Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, June 24, 2020

Name: Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, June 24, 2020
Start: 2020-06-24T06:20
End: 2020-06-24T11:59
Location: Mississippi

June 24, 2020 · NWS LIX · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $45,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 happened

The episode as NWS LIX wrote it up.

Two mesoscale cycloncic vortex systems (MCVs) produced several severe thunderstorms across the area from early morning through the mid afternoon hours of Wednesday June 24, 2020. There were several tornadoes reported with these severe thunderstorms as they moved across the area. The most significant tornadoes impacted the Baton Rouge area, the Salem area of Walthall County, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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 New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 24, 3:04 AM CST, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 24, 3:04 AM CST, 3 hours 16 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service New Orleans LA
404 AM CDT Wed Jun 24 2020

.SHORT TERM...
Deep tropical moisture, with PW values north of 2", continues to
stream over the area this morning. And this does not look to stop
through at least Thu. Taking a look at vectors, mass fields and the
hodo, there is very good evidence that the environment is very
supportive of training thunderstorms starting now thourgh roughly
11am today. Afterwards, these paramaters fall out of favor for this
scenario and all activity becomes more progressive and transitory.

A weak sfc low will set up today near the Houston area. Upper level
disturbances will be connected with sfc variables provided by the
weakness the sfc gives to keep sh/ts moving through the area into at
least Thu. The sfc low will pull out Thu bringing rain chances a bit
lower but definitely not shutting down the water works. Activity may
simply take a bit longer to get started with daytime heating. Some
of the stronger thunderstorms could cause some damaging straight
line winds. As normal during tropical environments, waterspouts and
a weak tornado will remain a possibility. But the main thing to look
for is the potential for flooding rainfall. This is still expected
to be localized and the most prominant thing would be streets and
low lying areas that normally flood during heavy rainfall.

Eventhough, each day will bring a chance of rain into next week. The
activity may take longer to get started and allow a few areas to dry
out each day. A slow progression to lower precip chances will occur
into mid next week.

&&

.AVIATION...
Some sites are expected to have prevailing showers and tempo TS
starting again during the pre 12z hour. All sites will eventually
have these conditions at some point during the morning. This should
be ongoing through the day once again. This activity will bring at
least IFR conditions with a few LIFR possible as +TSRA move
overhead. Outside the sh/ts VFR will be noted at each terminal but
should not last long as the majority of the day will be -SHRA and
TSRA at most terminals. A lull in activity once again overnight only
to give way to more of these same conditions for Thu.

&&

.MARINE...
Onshore wind speeds will continue to fluctuate between around 10kt
during the day and 15kt during the night. Nocturnal sh/ts numbers
will continue to be high each night for the next few nights. Winds
and seas will be higher in and around this activity. The evironment
will remain conducive for waterspouts as well and some of these
could be found in the nearshore waters and lakes mainly during the
morning hours.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MCB  84  72  84  73 / 100  60  80  10
BTR  83  72  83  74 / 100  50  70  10
ASD  87  72  87  74 / 100  40  60  10
MSY  86  76  87  78 / 100  40  60  10
GPT  85  75  86  77 /  90  30  50  10
PQL  88  73  88  74 /  80  30  50  10

&&

.LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...None.
GM...None.
MS...None.
GM...None.
&&

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Walthall

When: June 24, 6:20 AM CST to 6:35 AM CST
Where: Walthall County, 2.29 mi S of Salem to 2.23 mi SSE of Darbun
Rating: EF1
Path length: 6.13 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 31.197, -90.125

A National Weather Service Damage Assessment Team from NWS Jackson, MS has surveyed the storm damage in Walthall County, MS. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds of 95 mph.

This tornado started just west of MS Highway 27 along St. John Road and tracked northeast and dissipated just inside Marion County, MS at the dairy farm along Brumfield Rd. Along the path, many trees were damaged. This included snapped and uprooted trees as well as many large limbs broken. Along Highway 27, minor roof damage occurred to one home. Along McKenzie Road, more substantial tree damage was noted and a power pole was taken down. Another area where more substantial tree damage occurred was south of Fulgham Road and at the intersection Opossum Trot Road. The tornado continued northeast and weakend as it crossed Highway 585 and into western Marion County. Large limbs were blown down mostly, with some scattered uprooted trees as well. About 0.4 miles of the track occurred in Marion County, MS.

Tornado, Harrison

When: June 24, 11:27 AM CST to 11:32 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 0.9 mi SSW of Gulfport to 0.51 mi SSE of Gulfport
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.73 mi
Path width: 40 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.368, -89.086

A National Weather Service Damage Assessment Team has surveyed the storm damage in Gulfport, MS. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds of 65 mph.

Several large hardwood tree limbs snapped and minor roof damage to several homes from US Highway 90 near the aquarium to the CSX railway near Henderson Avenue.

Tornado, Jackson

When: June 24, 11:34 AM CST to 11:36 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, 5.78 mi NW of North Biloxi Arpt to 5.76 mi NW of North Biloxi Arpt
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.25 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.508, -88.941

A National Weather Service Damage Assessment Team has surveyed the storm damage near Wookmarket, MS. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds of 100 mph.

A short track of damage was noted in the area of Big John Road and Krohn Lane. Most notable was a large hardwood tree uprooted along with several pine trees twisted and snapped.

Tornado, Harrison

When: June 24, 11:40 AM CST to 11:44 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 6.83 mi ENE of Wool Market to 7.1 mi ENE of Wool Market
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.39 mi
Path width: 70 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.525, -88.918

A National Weather Service Damage Assessment Team has surveyed the storm damage in Harrison County, MS north of D'Iberville. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds of 105 mph.

Small populated community along Old Highway 15 had a couple of homes with roof damage. Many trees were violently twisted. A power pole was snapped at the base.

Tornado, Jackson

When: June 24, 11:58 AM CST to 11:59 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, 1.22 mi N of Big Pt to 1.33 mi N of Big Pt
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.19 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 30.598, -88.480

Jackson County Emergency Management has surveyed the storm damage near Escatawpa, MS. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds of 60 mph.

Emergency Manager surveyed minor damage on Goff Farms Road where several small limbs were snapped and a pool liner was lifted and carried about 40 yards. No structural damage was observed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: June 24, 11:58 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, 1.5 mi NNW of Gautier
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 30.400, -88.630

Large tree limbs were downed by damaging winds.

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.
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 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Mississippi, 2020 Warnings in Mississippi, June 2020

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: 899307, 899309, 899311, 899315, 899317, 899321.