Image courtesy of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
At least a dozen tornados touched down in Mississippi on Easter Sunday – the strongest of which has been rated as an EF-4 storm by the National Weather Service.
Preliminary paths for the two long track tornadoes in SE MS:
The 1st started in Jeff Davis Co. and tracked for ~68 miles. EF-4. Max width-at least 2 miles.
The 2nd started in Lawrence Co. and continued for ~82.5 miles. EF-3. Max width-1 mile.#MSwx
https://t.co/Tt1FKtsL0k pic.twitter.com/kL772Jt3WK
— NWS Jackson MS (@NWSJacksonMS) April 15, 2020
While its peak wind speed is still being determined by the NWS, the EF-4 storm was on the ground for over 67 miles and reached two miles in width. In a tweet, the NWS put the width of the storm into perspective by noting that “the widest tornado ever surveyed was the May 31, 2013 tornado near El Reno, OK at 2.6 miles wide.”
The devastating storm tragically left 4 people in Jefferson Davis County dead. According to MEMA, the death toll from Sunday’s storms has risen to 12.
The storm first touched down at 3:11 p.m. and ended in Clarke County at 4:28 p.m. According to MEMA’s current assessments, hundreds of homes in its path were damaged.
On the NWS’ Enhanced Fujita Scale, winds during an EF-4 storm can max out between 166-200 mph.
The second of the long-track tornados, which traveled from Lawrence to Jasper County, has been classified as an EF-3 storm (136-165 mph). This system was on the ground for 82.5 miles with a max width of 1 mile.
The maximum wind speed for this storm, which was on the ground from 3:39 p.m. to 5:10 p.m., is still being determined.
Earlier today, Governor Tate Reeves shared photos of the destruction caused by Sunday’s storms to his Facebook page.
If you were a victim of the Easter Sunday tornado outbreak and storms, you can self-report damage to your home or property through MEMA’s Crisis Tracker.
