Tornado Warning Issued for Harrison and Hancock Counties in Southern Mississippi

Source: NOAA · Southern Mississippi

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The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for parts of Harrison and Hancock Counties until 11:30 PM CDT as radar indicates a rotating storm near Diamondhead.

What this NWS weather alert tells you, and what most readers miss

This notice was issued by NOAA on March 22, 2026 and geographically references Southern Mississippi. Its severity classification of "high" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken — "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to — Weather Alerts — determines the regulatory framework behind it, which shapes what remedies (refunds, replacements, recalls, evacuations) are available to affected individuals and who holds statutory responsibility for enforcement.

Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to read it as a data point about the issuing system: how quickly NOAA detected the hazard, how precise the geographic or product-identifier scope is, and whether similar notices have clustered in the same category or region in the last 90 days. Cluster patterns frequently precede a broader regulatory action — a single localized NWS weather alert is isolated; three of them within a quarter often indicate a supply-chain, infrastructure, or seasonal driver that will keep producing notices until something structural changes.

For decision-making, Areazine pairs each alert with the original agency URL, the full agency name, and a timestamp so you can verify the notice against the primary source before acting on it. Tags on this item (weather, alert, Tornado Warning, Mississippi) map to related alerts in the same area of risk — browsing them together gives a clearer picture than any single notice alone, because the shape of an ongoing issue only becomes visible across multiple sequential alerts.

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in New Orleans has issued a Tornado Warning for southwestern Harrison County and east central Hancock County in southern Mississippi. The alert was triggered by radar-indicated rotation within a severe thunderstorm cluster.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

  • Southwestern Harrison County, MS
  • East central Hancock County, MS
  • Specific locations in the path include Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Pass Christian, and Long Beach.
  • The warning area includes Interstate 10 in Mississippi between mile markers 13 and 20.

What You Should Do

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not wait to see or hear the tornado. This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and widespread significant wind damage.

Expected Conditions

At 10:59 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms capable of producing both tornadoes and straight-line wind damage were located over Diamondhead, moving east at 25 mph.

  • Hazard: Tornado and straight-line wind damage.
  • Source: Radar indicated rotation.
  • Impact: Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.
  • Hail: Potential for hail up to .75 inches.

Timeline

The warning is effective from 10:59 PM CDT until 11:30 PM CDT on March 11.

  • 11:05 PM CDT: Storm expected near Bay St. Louis, Waveland, and Pass Christian.
  • 11:20 PM CDT: Storm expected near Long Beach.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for parts of Harrison and Hancock Counties until 11:30 PM CDT as radar indicates a rotating storm near Diamondhead.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Southern Mississippi. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.