In the early hours of March 26, 2009, an EF3 tornado crossed the north side of Magee, destroying about 60 homes and knocking the city's water treatment plant out of service until the next afternoon. Storms like that are the dramatic end of the scale; most damage here comes from steady Gulf moisture, roof leaks, plumbing failures and the odd winter freeze.
Fire & Water Energy is a referral service, not a contractor, and we do not own equipment or employ workers. Call (866) 937-3230 and we'll try to connect you with an independent restoration contractor serving Magee and nearby Simpson County communities, subject to who is available locally. You can read the how it works page and the referral disclosure first if you prefer.
Simpson County weather history, from Katrina to winter ice
The town stands at about 433 feet in a humid subtropical climate with an annual mean temperature near 66°F and roughly 56.9 inches of yearly rainfall. Little Goodwater Creek runs inside the city limits, where Willis Magee built a grist mill in 1840, and the Pearl River forms the county's western boundary.
Since 2000 Simpson County has been included in 13 federal major disaster declarations. They include Hurricane Ivan (2004), Hurricanes Katrina and Dennis (2005), Hurricane Isaac (2012) and Hurricane Ida (2021), plus severe storm and tornado declarations in 2009, 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2023. Cold is part of the record too: severe winter storm declarations followed events in 2021 (DR-4598) and 2026 (DR-4899).
Common sources of indoor water trouble around Magee
Summer humidity keeps air conditioners running for months, and a clogged condensate line or rusted drain pan can quietly wet a ceiling or subfloor. Older water heaters, washing machine hoses and toilet supply lines are other frequent culprits. When the winter storms of 2021 and 2026 brought ice and cold, pipes in crawl spaces and exterior walls were the ones most at risk.
Homeowners searching for water damage restoration in Magee usually need two things: the leak stopped and the structure dried properly. Contractors commonly use pumps and water extraction tools, then structural drying equipment, logging moisture levels until floors and framing reach normal readings. See burst pipe water damage for frozen-line situations.
Federal disaster declarations that included Simpson County
FEMA records show Simpson County was included in 13 major disaster declarations for weather or fire events from 2000 through 2026 (6 severe storm, 5 hurricane, 1 winter storm, 1 severe ice storm, by FEMA incident type). Declarations are made at the county level, so they do not mean every neighborhood in Magee was affected. The most recent:
- 2026 – Severe Winter Storm (DR-4899)
- 2023 – Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes. (DR-4727)
- 2021 – Hurricane Ida (DR-4626)
- 2021 – Severe Winter Storms (DR-4598)
- 2020 – Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4551)
- 2019 – Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4470)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved 2026-10-10. Counts include major disaster (DR) declarations with hurricane, flood, severe storm, tropical storm, fire, tornado, coastal storm, winter or ice storm, mudslide and dam/levee incident types.
Water, fire or storm damage in Magee?
Call (866) 937-3230 and tell us what happened at your Magee property.
Fire, smoke and soot: what remains after the flames
Downtown Magee saw what a serious fire can do in 2013, when First Baptist Church was badly damaged; the building has since been restored. At home, the aftermath of even a contained fire usually includes soot film on walls, a smoky smell in fabrics and water left behind by firefighting.
A reputable company will usually secure the structure, sort salvageable contents from ruined ones, clean soot with methods suited to each surface and use odor treatment for smoke that has worked into framing. Our pages on fire damage cleanup and soot removal cover the typical steps.
Storm and flood recovery when the weather turns violent
The 2009 tornado showed how quickly a single storm can turn roofs, walls and utilities into a cleanup project for an entire part of town. Straight-line winds and hurricane remnants bring the same risks on a smaller scale: torn shingles, fallen trees, broken windows and rain driven into the house.
Water entering from outside can carry sewage, chemicals and debris, so treat it as unsafe. For storm damage cleanup, a typical contractor will tarp or board openings, pull out wet carpet, pad and lower drywall, and disinfect affected areas before drying. Keep children and pets away from floodwater and anything it has soaked.
Mold after leaks in a muggy Mississippi climate
Mold can begin forming on damp drywall, wood or carpet within 24 to 48 hours, and the moist summers in this part of Mississippi make that timeline easy to hit. Watch for a musty smell, dark specks along baseboards or bubbling paint.
EPA guidance says a homeowner can usually clean an area under roughly 10 square feet, provided the moisture problem is solved. Larger patches, hidden growth inside walls, or anyone in the house with asthma or allergies are good reasons to bring in mold removal professionals who work with containment and air filtration.
Staying safe in the first hours after damage in Magee
- Dial 911 for injuries, fire, downed power lines or the smell of gas.
- Keep out of standing water that may touch outlets or appliances, and leave the breaker panel alone if reaching it means wading.
- Close the main water valve when a pipe or fixture is leaking.
- Take dated photos and video of damage before anything is moved or thrown away.
- Watch for official instructions from Simpson County and the city during storms or water outages.
- Call your insurer or agent early; coverage depends on your policy, so ask what your plan includes before agreeing to work.
Neighborhoods and nearby communities
Nearby communities with their own pages (straight-line distance from Magee):
Magee restoration FAQs
What happened in the 2009 Magee tornado?
An EF3 tornado struck the north part of the city at about 1:30 a.m. on March 26, 2009. It destroyed roughly 60 homes and injured 25 people, with no deaths, and damaged the water treatment plant badly enough to interrupt service until the following afternoon.
Can winter storms damage plumbing in Simpson County?
Yes. The county was part of federal severe winter storm declarations in 2021 and 2026. Pipes in crawl spaces, attics and outside walls are the most exposed, so insulate them and let a faucet drip when temperatures drop well below freezing.
Is Magee close enough to the Gulf to feel hurricanes?
The town is roughly 140 to 155 miles from Mobile and New Orleans, yet Simpson County has been part of declarations for Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, Dennis, Isaac and Ida. Inland, these storms tend to bring damaging wind, falling trees and long periods of heavy rain.
Will your company handle the cleanup work at my Magee house?
No. Ours is a referral service with no crews of its own. We try to connect you with an independent restoration contractor in the Magee area, and any estimate, schedule or contract is between you and that business.
Restoration guides
- Storm Damage Cleanup
- Water Extraction
- Structural Drying
- Burst Pipe Water Damage
- Fire Damage Cleanup
- Mold Removal