A potent storm system developed across the Inter-Mountain West before tracking east across the Lower Mississippi Valley region February 21st. A rather cold and dry air mass was entrenched across the region through the 20th, with dew points in the teens and twenties.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.
A potent storm system developed across the Inter-Mountain West before tracking east across the Lower Mississippi Valley region February 21st. A rather cold and dry air mass was entrenched across the region through the 20th, with dew points in the teens and twenties. In fact, as atmospheric lift began to approach the area and some light showers moved across portions of the Delta, light sleet occurred. There was not enough sleet to cause travel problems, but it showed how cold the atmosphere was prior to the incoming low pressure system.
By the morning of the 21st, the warm front was still located along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Dew points were still in the upper 30s as of late morning across Central Mississippi. Some showers and isolated thunderstorms moved through the area producing small hail. The warm front slowly moved north and by mid to late afternoon, dew points had finally increased to the mid and upper 50s across the I-20 corridor and were in the mid 60s further south. This helped to fuel additional showers and thunderstorms as the main upper level storm system tracked northeast. As the moisture increased across the region, the combination of strong wind shear and an unstable air mass south of the warm front became more conducive to supercell and tornado development. Strong storms were moving through the southwestern portions of the region later that afternoon.
Around 5 pm storms began to exhibit rotation on radar and a tornado developed in Concordia Parish just south of Clayton. This tornado produced some damage to some homes and trailers in the area. As the low pressure gradually tracked northeast and the warm front lifted further north, the environment became more favorable for tornadoes in southern Mississippi. One storm had continuous rotation as it moved from north-central Louisiana into south-central Mississippi. This storm crossed southeast Lawrence to northwest Marion counties around 10 pm and continued to track northeast. Rotation began to intensify and a strong tornado developed around 10:30 pm a few miles southwest of Bassfield. This tornado caused minor to moderate damage to some homes and buildings, snapped some power poles and caused extensive tree damage. Another weak tornado developed around 11 pm a few miles southwest of Collins snapping some trees and causing some damage to a mobile home and a chicken house. Scattered storms continued to affect the Pine Belt area into the early morning hours on the 22nd, before finally moving out of the area.
In addition to severe weather, flash flooding became an issue in central Mississippi. From the morning of the 21st through the early morning of the 22nd, the heaviest rainfall occurred over parts of central Mississippi, where 3 to 4 inches of rain fell and flash flooding was reported in the area.
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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 21, 11:19 AM CST, 4 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 1119 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 .UPDATE...ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MS AND SOUTHERN AR THIS AM. DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. THIS ACTIVITY IS AHEAD OF A LINE OF TSTORMS ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE FRONT STILL SITUATED BACK IN EAST TEXAS. SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE STILL QUITE LOW ACROSS THE REGION WITH READINGS RANGING FROM THE MID 20S TO THE LOW 40S ACROSS THE REGION. STRONG ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND UPWARDS OF 500-1000 J/KG MUCAPE PER 12Z REGIONAL SOUNDINGS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SUCH ACTIVITY. THERE SHOULD BE A BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON AS THE ELEVATED CAP CONTINUES TO GET ERODED. MODELS CONTINUE TO INSIST ON LOW 60 DEWPOINTS REACHING AT LEAST THE HIGHWAY 98/84 CORRIDOR...IF NOT FARTHER NORTH TO THE I-20 CORRIDOR BY 6PM. AS THE WARM FRONT SHIFTS NORTH...SHOWER AND TSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD BECOME INCREASINGLY SURFACE BASED AND HAVE GREATER POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND A TORNADO OR TWO. SHEAR MAGNITUDES AND VECTOR ORIENTATION INDICATE THE POSSIBILITY FOR SOME SEMI-DISCRETE CELLS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS EVOLUTION WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED AS IT WILL BE THESE CELLS THAT WILL HAVE THE GREATEST TORNADO PRODUCING POTENTIAL. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WITH PWATS SURGING QUICKLY. THE FRONT WILL SHIFT THROUGH THE REGION LATE TONIGHT ENDING THE SEVERE WEATHER RISK FROM WEST TO EAST. AS FOR THE CURRENT FORECAST...INCREASED POPS THIS MORNING ACROSS THE CWA AS SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS MOVED INTO THE AREA. ALSO INCREASED QPF TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS ACTIVITY. THE ONLY OTHER CHANGE TO THE FORECAST WAS TO THE HOURLY TEMPS TO SLOW WARMING THIS AM INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. /27/ALLEN/ && .AVIATION...MVFR TO IFR CONDS ONGOING ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION AS RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PUSH THROUGH. MOST LOCATIONS WILL HAVE SHRA AND TSRA THROUGH MUCH OF TODAY WITH ACTIVITY TAPERING OFF FROM NW TO SE THROUGH THE OVRNGT. SOME TSRA WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH STRONG WINDS, HAIL, AND A TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT FOR CENTRAL AND ESPECIALLY SOUTHERN TAF SITES. TURB IS ALSO LIKELY WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF WIND SHEAR IN THE FIRST 2000FT. LIGHT RAIN COULD HOLD ON LONGER AT KHBG VS. NRN SITES OVRNIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY WITH GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TO VFR CONDS MID-DAY FRIDAY. /ALLEN/ && PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 352 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013/ SHORT TERM...THE AIR MASS REMAINS DRY AND COOL THIS MORNING. VERY LIGHT PRECIP OCCURRING ACROSS NWRN/NCNTRL ZONES THIS MORNING MAY RESULT IN A FEW PATCHES OF SLEET ACROSS THOSE AREAS DURING THE VERY EARLY MORNING BUT NO ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR. WET BULB PROFILES WILL BE BELOW FREEZING FOR AN HOUR OR TWO AFTER SUNRISE THEN WARMING CONDITIONS WILL END THE POTENTIAL FOR SLEET. THE PRIMARY CONCERN TODAY WILL BE THE INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS. A RAPID MODERATION OF THE AIR MASS IS EXPECTED WHEN AN APPROACHING WARM FRONT LIFTS INTO THE AREA. SURFACE DEWPOINTS REMAIN IN THE 20S ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING BUT HAVE INCREASED INTO THE MID 60S FROM SE TX ACROSS THE NRN GULF. A DEVELOPING LOW LEVEL 50-60KT JET WILL FACILITATE A RAPID AIR MASS CHANGE TO MAINTAIN THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS...LATE AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING BEING THE MAIN WINDOW FROM THE WEST WITH A CONTINUING CHANCE FOR SERN ZONES LATER TONIGHT. THE SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO NERN LA BY 00Z FRI...SLIGHTLY FARTHER N ON THE EURO...WITH THE WARM FRONT INDICATED NEAR AR/LA BORDER SEWD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES RUN FROM 200-600 OVER SWRN ZONES THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH A VERY WEAK CAPE FIELD NOTED OVER SERN ZONES THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY. ML MOST UNSTABLE CAPE FIELDS BRING THE REGION OF HIGHEST VALUES INTO THE WARM SECTOR ACROSS ZONES W OF I-55...PRIMARILY ALONG AND WEST OF THE MS RIVER...BY 00Z FRIDAY. THE GFS/EURO SHIFT THE MAX INTO ECNTRL/SERN MS BY 06Z IN THE REGION OF THE BETTER SURFACE CONVERGENCE...THE NAM BEING SLIGHTLY SLOWER ON BOTH. SURFACE BASED CIN VALUES AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT CONVECTION WILL STRUGGLE TO BECOME SURFACE BASED WITH LOWER 850 MB BASED CIN VALUES AND HIGHER 850 MB BASED CAPES NOTED TO INCREASE CONFIDENCE IN ELEVATED CONVECTION. WITH 26 DEG VERTICAL TOTALS AND 6-7 DEG LAPSE RATES LARGE HAIL CAN NOT BE ENTIRELY RULED OUT IN STRONGER STORMS. WITH MODEL TENDENCIES TO UNDERDO CAPE FIELDS...THE PERSISTENT INTENSE LOW LEVEL SHEAR ADVERTISED BY THE MODELS AND THE 50-60KT 850 MB JET FORECAST INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...THE POSSIBILITY OF STORMS BECOMING SURFACE BASED CAN NOT BE IGNORED. ALTHOUGH THE EURO IS SOMEWHAT SLOWER ON THE EWD PROGRESSION OF THE SURFACE TROUGH ACROSS THE AREA...MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT IN STALLING THE BOUNDARY NEAR THE MS COAST NEWD INTO AL FRIDAY. AN UPPER WAVE LIFTS INTO THE REGION DURING THE DAY FRIDAY RESULTING IN INCREASING MOISTURE AND A SLIGHT DEEPENING OF THE STALLED SURFACE TROUGH. THIS WILL MAINTAIN A HIGH CHANCE OF RAIN ACROSS SERN ZONES THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH MODEL SOLUTIONS DIFFER ON RAINFALL TOTALS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...THE FORECAST WILL LEAN TOWARD THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER AMOUNTS DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE REGION OF 1.5 INCH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ALONG AND JUST DOWNSTREAM OF OUR SERN BORDER COUNTIES. THE BOUNDARY FINALLY MOVES ON TO THE EAST LATE FRIDAY NIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE HEAVY RAINFALL RISK WILL REMAIN ACROSS SERN ZONES THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. HAVE FOLLOWED THE WETTER EURO SOLUTION AS FAR AS POPS ARE CONCERNED WHICH CURRENTLY ACCUMULATES 2-3 INCHES OVER SERN ZONES FROM TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. AMOUNTS COULD BE HIGHER IF A SLIGHT NWD ADJUSTMENT OF THE BOUNDARY OCCURS FRI/FRI NGT OR STRONGER FORCING DEVELOPS WITH THE WAVE. CONDITIONS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED FOR FLOODING POTENTIAL OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. INCREASED ALREADY HIGH MOS POPS OVER WRN INTO CENTRAL ZONES FOR TODAY AND OVER ERN ZONES FOR TONIGHT. FRIDAY POPS WILL TREND TOWARD THE WETTER NAM/EURO SOLUTIONS THAT PAINT A MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIP SHIELD THAN THE GFS EVEN THOUGH THE GFS IS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE STALLED FRONT. ALSO LOWERED HIGHS SLIGHTLY FOR FRIDAY IN CONJUNCTION WITH HIGHER POPS. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...COME SATURDAY MORNING OUR CWA WILL STILL BE UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF A NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE MOVING OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS FEATURE WILL HELP MAINTAIN THE POSSIBILITY OF LIGHT RAIN OVER OUR SOUTHEAST MOST COUNTIES EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE RAIN WILL END WELL BEFORE NOON AS THE SHORTWAVE SHIFTS EAST AND A 1020MB HIGH OVER OKLAHOMA SHIFTS EAST TO WESTERN TENNESSEE AND BRINGS A DRIER AIRMASS INTO OUR CWA. THE SURFACE HIGH WILL CONTINUE SHIFTING EAST SUNDAY WHILE OUR FLOW ALOFT BACKS TO THE SOUTHWEST AGAIN AHEAD OF ANOTHER NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPPING OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION. THIS WILL RESULT IN RETURN FLOW AND WARMER TEMPERATURES OVER OUR CWA SUNDAY. A SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE MOVING OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF IS EXPECTED TO HELP DEVELOP A SURFACE LOW SUNDAY THAT WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHERN ALABAMA SUNDAY NIGHT. MODELS AGREE IN DEEP MOISTURE SURGING NORTH SUNDAY AFTERNOON LEADING TO RAIN DEVELOPING OVER OUR SOUTHERN ZONES BY SUNDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF IS MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN THE GFS AND ENSEMBLES IN MOVING THE RAIN NORTHWARD OVER OUR CWA. HAVE GONE A LITTLE ABOVE GFSMOS POPS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTH. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ALSO EXIST BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF WITH PROGRESSION OF THE SHORTWAVE OVER THE FOUR CORNERS REGION SUNDAY. BOTH MODELS CLOSE OFF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW AND DEVELOP AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS BY SUNDAY EVENING BUT...THE ECMWF IS MUCH FARTHER SOUTH WITH THE SYSTEM AND MUCH WETTER OVER OUR CWA FOR MONDAY. THE GFS SWINGS THE COLD FRONT ACROSS OUR CWA MONDAY MORNING AS A DRY FRONT. HAVE GONE ABOVE GFSMOS POPS MONDAY AS MOISTURE FROM THE NORTHERN GULF SYSTEM SHOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN THE COLD FRONT AND UPPER LOW ARRIVE. BY MONDAY NIGHT WL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND SURFACE HIGH IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT. MORNING LOWS IN THE 30S TUESDAY MORNING WILL BE COMMON. THE ECMWF IS SLOWER TO MOVE THE UPPER LOW TO THE NORTHEAST BUT DRY WEATHER LOOKS ON TAP FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER NORTHERN STREAM DISTURBANCE AND COLD FRONT ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT. CURRENTLY...ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WILL BE CARRIED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS MOISTURE RETURN WL BE QUITE LIMITED AHEAD OF THE FRONT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 63 49 67 41 / 99 78 59 30 MERIDIAN 63 55 66 43 / 73 88 70 55 VICKSBURG 63 45 68 38 / 100 52 37 22 HATTIESBURG 70 59 69 49 / 80 84 79 74 NATCHEZ 69 48 69 41 / 100 57 55 27 GREENVILLE 53 42 59 34 / 100 48 15 14 GREENWOOD 57 44 64 35 / 100 62 19 16 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && /27/ALLEN/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 235 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ040>043-047>049-053>055-059>063- 222045- MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND-MADISON LA- FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO- MADISON MS-WARREN-HINDS-RANKIN-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH-SIMPSON-JEFFERSON- ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE- 235 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY STRONG AND SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. A FEW TORNADOES AND LARGE QUARTER SIZE HAIL MAY ALSO OCCUR. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE STRONGER STORMS WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE. A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT INTO THE AREA TODAY AND RAPIDLY DESTABILIZE THE AIR MASS. INTENSE WIND SHEAR AND DEVELOPING MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL RESULT IN A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS WILL BE LIKELY NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MSZ044>046-050>052-056>058-064>066-072>074-222045- LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER-SCOTT-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE- JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 235 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY STRONG AND SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING AND THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE OVERNIGHT. THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. A FEW TORNADOES AND LARGE QUARTER SIZE HAIL MAY ALSO OCCUR. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE STRONGER STORMS AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT INTO THE AREA TODAY AND RAPIDLY DESTABILIZE THE AIR MASS. INTENSE WIND SHEAR AND DEVELOPING MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL RESULT IN A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING AS THE FRONT STALLS ACROSS FAR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. PONDING WATER MAY DEVELOP ACROSS LOW ROADWAYS AND IN AREAS WHERE DRAINAGE IS POOR. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT LOCAL FLOODING ISSUES WILL DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. ARZ074-075-MSZ018-019-025>039-222045- ASHLEY-CHICOT-BOLIVAR-SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL- MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES-CHOCTAW-OKTIBBEHA-WASHINGTON- HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA-WINSTON-NOXUBEE- 235 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AS A FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. STORMS WITH A POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND LARGE QUARTER SIZE HAIL WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EXTEND INTO NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY AS TRAINING OF THUNDERSTORMS COULD OCCUR...LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING CONCERNS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. ALLEN
LAZ016-025-MSZ040-042-043-047>049-053>055-059-211615- WARREN MS-SIMPSON MS-RANKIN MS-MADISON MS-JEFFERSON MS-ISSAQUENA MS- HINDS MS-COPIAH MS-CLAIBORNE MS-YAZOO MS-TENSAS LA-MADISON LA- 947 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 947 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO JACKSON METRO AREA... AT 945 AM...NWS RADAR INDICATED A LARGE CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND OCCASIONAL SMALL HAIL...FROM VICKSBURG...THROUGH PORT GIBSON...TO NEAR UNION CHURCH. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE JACKSON METRO AREA BETWEEN 10 AND 11 AM. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES. PEOPLE IN SOUTHWESTERN YAZOO...CLAIBORNE...NORTHWESTERN COPIAH... HINDS...SOUTHEASTERN ISSAQUENA...EASTERN JEFFERSON...SOUTHWESTERN MADISON...SOUTHWESTERN RANKIN...NORTHWESTERN SIMPSON AND WARREN COUNTIES...AND SOUTHEASTERN MADISON AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN TENSAS PARISHES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. LAT...LON 3277 9031 3207 8985 3165 9092 3239 9114 TIME...MOT...LOC 1545Z 226DEG 36KT 3195 9070 AEG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1055 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1045 AM HAIL 5 NNE FLOWOOD 32.39N 90.07W
02/21/2013 E0.50 INCH RANKIN MS TRAINED SPOTTER
DIME SIZE HAIL OBSERVED ON THE SPILLWAY
&&
BRYANTMSZ044-045-050-051-211805-
SCOTT MS-NEWTON MS-NESHOBA MS-LEAKE MS-
1104 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1104 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
...GUSTY CLUSTER OF STORMS PUSHING QUICKLY THROUGH CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI...
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE
HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 5 MILES WEST OF LUDLOW
TO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MORTON AT 1104 AM CST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
50 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
HIGH WINDS CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND LARGE LIMBS RESULTING IN SERIOUS
INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS
DURING SUCH STRONG WINDS...AND BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF OLDER TREES.
PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN LEAKE...NESHOBA...NORTHERN NEWTON AND SCOTT
COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3227 8973 3236 8973 3257 8978 3260 8978
3264 8973 3272 8973 3293 8914 3292 8892
3249 8891
TIME...MOT...LOC 1704Z 247DEG 45KT 3260 8978 3230 8968
BYBLAZ016-025-MSZ040-047-053-212105-
WARREN MS-ISSAQUENA MS-CLAIBORNE MS-TENSAS LA-MADISON LA-
235 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
235 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE
HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 11 MILES NORTH OF AFTON
TO 3 MILES SOUTH OF NEWELLTON AT 235 PM CST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60
MPH.
HIGH WINDS CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND LARGE LIMBS RESULTING IN SERIOUS
INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS
DURING SUCH STRONG WINDS...AND BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF OLDER TREES.
PEOPLE IN NORTHWESTERN CLAIBORNE...SOUTHEASTERN ISSAQUENA AND WARREN
COUNTIES...AND EASTERN MADISON AND NORTHEASTERN TENSAS PARISHES
SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3243 9117 3266 9082 3266 9073 3264 9071
3264 9069 3262 9072 3261 9069 3259 9069
3259 9066 3254 9065 3231 9072 3190 9132
TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 231DEG 54KT 3241 9110 3205 9120
BYBMSZ027-036-037-043-044-212210-
ATTALA MS-MADISON MS-LEAKE MS-HOLMES MS-CARROLL MS-
325 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
325 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013
...CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD INTERSTATE 55 NORTH
OF THE JACKSON METRO AREA...
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE
HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 4 MILES SOUTH OF
THORNTON TO 4 MILES SOUTH OF PICKENS AT 324 PM CST...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 60 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
HIGH WINDS CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND LARGE LIMBS RESULTING IN SERIOUS
INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS
DURING SUCH STRONG WINDS...AND BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF OLDER TREES.
PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL...HOLMES...NORTHWESTERN LEAKE...
NORTHEASTERN MADISON AND ATTALA COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS
CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3334 8965 3329 8965 3328 8931 3299 8932
3276 8993 3282 9002 3288 8997 3300 9032
3302 9034 3301 9036 3303 9038 3305 9039
3305 9042
TIME...MOT...LOC 2124Z 246DEG 56KT 3304 9024 3285 8992
BYBThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 hail, 8 flash flood, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down on Cranfield Road and Liberty Road.
A pine tree was snapped along Highway 84.
Several streets were flooded in and near downtown Jackson.
Street flooding occurred in Pearl on Pemberton Drive. Skyline Drive was closed to due to street flooding.
A tree was blown down on Highway 51.
Several creeks and ditches were flooded. Water was standing in the yards of a few homes.
Many streets were flooded around Crystal Springs. Some of the roads had a lot of water over them. Several roads that rarely flood had water over them.
Several roads were flooded across the southern part of the county.
A couple of roads in northwest Smith County were flooded. A part of Highway 13 near the Smith and Scott County line was flooded for a short time.
There was flooding in the Briarwood section of Meridian.
The tornado started along Smith Lane just north of Stowey Parkman Road. The tornado moved northeast, snapping and uprooting a number of trees and causing some minor damage to structures as it passed Wiley Dyess Road and T.W. Bass Road. The tornado reached its maximum intensity as it moved along and across Green Creek Road and Carson-Bunker Hill Road. Here two well built brick frame homes were heavily damaged, power poles were snapped, a well built farm building was destroyed. Another outbuilding was also destroyed, extensive tree damage occurred and several other homes and buildings suffered minor to moderate damage. The tornado weakened as it crossed Hunnicut Road snapping a few trees and dissipated before reaching State Highway 42 west of Bassfield. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 120 mph.
This brief tornado moved along McDonald Chapel Road, snapping several trees, blowing the skirting out from under a mobile home and peeling back a small part of a roof from a chicken house. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 80 mph.
Hunnicut Road was flooded for a short time.
Nickel to quarter size hail covered a patio southwest of Cranfield.
Quarter size hail fell in the Kingston community.
Nickel to quarter size hail fell in Hopewell.
Quarter to ping pong ball size hail fell just northeast of Columbia.
Dime to quarter size hail fell in Sumrall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2013Warnings in Mississippi, February 2013
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: 430941, 430942, 430944, 430946, 430947, 430948, 430949, 430955, 430962, 430971, 430983, 431373, 431378, 431381, 431382, 431383, 431384, 431385, 431387, 431388, 431390, 431395, 431391.