Kemper County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Kemper County is about the same as Mississippi average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Kemper County is much lower than Mississippi average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #21
Kemper County | 0.04 |
Mississippi | 0.05 |
U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
Kemper County | 0.0000 |
Mississippi | 0.0000 |
U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #66
Kemper County | 199.74 |
Mississippi | 280.40 |
U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 11,351 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Kemper County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 43 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 71 |
Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 744 | Hail: | 3,693 | Heat: | 81 | Heavy Snow: | 34 |
High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 10 | Ice Storm: | 13 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 89 |
Thunderstorm Winds: | 6,264 | Tropical Storm: | 14 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 31 | Winter Weather: | 31 |
Other: | 231 |
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Kemper County.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Kemper County.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
48.5 | 1971-03-14 | 3.9 | 1 | 33.1 | -87.9 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 93 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Kemper County.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
6.4 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 32°36'N / 88°38'W | 32°52'N / 88°24'W | 23.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kemper |
7.0 | 1986-03-12 | 4 | 32°36'N / 88°42'W | 32°42'N / 88°35'W | 7.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Kemper |
9.2 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 32°48'N / 88°42'W | 32°58'N / 88°35'W | 11.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Kemper |
9.5 | 2007-01-05 | 2 | 32°36'N / 88°42'W | 32°39'N / 88°41'W | 2.00 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 9 | 600K | 0K | Kemper |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This strong tornado touched down in the Blackwater Community and caused extensive damage along its 2 mile path. Six homes were destroyed, five of which were mobile homes and one modular home. Nine people were injured with three serious. One car was flipped over and rolled along with extensive damage to trees and power lines along the path of this high end F2 tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the evening of Jan 4th and early morning hours of Jan 5th, a potent storm system moved across the Lower Mississippi Valley. This system was dynamic enough to generate a line of thunderstorms across Central Mississippi. This line developed within a strongly sheared environment and evolved into a squall line with bowing segments. These bowing segments proved very efficient with respect to producing damaging wind gusts and six tornadoes. The squall line matured just east of Interstate 55 around 11 pm and raced east before exiting into Alabama around 3 am. | |||||||||||
11.4 | 1954-12-29 | 2 | 32°54'N / 88°42'W | 32°55'N / 88°40'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 9 | 0K | 0 | Kemper |
14.8 | 1982-04-03 | 3 | 32°43'N / 88°55'W | 32°42'N / 88°50'W | 4.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Kemper |
15.0 | 1954-12-29 | 2 | 32°55'N / 88°40'W | 33°01'N / 88°35'W | 8.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Noxubee |
17.5 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 32°53'N / 88°55'W | 32°54'N / 88°50'W | 5.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kemper |
17.8 | 1986-03-12 | 4 | 32°25'N / 88°46'W | 32°36'N / 88°42'W | 16.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Lauderdale |
19.7 | 1966-03-03 | 5 | 32°34'N / 89°34'W | 32°49'N / 88°21'W | 72.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Leake |
19.9 | 1975-02-23 | 2 | 32°47'N / 88°58'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Neshoba | |
20.5 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 32°49'N / 89°00'W | 32°53'N / 88°55'W | 6.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Neshoba |
20.9 | 2000-12-16 | 2 | 32°24'N / 88°40'W | 32°30'N / 88°30'W | 12.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 17 | 2.1M | 0 | Lauderdale |
Brief Description: An F2 tornado caused major damage in the Marion and Dalewood Shore Lake communities, northeast of Meridian. Two houses and thirteen mobile homes were destroyed. Eleven houses and twelve mobile homes received major damage. Thirty-three houses and twenty-two mobile homes received minor damage. Three businesses were destroyed and one business had minor damage. Thousands of trees were blown down or snapped off, and numerous power poles and power lines were also downed. Seventeen people were injured, including one in critical condition. | |||||||||||
22.0 | 1973-11-27 | 2 | 32°42'N / 89°00'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Neshoba | |||
22.2 | 2004-11-24 | 3 | 32°56'N / 88°59'W | 33°00'N / 88°50'W | 12.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 1 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Winston |
Brief Description: This strong tornado moved into Winston county from Neshoba county and tracked northeast for 12 miles before moving into Noxubee county. Just inside the Winston county line four large chicken houses were destroyed. As the tornado tracked northeast across State Route 393 and 397, a few hundred trees were uprooted and snapped. Several homes sustained minor roof damage. One home was totally destroyed on McBrayer Road. Pieces of the home was blown and scattered across a field for 1/4 mile. Here three vehicles were moved with two of them landing on top of tree debris and the other thrown into a ditch. This home was where the two injuries and one fatality occurred. The tornado was at its widest point here and as it tracked northeast hundreds of trees were blown down. The tornado moved into Noxubee county 2 miles southeast of Ferns Springs. The total path length across northern Neshoba, southeast Winston and western Noxubee county was 21 miles. M44PH | |||||||||||
22.2 | 1982-04-03 | 3 | 32°46'N / 89°06'W | 32°43'N / 88°55'W | 13.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Neshoba |
22.3 | 2007-01-05 | 2 | 32°43'N / 89°01'W | 32°43'N / 89°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 150K | 0K | Neshoba |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This strong tornado briefly touched down between the Tucker and Bloomfield Communities. One brick home had its entire roof blown off, a large outbuilding was destroyed and a tractor was picked up and rolled. Additionally, numerous trees were snapped and uprooted along the short path. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the evening of Jan 4th and early morning hours of Jan 5th, a potent storm system moved across the Lower Mississippi Valley. This system was dynamic enough to generate a line of thunderstorms across Central Mississippi. This line developed within a strongly sheared environment and evolved into a squall line with bowing segments. These bowing segments proved very efficient with respect to producing damaging wind gusts and six tornadoes. The squall line matured just east of Interstate 55 around 11 pm and raced east before exiting into Alabama around 3 am. | |||||||||||
23.0 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 32°58'N / 88°35'W | 33°07'N / 88°17'W | 16.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Noxubee |
23.2 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 32°54'N / 88°18'W | 32°57'N / 88°16'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Sumter |
24.1 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 32°55'N / 89°00'W | 32°55'N / 88°59'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 60K | 0 | Neshoba |
Brief Description: A second, slightly stronger tornado, touched down 1 mile to the east southeast of where the first one dissipated. Damage began and remained on Asa Thomas Road as the tornado moved into Winston county. Severe tree damage occurred along Asa Thomas Road along with several power lines blown down. The tornado was on the ground for 1 mile before moving into southeast Winston county where it stayed on the ground for 21 miles across Winston and western Noxubee counties. | |||||||||||
24.8 | 1954-02-20 | 2 | 32°34'N / 89°01'W | 32°37'N / 89°00'W | 3.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Neshoba |
24.8 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 32°35'N / 89°10'W | 32°45'N / 88°55'W | 18.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Neshoba |
25.0 | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 32°35'N / 89°00'W | 32°37'N / 89°02'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 70K | 400K | Neshoba |
Brief Description: This strong tornado touched down just south of the House Community and tracked west-northwest for 3 miles. Several hundred trees were uprooted or snapped along the path with a few outbuildings and homes damaged by fallen trees. Additionally, numerous power lines were taken down as the tornado tracked across a few county roads as well as State Highway 492. | |||||||||||
25.2 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 33°03'N / 88°33'W | 33°09'N / 88°27'W | 9.10 Miles | 587 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun |
25.6 | 1973-01-18 | 2 | 32°56'N / 89°02'W | 32°56'N / 88°59'W | 3.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Winston |
25.7 | 1976-03-29 | 4 | 32°22'N / 88°54'W | 32°26'N / 88°39'W | 15.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lauderdale |
26.7 | 1955-04-12 | 2 | 32°35'N / 89°20'W | 32°59'N / 88°50'W | 40.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Neshoba |
26.7 | 1965-02-11 | 2 | 32°34'N / 89°07'W | 32°43'N / 89°01'W | 11.90 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Newton |
27.2 | 1957-06-27 | 2 | 32°46'N / 89°07'W | 32°49'N / 89°04'W | 4.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 9 | 25K | 0 | Neshoba |
28.3 | 1973-01-18 | 2 | 32°55'N / 89°06'W | 32°56'N / 89°02'W | 4.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Neshoba |
29.3 | 1957-04-04 | 2 | 33°00'N / 88°55'W | 33°21'N / 88°21'W | 40.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Winston |
29.6 | 1953-05-04 | 2 | 33°07'N / 88°34'W | 33°13'N / 88°27'W | 9.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Noxubee |
31.1 | 1957-11-17 | 2 | 33°07'N / 88°39'W | 33°17'N / 88°33'W | 12.90 Miles | 70 Yards | 2 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Noxubee |
31.9 | 1961-12-12 | 2 | 32°24'N / 88°23'W | 32°32'N / 88°00'W | 24.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sumter |
32.7 | 1986-03-12 | 2 | 32°15'N / 88°51'W | 32°21'N / 88°45'W | 12.00 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lauderdale |
32.8 | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 32°29'N / 89°05'W | 32°29'N / 89°06'W | 1.00 Mile | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 150K | Newton |
Brief Description: This strong tornado briefly touched down off Good Hope Road just North-Northeast of Decatur. As the tornado crossed Good Hope Road, nearly all the trees within a 1/2 mile area were uprooted or damaged. These trees were laying in all directions and were very large with most trees 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Additionally, one home sustained shingle damage off Good Hope Road. | |||||||||||
32.8 | 1992-03-10 | 3 | 32°15'N / 88°47'W | 32°18'N / 88°27'W | 20.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 3 | 57 | 2.5M | 0 | Lauderdale |
32.9 | 1954-06-03 | 2 | 32°29'N / 89°10'W | 32°34'N / 89°05'W | 7.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Newton |
33.7 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 33°06'N / 88°24'W | 33°16'N / 88°19'W | 15.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 15 | 250K | 0 | Noxubee |
33.8 | 1954-02-20 | 2 | 32°26'N / 89°14'W | 32°34'N / 89°01'W | 15.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Newton |
33.8 | 1973-11-26 | 2 | 33°14'N / 88°32'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Noxubee | |||
34.1 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 32°34'N / 89°11'W | 32°35'N / 89°10'W | 1.30 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Newton |
34.3 | 1982-04-03 | 3 | 32°45'N / 89°20'W | 32°46'N / 89°06'W | 13.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 3 | 35 | 25.0M | 0 | Neshoba |
34.5 | 1995-04-20 | 2 | 33°06'N / 89°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 20K | 0 | Winston | |
Brief Description: A tornado touched down near the intersection of Highways 397 and 490. Numerous trees were blown down. A few buildings were destroyed. | |||||||||||
34.7 | 1957-06-28 | 3 | 33°13'N / 88°35'W | 33°17'N / 88°32'W | 5.40 Miles | 50 Yards | 1 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Noxubee |
34.8 | 2010-04-24 | 2 | 32°15'N / 88°54'W | 32°18'N / 88°45'W | 10.00 Miles | 1056 Yards | 0 | 0 | 650K | 300K | Lauderdale |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down just to the northeast of Montrose near County Road 2414, in Jasper County. This tornado tracked across 3 counties before it dissipated just before it reached Meridian. Along the path, it produced major structural roof damage to a church. Shingles and siding were blown off of a house. An outbuilding was destroyed along with damage to a grain silo. Thousands of large softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. In addition, numerous power lines were blown down. This EF2 tornado had a total path length of 23 miles and a width of 0.6 miles. Maximum winds were around 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful spring storm system moved across the region on April 24th and brought an outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes to the area. The most powerful and destructive storm during this event was the long track EF4 tornado which ripped a 149 mile path across the forecast area. In addition to this violent tornado, many other storms became severe and produced 5 additional tornadoes along with numerous reports of quarter to golf ball sized hail. Of the 5 tornadoes, 3 of these were strong (EF2) and occurred across, Jasper, Newton, Lauderdale, Oktibbeha, and Clay Counties. | |||||||||||
36.1 | 1966-03-03 | 5 | 32°49'N / 88°21'W | 33°12'N / 87°49'W | 40.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 11 | 250K | 0 | Pickens |
36.3 | 1967-12-18 | 3 | 32°26'N / 88°09'W | 32°30'N / 88°03'W | 7.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sumter |
36.3 | 1985-05-01 | 2 | 33°12'N / 88°57'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Winston | |
37.3 | 1953-05-01 | 4 | 32°15'N / 88°23'W | 2 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Choctaw | |||
37.7 | 1957-11-17 | 2 | 33°17'N / 88°33'W | 33°18'N / 88°32'W | 1.90 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lowndes |
37.7 | 1976-02-18 | 3 | 32°43'N / 89°19'W | 32°45'N / 89°14'W | 5.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Neshoba |
38.0 | 1976-03-20 | 2 | 33°18'N / 88°37'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lowndes | |
38.0 | 1986-03-12 | 2 | 32°14'N / 88°49'W | 32°14'N / 88°53'W | 2.00 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clarke |
38.3 | 1982-12-26 | 2 | 32°48'N / 89°17'W | 0.70 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Neshoba | |
38.8 | 1977-02-23 | 4 | 33°01'N / 89°14'W | 33°11'N / 89°04'W | 15.00 Miles | 350 Yards | 2 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Winston |
39.7 | 1965-02-11 | 3 | 33°12'N / 88°12'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 18 | 250K | 0 | Pickens | |
39.7 | 1958-02-26 | 3 | 32°43'N / 89°19'W | 32°44'N / 89°18'W | 1.90 Miles | 60 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Neshoba |
39.9 | 2010-04-24 | 2 | 32°13'N / 88°58'W | 32°15'N / 88°54'W | 4.00 Miles | 1056 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 100K | Newton |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down just to the northeast of Montrose near county road 2414, in Jasper County. This tornado tracked across 3 counties before it dissipated just before it reached Meridian. Along the path, it produced major structural roof damage to a church. Shingles and siding were blown off of a house. An outbuilding was destroyed along with damage to a grain silo. Thousands of large softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. In addition, numerous power lines were blown. This EF2 tornado had a total path length of 23 miles and a width of 0.6 miles. Maximum winds were around 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful spring storm system moved across the region on April 24th and brought an outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes to the area. The most powerful and destructive storm during this event was the long track EF4 tornado which ripped a 149 mile path across the forecast area. In addition to this violent tornado, many other storms became severe and produced 5 additional tornadoes along with numerous reports of quarter to golf ball sized hail. Of the 5 tornadoes, 3 of these were strong (EF2) and occurred across, Jasper, Newton, Lauderdale, Oktibbeha, and Clay Counties. | |||||||||||
40.8 | 2005-09-24 | 2 | 32°21'N / 89°08'W | 32°21'N / 89°09'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Newton |
Brief Description: This strong tornado touched down briefly on the northeast side of Newton causing significant damage to the Lazy Boy factory building. A large part of the factory roof was torn off and large pieces of metal were thrown 1/3 of a mile to the north-northwest. The iron girders within the building were bent at about 10 degrees with some failure of the roof near the center. Insulation debris was scattered all about with some pieces found 4.5 miles away along the northeast shores of Turkey Creek Lake. In fact, a 4 foot piece of metal roofing was found at the base of the dam, 4 miles north-northwest of the Lazy Boy plant. Additionally, a 1/2 ton pickup, parked next to the building, was lifted and slammed against an iron ladder. A T-post that was laying on the ground was picked up and hurled as a missile about 100 feet. It was then impaled into a utility pole and bent at a 90 degree angle. The tops of trees about 300 feet away were sheared off half way up. | |||||||||||
41.0 | 1976-03-29 | 4 | 32°17'N / 89°20'W | 32°22'N / 88°54'W | 26.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Newton |
41.1 | 1982-01-03 | 3 | 32°15'N / 89°10'W | 32°23'N / 89°03'W | 11.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Newton |
42.3 | 1986-03-12 | 3 | 32°16'N / 89°07'W | 32°19'N / 89°06'W | 10.00 Miles | 123 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Newton |
42.4 | 1971-02-26 | 3 | 32°49'N / 87°56'W | 32°50'N / 87°52'W | 4.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
42.7 | 1954-01-20 | 2 | 33°18'N / 88°50'W | 33°25'N / 88°41'W | 11.90 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Oktibbeha |
42.7 | 1970-10-13 | 2 | 32°35'N / 89°20'W | 0 | 1 | 0K | 0 | Leake | |||
43.4 | 1976-06-01 | 2 | 32°26'N / 89°19'W | 32°27'N / 89°14'W | 4.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Newton |
43.4 | 2002-12-19 | 2 | 32°17'N / 89°12'W | 32°21'N / 89°08'W | 5.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Newton |
Brief Description: A tornado developed in Newton County, just southwest of the city of Newton. It moved 5.5 miles northeast through the city, resulting in approximately 50 injuries and damage to numerous buildings. In all, over 150 homes and 95 businesses were either damaged or destroyed. The most extensive damage occurred near the city's Wal-Mart, which received heavy roof damage. The tornado lifted just northeast of the intersection of State Road 15 and Interstate 20. | |||||||||||
43.5 | 1977-02-23 | 2 | 32°50'N / 87°53'W | 0.20 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Greene | |
44.3 | 1986-03-12 | 3 | 33°11'N / 88°12'W | 33°23'N / 88°12'W | 16.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 2 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pickens |
44.6 | 1974-01-28 | 2 | 33°23'N / 88°48'W | 33°23'N / 88°45'W | 3.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Oktibbeha |
45.0 | 1980-04-25 | 2 | 33°18'N / 88°36'W | 33°29'N / 88°23'W | 17.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lowndes |
45.0 | 1958-02-26 | 3 | 32°35'N / 89°28'W | 32°43'N / 89°19'W | 12.70 Miles | 60 Yards | 1 | 24 | 2.5M | 0 | Leake |
45.8 | 2010-04-24 | 2 | 32°09'N / 89°06'W | 32°13'N / 88°58'W | 10.00 Miles | 1056 Yards | 0 | 0 | 400K | 600K | Jasper |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado touched down just to the northeast of Montrose near County Road 2414, in Jasper County. This tornado tracked across 3 counties before it dissipated just before it reached Meridian. Along the path, it produced major structural roof damage to a church. Shingles and siding were blown off of a house. An outbuilding was destroyed along with damage to a grain silo. Thousands of large softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. In addition, numerous power lines were blown down. This EF2 tornado had a total path length of 23 miles and a width of 0.6 miles. Maximum winds were around 125 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful spring storm system moved across the region on April 24th and brought an outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes to the area. The most powerful and destructive storm during this event was the long track EF4 tornado which ripped a 149 mile path across the forecast area. In addition to this violent tornado, many other storms became severe and produced 5 additional tornadoes along with numerous reports of quarter to golf ball sized hail. Of the 5 tornadoes, 3 of these were strong (EF2) and occurred across, Jasper, Newton, Lauderdale, Oktibbeha, and Clay Counties. | |||||||||||
46.0 | 1977-02-23 | 3 | 32°51'N / 89°29'W | 32°56'N / 89°19'W | 11.40 Miles | 177 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Leake |
46.1 | 1977-04-02 | 2 | 33°25'N / 88°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lowndes | |
46.1 | 1992-11-22 | 4 | 32°15'N / 89°13'W | 32°19'N / 89°10'W | 8.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Newton |
46.4 | 1982-04-02 | 3 | 32°43'N / 89°31'W | 32°45'N / 89°20'W | 12.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25.0M | 0 | Leake |
47.2 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 32°04'N / 88°38'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Clarke | |||
47.4 | 2000-01-03 | 2 | 32°11'N / 89°09'W | 32°14'N / 89°06'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 125K | 0 | Jasper |
Brief Description: This strong tornado nearly destroyed a cinder-block convenience store. One house received major damage as its roof was thrown about fifty yards away. A mobile home was blown off of its foundation and thrown about fifty yards into adjacent woods where it was left in total destruction. Several barns and sheds were either destroyed or received major damage. Several hundred trees were either blown down or snapped off. There were no injuries or fatalities. The tornado left north central Jasper County and moved into south central Newton County. | |||||||||||
47.8 | 1954-01-20 | 2 | 33°25'N / 88°41'W | 33°28'N / 88°37'W | 5.40 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lowndes |
48.0 | 1969-05-08 | 2 | 32°02'N / 88°38'W | 32°05'N / 88°28'W | 10.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clarke |
48.0 | 1965-03-17 | 3 | 33°28'N / 88°26'W | 33°22'N / 88°21'W | 8.50 Miles | 230 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Monroe |
48.0 | 1973-01-18 | 2 | 32°48'N / 89°28'W | 32°49'N / 89°26'W | 2.70 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Leake |
48.5 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 32°04'N / 88°49'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Clarke | |||
48.6 | 1995-04-20 | 2 | 33°18'N / 88°37'W | 33°35'N / 88°19'W | 32.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0.1M | 0 | Lowndes |
Brief Description: The tornado first touched down near the town of Crawford in southwest Lowndes County and moved northeast and moved near the Alabama border. One house was completely destroyed. A second home had its living room destroyed. One home was pushed off its foundation. Several homes had their windows blown out. A few mobile homes suffered extensive roof damage. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. | |||||||||||
48.9 | 1992-03-10 | 3 | 32°35'N / 87°49'W | 32°39'N / 87°47'W | 4.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
48.9 | 2008-01-10 | 3 | 33°13'N / 89°19'W | 33°16'N / 89°09'W | 10.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 3 | 3.0M | 2.0M | Choctaw |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado started, just west of Ethel, with a path of tree damage which intensified shortly after the beginning point. In some areas nearly every tree was snapped off or uprooted. The tornado reached its widest point as it crossed the Natchez Trace Parkway, where dozens of trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado caused significant structural damage to several buildings just to the southwest of McCool. One cinder block constructed building sustained nearly total destruction from a combination of a very large hardwood tree falling on it, along with other wind damage. A room addition to the back of a frame home was removed. After the tornado passed McCool, it narrowed and weakened somewhat, with tree damage continuing to occur. The tornado then intensified again as it entered Choctaw County and passed south of the town of Weir. Here a dairy complex was heavily damaged. A well-constructed milking parlor was totally destroyed with all exterior walls collapsed or destroyed. A large 9000 pound trailer was picked up and flipped onto the top of a farm building. Several large wood and metal livestock buildings were totally destroyed. A grain silo was also destroyed. Nearly 300 head of cattle were injured with 10 fatal. After the tornado passed this point, it did not encounter any additional structures, but a path of tree damage continued for several miles before the tornado dissipated near Choctaw Lake. The total path length across Attala and Choctaw counties was 24 miles with a maximum rating of EF3. Maximum winds were around 145 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The second week of January 2008 was quite active with respect to severe weather. Two events impacted the region in a span of 3 days which produced several tornadoes, large hail and wind damage across the area. On January 10th a vigorous storm system developed over the southern portions of the Midwest and moved northeast towards the Ohio valley. A strong cold front swept across the area during the late morning into the afternoon hours and strong to severe thunderstorms developed out ahead of it. All of the ingredients for tornadic development came into place as warm Gulf moisture pushed northward into the area out ahead of the front. The thunderstorms developed in eastern Louisiana and quickly moved across central Mississippi during the late morning and afternoon hours. As the storms progressed eastward, good instability combined with very strong wind shear for supercell development east of the Mississippi River, with the storms reaching maximum intensity along and east of the interstate 55 corridor. By far, the most damage was produced by a single supercell thunderstorm that moved from north of Vicksburg through north central and northeast Mississippi during the late morning and early afternoon hours. This single storm produced three strong tornadoes, all of which were rated as EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita tornado damage scale. The most significant damage occurred in Caledonia in Lowndes County, where a school gymnasium was destroyed along with a number of school buses and vehicles in the area. A second supercell that organized near the Mississippi River in southwest Mississippi before midday tracked from Claiborne County, through the northern Jackson Metropolitan Area, and finally into Noxubee county in northeast Mississippi by mid afternoon. This storm was responsible for 5 different tornado touchdowns along its path, as well as many reports of high winds and hail. The rest of the area saw a broken line of storms and other supercells ahead of the line. A mix of damaging winds and hail were reported through the rest of the afternoon before the system exited the area. | |||||||||||
48.9 | 1967-12-02 | 4 | 32°28'N / 89°28'W | 32°31'N / 89°21'W | 7.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 2 | 10 | 25K | 0 | Scott |
48.9 | 2010-11-29 | 2 | 33°26'N / 88°49'W | 33°27'N / 88°48'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 15 | 850K | 0K | Oktibbeha |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Initial damage was roof and siding damage to a church along Lynn Lane. The tornado then moved northeast through an area of apartment buildings, causing minor to moderate roof damage to a number of buildings, as well as downing several trees. The tornado then moved into the Pines Trailer Park, where it destroyed a number of mobile homes. Two large mobile homes were rolled and destroyed, and several mobile homes were moved a substantial distance and destroyed. Numerous large pine trees were snapped near the base, with several landing on mobile homes causing major damage. Numerous utility lines were snapped and downed, and a couple of poles were downed. This was the location of maximum damage. The tornado then moved northeast across Louisville Road, causing roof damage to several homes and continuing to snap trees. It moved through another trailer park, blowing out the skirting on several mobile homes and causing minor roof and structural damage to a couple. As the tornado passed through the east side of the Starkville High School complex, it twisted some light standards on the athletic fields and caused some minor fence damage. It then crossed Yellow Jacket Drive, blowing out a porch on a restaurant and causing some minor roof damage. As it crossed Highway 12, it blew down a couple of traffic lights, blew out a business sign, and damaged another porch on a restaurant. The tornado snapped a few trees and caused some shingle damage to a couple of homes on South Montgomery Street, and then dissipated. The tornado was rated EF2 based on the small area of the most intense damage in the Pines Trailer Park; the remainder of the damage was generally EF1 in nature. Maximum winds were around 115 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the evening hours of November 29th and the overnight/early morning period of the 30th, the region was impacted by an outbreak of tornadoes. This outbreak brought 13 tornadoes to the forecast area. This occurred as potent storm system moved out of the Rockies and developed a strong area of low pressure across the Central Plains. This surface low caused a warm front to take shape and quickly lift northward across the forecast during the afternoon of the 29th. Warm and humid conditions pushed north, which led to unstable conditions over the region just ahead of the advancing strong cold front. The wind energy through the atmosphere was strong. The resulting wind shear (change in wind speed or direction with height) was strong and very favorable for rotating storms and supporting tornadoes. As the clash of systems occurred, a mix of supercell thunderstorms developed, along with a broken line of thunderstorms. A handful of these storms utilized the strong wind shear present and produced tornadoes. Overall, 13 tornadoes occurred with 5 being of the strong variety (EF2-EF3). The strongest tornado occurred over northwest Leake and southern Attala Counties. Here, an EF3 moved along a 10 mile path and destroyed numerous mobile homes, 6 people were injured. Four other strong tornadoes occurred and were all rated EF2. Two of these occurred in Yazoo County, one just southwest of Yazoo City and the other in Downtown Yazoo City. Numerous buildings were damaged along with many trees and power lines down. Another EF2 occurred in Starkville where it destroyed multiple mobile homes in town. Fifteen injuries occurred in this area. The final EF2 occurred in Smith County. This tornado had an 11 mile path which started just SW of Raleigh to 6 miles NE of Raleigh. One brick home sustained significant damage along with numerous other buildings and sheds damaged. This outbreak broke a streak of 3 years when no tornadoes occurred during the month of November across Mississippi. Additionally, the last Fall outbreak of tornadoes occurred on November 24, 2004. Historically, November marks the peak of our 2nd severe weather season and ranks 3rd as the most active month for tornadoes in Mississippi, just a few behind March. | |||||||||||
49.1 | 1971-02-26 | 2 | 32°06'N / 88°58'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Jasper | |
49.8 | 1961-03-07 | 2 | 33°27'N / 88°50'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Oktibbeha | |||
49.9 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 33°23'N / 88°37'W | 33°32'N / 88°17'W | 22.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 55 | 60.0M | 0 | Lowndes |
Brief Description: A tornado formed in Lowndes County, about 3 miles southeast of Artesia. It moved 22 miles across the county, resulting in numerous injuries. Most of the damage and injuries was seen in Columbus around 7:20 PM. Here, extensive damage was received by several buildings on the campuses of the Mississippi University for Women and the Mississippi School for Math and Science. Major damage was received by approximately 60 homes in the southern part of Columbus as the tornado moved through. The tornado then moved into Lamar County, Alabama 2.5 miles southeast of Steens, Mississippi. |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.