Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2005
F2 tornado, Chunky to Decatur, Mississippi, August 29, 2005
From Chunky to Decatur, this F2 tornado ran 1.0 miles across Newton County on August 29, 2005, touching down at 12:06 PM CDT and reaching 75 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $50,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mphthis tornado
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F2
- Date
- August 29, 2005
- Touchdown
- 12:06 PM CDT (17:06 UTC)
- Path length
- 1.0 miles (1.6 km)
- Path width
- 75 yards (69 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50,000
- County
- Newton County
- Touchdown point
- 32.480, -89.080
- Lift-off point
- 32.480, -89.100
- Record number
- 1110
What the Weather Service recorded
This tornado was on the ground for 13 miles across Newton county and downed numerous trees and a few power lines along the path. As most of the damage was done to trees, a few homes within the path sustained minor roof damage due to shingles blown off roofs.
This strong tornado briefly touched down off Good Hope Road just North-Northeast of Decatur. As the tornado crossed Good Hope Road, nearly all the trees within a 1/2 mile area were uprooted or damaged. These trees were laying in all directions and were very large with most trees 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Additionally, one home sustained shingle damage off Good Hope Road.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
29 minutes of warning. NWS JAN issued a tornado warning for this county at 16:37 UTC, 29 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 17:15 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 UTC | 02:59 UTC | Inland Tropical Storm Watch | JAN |
| 16:37 UTC | 17:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | JAN |
| 17:09 UTC | 17:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | JAN |
| 17:18 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | JAN |
| 23:20 UTC | 01:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | JAN |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:29 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Jackson, MS (KJAN), 12:00Z
5.1 hours before the tornado, 95 km from the path. August 29, 2005.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 288 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -26 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 470 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 841 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 25 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 1 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 8 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 1 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.7 K/km
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:00 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 5 N Chunky | Newton, MS | CONTINUOUS DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALONG A 12 MILE PATH FROM 5 MILES N OF CHUCKY TO 2.5 MILES N OF DECATUR. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG THE PATH ALONG WITH A FEW HOMES SUSTAINING MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. THE PATH LIKELY CONT |
| 17:00 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 5 N Chunky | Newton, MS | CONTINUOUS DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALONG A 13 MILE PATH FROM 5 MILES N OF CHUNKY TO 3 NNW OF DECATUR. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG THE PATH WITH A FEW HOMES SUSTAINING MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. THE HAS BEEN RATED F1. |
| 17:06 UTC | TORNADO 2 | 4 Nne Decatur | Newton, MS | A BRIEF F2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG GOOD HOPE ROAD 4 NNE OF DECATUR. WITHIN A 1/2 MILE AREA JUST ABOUT ALL THE TREES WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED WITH TREES LAYING IN ALL DIRECTIONS. MANY OF THESE TREES WERE VERY LARGE WI |
| 17:14 UTC | TORNADO | 8 Ne Meridian | Lauderdale, MS | F1 TORNADO WITH A 3 MILE PATH LENGTH AND 75 YARD WIDTH UPROOTED AND SNAPPED NUMEROUS TREES ALONG AND JUST EAST OF US HIGHWAY 45. |
| 17:21 UTC | TORNADO | 8 Ne Collinsville | Lauderdale, MS | F1 TORNADO MOVED WEST NORTHWEST 2 MILES TO THE KEMPER COUNTY LINE...DOING CONSIDERABLE TREE DAMAGE AND MINOR DAMAGE TO A FEW OUTBUILDINGS. PATH WIDTH 50 YARDS. |
| 17:24 UTC | TORNADO | 7 Nne Collinsville | Kemper, MS | CONTINUATION OF F1 TORNADO WHICH BEGAN IN LAUDERDALE COUNTY AT 1221 PM. PATH LENGTH IN KEMPER COUNTY OF 0.5 MILES WITH A PATH WIDTH OF 50 YARDS. CONSIDERABLE TREE DAMAGE WITH A FEW OUTBUILDINGS RECEIVING MINOR DAMAGE. |
| 17:25 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Nne Little Rock | Neshoba, MS | F2 TORNADO WITH 3 MILE PATH LENGTH AND 100 YARD WIDTH. HUNDREDS OF TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED WITH HEAVY DAMAGE TO POWERLINES AND MINOR DAMAGE TO A FEW OUTBUILDINGS. |
| 17:39 UTC | TORNADO | 9 Ese Tucker | Kemper, MS | F1 TORNADO TRAVELLED 1.5 MILES WEST NORTHWEST TO THE COUNTY LINE...DOING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES. PATH WIDTH OF 50 YARDS. |
| 17:41 UTC | TORNADO | 7 Ese Tucker | Neshoba, MS | CONTINUATION OF THE F1 TORNADO WHICH BEGAN IN KEMPER COUNTY AT 1239 PM. TRAVELLED AN ADDITIONAL 1.5 MILES IN NESHOBA COUNTY WITH A PATH WIDTH OF 50 YARDS...DOING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES. |
| 17:48 UTC | TORNADO | 5 E Tucker | Neshoba, MS | F1 TORNADO MOVED WEST NORTHWEST 4 MILES WITH A PATH WIDTH OF 150 YARDS. HEAVY TREE DAMAGE...ONE MOBILE HOME DESTOYED...ONE MOBILE HOME HAD CONSIDERABLE ROOF DAMAGE...A FEW OUTBUILDINGS DESTROYED. |
| 18:05 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 2 Nw Philadelphia | Neshoba, MS | BRIEF F1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 2 NW OF PHILADELPHIA AND MOVED W FOR 2 MILES. NUMEROUS PINE TREES BLOWN DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 15 AS WELL AS NUMEROUS OTHER TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED A FEW MILES E OF HIGHWAY 15. |
| 18:21 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 4 N Edinburg | Leake, MS | BRIEF F1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 4 N OF EDINBURG AND MOVED W FOR 2 MILES. NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2005 tornado in MississippiEvery tornado in Mississippi since 1950Warnings in force in Mississippi nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of August 29, 2005
39 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 29 | 7:05 AM CDT | F0 | Santa Rosa, FL | 3.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:07 AM CDT | F0 | Escambia, FL | 1.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:30 AM CDT | F0 | Escambia, AL | 2.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 8:42 AM CDT | F0 | Okaloosa, FL | 1.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 8:47 AM CDT | F0 | Santa Rosa, FL | 1.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 11:25 AM CDT | F1 | Forrest, MS | 0.5 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:00 PM CDT | F1 | Newton, MS | 13.0 | 100 | $200,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:14 PM CDT | F1 | Lauderdale, MS | 3.0 | 75 | $30,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:22 PM CDT | F1 | Lauderdale, MS | 3.0 | 50 | $60,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:27 PM CDT | F2 | Neshoba, MS | 3.0 | 100 | $70,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:36 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 3.0 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:39 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 3.0 | 50 | $80,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:48 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 4.0 | 150 | $100,000 | ||
| August 29 | 1:05 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 2.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 1:21 PM CDT | F1 | Leake, MS | 2.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 1:55 PM CDT | F1 | Tallapoosa, AL | 3.3 | 300 | $70,000 | ||
| August 29 | 3:16 PM CDT | F0 | Montgomery, AL | 6.0 | 300 | $190,000 | ||
| August 29 | 4:24 PM EDT | F2 | Heard, GA | 5.5 | 200 | 1 | 3 | $5.2 million |
| August 29 | 3:30 PM CDT | F0 | Bullock, AL | 0.1 | 25 | $1,000 | ||
| August 29 | 3:53 PM CDT | F1 | Calhoun, AL | 1.5 | 30 | $120,000 | ||
| August 29 | 5:15 PM EDT | F0 | Haralson, GA | 1.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 5:15 PM EDT | F0 | Paulding, GA | 1.0 | 50 | $400,000 | ||
| August 29 | 4:19 PM CDT | F0 | Macon, AL | 3.0 | 400 | $30,000 | ||
| August 29 | 5:24 PM EDT | F1 | Polk, GA | 2.8 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:15 PM EDT | F0 | Forsyth, GA | 0.5 | 50 | $250,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:26 PM EDT | F0 | Decatur, GA | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| August 29 | 6:35 PM EDT | F0 | Oconee, GA | 0.1 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:37 PM EDT | F1 | Taylor, GA | 3.5 | 250 | 1 | $250,000 | |
| August 29 | 5:41 PM CDT | F0 | Russell, AL | 0.1 | 25 | $1,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:45 PM EDT | F0 | Lumpkin, GA | 0.9 | 125 | $40,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:06 PM EDT | F0 | Evans, GA | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| August 29 | 7:10 PM EDT | F2 | Peach, GA | 4.0 | 50 | 3 | $2.6 million | |
| August 29 | 7:45 PM EDT | F0 | Fannin, GA | 0.3 | 100 | $250,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:45 PM EDT | F1 | Spalding, GA | 1.0 | 100 | 2 | $300,000 | |
| August 29 | 10:25 PM EDT | F0 | Walton, GA | 0.3 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| August 29 | 11:05 PM EDT | F0 | Barrow, GA | 1.5 | 100 | $150,000 | ||
| August 29 | 11:35 PM EDT | F0 | Jackson, GA | 1.0 | 20 | $20,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:10 AM EDT | F0 | Hall, GA | 11.0 | 50 | $260,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:30 AM EDT | F2 | White, GA | 5.0 | 300 | $3.0 million |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.