Tornadoes and Hail in Mississippi, November 24, 2001

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Mississippi, November 24, 2001
Start: 2001-11-24T02:45
End: 2001-11-24T09:55
Location: Mississippi

November 24, 2001 · NWS MEG · 21 events in 14 counties and zones

11 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 5 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 3
Injuries: 42
Property damage: $9.6 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 24, 2:30 AM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 24, 2:30 AM CST, 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
230 AM CST SAT NOV 24 2001

SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED IN MIDSOUTH REST OF TONIGHT AND THROUGH MUCH
OF SATURDAY. STORMS NOW IN AR AND WESTERN PART OF N MS AROUND
CLARKSDALE...MOVING EAST/NORTHEAST. ALL OF CWA UNDER TOR WATCH
EXCEPT DECATUR AND HARDIN CO IN W TN AND THE TUP AREA.

.MEG...TORNADO WATCH 813 UNTIL 300 AM CST
       TORNADO WATCH 814 AND 815 UNTIL 700 CST...

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 165 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Coahoma

When: November 24, 2:45 AM CST to 2:55 AM CST
Where: Coahoma County, 2 mi S of Roundaway
Rating: F1
Path length: 4 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.983, -90.600

The tornado moved into southern Coahoma county from Sunflower county and moved northeast. Several homes were damaged or destroyed.

Tornado, Quitman

When: November 24, 3:10 AM CST to 3:30 AM CST
Where: Quitman County, 5 mi SW of Sabino
Rating: F2
Path length: 27 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Deaths: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 16 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $5.0 million
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.150, -90.450

The tornado touched down in the western part of the county near Walnut and tracked northeast eventually crossing into Panola county. Two women were killed when the tornado destroyed their homes. Numerous buildings were destroyed in the county. A cotton plant was damaged just west of the town of Belen. Over 100 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Tornado, Panola

When: November 24, 3:30 AM CST to 3:40 AM CST
Where: Panola County, 3 mi S of Crenshaw
Rating: F2
Path length: 7.5 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 12 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.0 million
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.450, -90.200

The tornado moved into the far western part of Panola county from Quitman county and tracked northeast eventually moving into Tate county. One girl was killed when the mobile home where she was staying was destroyed. A cluster of homes and a Baptist church were destroyed. In all 35 homes damaged or destroyed.

Tornado, Tate

When: November 24, 3:40 AM CST to 4:05 AM CST
Where: Tate County, 3 mi SE of Sarah
Rating: F2
Path length: 9 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Injuries: 5 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.533, -90.183

The tornado moved into the southwest part of Tate county from Panola county and lifted up northeast of Strayhorn. Numerous buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Hail, Tate

When: November 24, 3:42 AM CST to 3:50 AM CST
Where: Tate County, Strayhorn
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.617, -90.150

Hail, De Soto

When: November 24, 4:08 AM CST to 4:15 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, 3 mi NE of Hernando
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.850, -89.967

Thunderstorm Wind, De Soto

When: November 24, 4:10 AM CST to 4:15 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, 2 mi E of Stonewall
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.850, -89.717

Numerous large trees were knocked down.

Tornado, De Soto

When: November 24, 4:10 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, 2 mi SW of Lewisburg
Rating: F2
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Injuries: 9 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.9 million
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 34.850, -89.833

The tornado began just southwest of Lewisburg in eastern De Soto county and moved northeast. Nineteen homes were destroyed and 119 homes were damaged. Numerous trees were also knocked down.

Hail, De Soto

When: November 24, 4:18 AM CST to 4:25 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, Pleasant Hill
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $50
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.917, -89.883

Thunderstorm Wind, De Soto

When: November 24, 4:20 AM CST to 4:25 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, 2 mi S of Olive Branch
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.933, -89.817

One mobile home was overturned.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tippah

When: November 24, 7:10 AM CST to 7:15 AM CST
Where: Tippah County, Ripley
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.733, -88.950

Several trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tippah

When: November 24, 7:50 AM CST to 7:55 AM CST
Where: Tippah County, Blue Mtn
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.667, -89.033

Some power lines were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: November 24, 7:50 AM CST to 7:55 AM CST
Where: Union County, 3 mi SE of New Harmony
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 34.367, -88.883

A few power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pontotoc

When: November 24, 8:22 AM CST to 8:30 AM CST
Where: Pontotoc County, Sherman
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.367, -88.850

Some trees were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Prentiss

When: November 24, 8:30 AM CST to 8:35 AM CST
Where: Prentiss County, 3 mi SW of Geeville
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.550, -88.733

A few trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alcorn

When: November 24, 8:35 AM CST to 8:40 AM CST
Where: Alcorn County, Hinkle
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 34.783, -88.567

Several power lines were knocked down.

Hail, Lee

When: November 24, 8:43 AM CST to 8:50 AM CST
Where: Lee County, Baldwyn
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $50
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.500, -88.633

Thunderstorm Wind, Prentiss

When: November 24, 9:00 AM CST to 9:05 AM CST
Where: Prentiss County, Wheeler
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.583, -88.600

A few trees were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tishomingo

When: November 24, 9:10 AM CST to 9:15 AM CST
Where: Tishomingo County, 10 mi N of Iuka
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 34.983, -88.167

Some power lines were blown down.

Hail, Monroe

When: November 24, 9:40 AM CST to 9:45 AM CST
Where: Monroe County, Muldon
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.733, -88.667

Thunderstorm Wind, Itawamba

When: November 24, 9:50 AM CST to 9:55 AM CST
Where: Itawamba County, Mantachie
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.333, -88.500

Several trees were knocked down.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Quitman	2001-11-24	73	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Quitman	2001-11-24	61	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Panola	2001-11-24	10	Female	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Mississippi in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Mississippi, 2001 Warnings in Mississippi, November 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5275998, 5274077, 5274078, 5274080, 5274079, 5274081, 5275984, 5275985, 5274082, 5275986, 5275987, 5275988, 5275989, 5275990, 5275991, 5275992, 5275993, 5275994, 5275995, 5275996, 5275997.