EF-5 Tornado Now Confirmed In Mississippi

According to the NWS, one tornado now has been confirmed as an EF-5 in Mississippi from the April 27th storms. Take a look at their release below...

 

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
812 AM CDT FRI APR 29 2011

...PRELIMINARY RARE EF-5 TORNADO IN MONROE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI...

AFTER A REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE PHOTOS TAKEN DURING THURSDAY/S GROUND SURVEY AND CONSULTATION WITH NATIONAL EXPERTS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS UPGRADED THE SMITHVILLE TORNADO RATING TO EF-5 DAMAGE. THIS IS THE HIGHEST RATING FOR TORNADO DAMAGE AND THE FIRST EF-5 OR F-5 IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE THEC ANDLESTICK PARK TORNADO NEAR JACKSON ON MARCH 3RD 1966.

* COUNTY/COUNTIES: MONROE

* LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: SMITHVILLE AT 344 PM EDT 

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.0517, -88.4236

* ENDING POINT: 34.0731, -88.3814

* RATING: EF-5

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 205 MPH

* PATH LENGTH: 2.82 MILES

* MAXIMUM WIDTH: 1/2 MILE

* FATALITIES: 14

* INJURIES: 40

* SUMMARY OF DAMAGES: 18 HOMES DESTROYED...2 BUSINESSES /POST OFFICE AND POLICE STATION/ DESTROYED...8 HOMES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE...7 BUSINESSES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE...44 HOMES WITH MINOR DAMAGE...AND WATER SYSTEM DESTROYED. MOST TREES EITHER SNAPPED OR TWISTED AND DEBARKED. MOST THE HOMES DESTROYED WERE WELL BUILT...TWO STORIES...LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD AND BOLTED DOWN TO THEIR FOUNDATIONS. AN 1965 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK PARKED IN FRONT ONE OF THE DESTROYED HOMES HAS NOT BEEN FOUND. ALL APPLIANCES AND PLUMBING FIXTURES IN THE MOST EXTREME DAMAGE PATH SHREDDED OR MISSING.

Comments

[Troy McDonald]

Looking at the map, I am pretty sure the tornado that hit Smithville, MS is the same tornado that hit Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, AL. I was in Phil Campbell on Thursday helping out as much as I could, I have no doubt that the tornado through there will also be rated an EF-5.

[Dan B]

Marc, if not for the rain, do you think we would've had these type of tornadoes around here Wed? By the Way, great coverage and get some SLEEP!

[Jane]

Hey Marc what about Sunday are we looking at a severe weather situation or just rain???

[Rebecca Jackson]

I hope we never have anything like that here! It is incredible the force that Mother Nature can create. Thanks for the update Mark. Keep up the great work you do for all the residents in the area.

[Jane]

Marc I have a question... and it is probably a dumb one. If say there are thunderstorms in the region and they are producing severe thunderstorm warnings with gusty wind, hail, etc. Can they turn tornadic at any given point, or am I safe to say its only a thunderstorm and will pass. I fear every storm cell will get worse and worse then turn tornadic.

[Marc Weinberg]

Jane, the atmospheric conditions determine the probability that storms may go tornadic. Certain wind profiles simply do not support torandoes, other marginally do, and some have a real danger. I try to rate that risk with each blog.

[Jane]

so basically when you guys say "We are not expecting severe weather", it would be safe to say that they could go to a sever thunderstorm but nothing else?

Sorry I live in a modular that i can not sell and see no future hole in my back yard. I don't even want to stay here during a strong thunderstorm and feel like I am going nuts worrying over the weather. I thank you so much for your in depth discussions, but when the storms are on the weekends I am on my own, sort of.

[Marc Weinberg]

Jane,

I try to be very specific on the blog, so I would suggest that way to find out the threats. Severe weather covers a large range of things, so I would not make that distinction at all.

[Jane]

Thanks again Marc. Knowledge is power and I hope to one day overcome my horrific fear of storms. These are questions I have always wondered about and just found your blog recently. So I am sorry if I bombard you with all my questions.