Moss, Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moss, Mississippi
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|
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Country | United States |
State | Mississippi |
County | Jasper |
Elevation | 299 ft (91 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Zip code |
39460
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Area code(s) | 601 & 769 |
GNIS feature ID | 668537 |
Moss is a small place in Jasper County, Mississippi. It is an "unincorporated community." This means it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. Instead, it's part of the larger county area.
The Story of Moss
Moss has an interesting past! It grew up around the old Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad line. This railroad was a very important way to travel and move goods across the country a long time ago.
The community got its name from a person called Captain B. F. Moss. The railroad stop was first known as Mossville. However, the local post office was simply called Moss. In the past, Moss was home to two general stores where people could buy many different things. The post office in Moss first opened its doors in 1904.
Tornadoes in Moss
Moss has unfortunately been hit by powerful tornadoes more than once. On April 12, 2020, a very strong tornado, called an EF4 tornado, went right through the community. An EF4 tornado is incredibly powerful, with winds between 166 and 200 miles per hour. This storm damaged almost every building in Moss and destroyed many homes.
Interestingly, the path of this 2020 tornado was very similar to an earlier strong tornado. On April 21, 1951, an F3 tornado also struck the southern part of Moss. An F3 tornado has winds between 158 and 206 miles per hour. That storm also caused a lot of damage to the community.