeowners policies in the six southern counties often exclude wind. Wind coverage comes through the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association wind pool, and it must be in place before a storm enters the Gulf. The wind pool stops binding new policies once a named storm is in the Gulf, so you cannot buy it at the last minute.
Flood damage from storm surge or heavy rain is not covered by standard homeowners or wind policies. You need a separate National Flood Insurance Program policy, which has a 30-day waiting period. Katrina flooded thousands of homes that had never flooded before and were outside mapped flood zones, so do not assume you are safe because you are not in a high-risk area.
Mississippi does not have a dedicated hurricane supplies sales tax holiday. Its tax-free weekends are for school supplies in July and firearms in August. Buy your supplies early and do not count on a discount weekend.
MEMA and the Red Cross open shelters north of I-10 when a storm threatens. The coastal counties generally do not open shelters south of I-10 for major hurricanes, because the buildings are not built to withstand a direct Category 3 or higher and the roads out are limited. Plan to evacuate north of I-10, not to a coastal shelter.
After a coastal evacuation, Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties issue re-entry passes to residents and businesses. You need a pass to cross checkpoints and get back to your property before the general public. Check with your county emergency management agency for how to get one before the season starts.
The Bay St. Louis bridge and the Biloxi Bay bridge close at sustained 40 mph winds, and they are the only routes across the bays. Once they close you are cut off, so if you are on the south side of a bay and plan to leave, leave before the wind picks up, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi have hurricane evacuation zones?
Yes, set by each coastal county. Harrison County uses Zones A, B, and C from the beach northward. Jackson and Hancock counties use similar lettered or area-based zones. Orders come from the county emergency management agency and the board of supervisors, with the lowest-lying coastal zones ordered out first.
What is the highest storm surge ever recorded in the US?
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, about 28 feet at Pass Christian, Mississippi. Hurricane Camille in 1969 produced a 24-foot surge at Waveland. Both hit the same stretch of the Mississippi coast, which is shallow and exposed to storms approaching from the south-southeast.
How far inland do Mississippi hurricanes reach?
Far. Katrina still had hurricane-force winds at Hattiesburg, 70 miles inland, and tropical storm winds reached Jackson, about 150 miles inland. Inland tornadoes are common on the right side of Gulf landfalls, so even residents well away from the coast need to pay attention.
Do I need separate wind insurance on the Mississippi coast?
Usually yes in the six southern counties, where standard homeowners policies often exclude wind. Coverage comes through the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association wind pool, and it must be bound before a storm enters the Gulf, since the wind pool stops binding new policies once a named storm is in the Gulf.
Where are hurricane shelters in Mississippi?
MEMA publishes open shelters at msema.org when a storm threatens. Coastal counties generally do not open shelters south of I-10 for major hurricanes, because the buildings are not built to withstand a direct Category 3 or higher and the roads out are limited. Plan to evacuate north of I-10.
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Neighboring states
Mississippi borders Louisiana and Alabama. Browse all states →