Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2005

F0 tornado, Utica to Hubbard, Mississippi, September 24, 2005

From Utica to Hubbard, this F0 tornado ran 0.5 miles across Hinds County on September 24, 2005, touching down at 11:20 AM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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.

  1. F040 to 72 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    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.

  4. 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.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
F0
Date
September 24, 2005
Touchdown
11:20 AM CDT (16:20 UTC)
Path length
0.5 miles (0.8 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Hinds County
Touchdown point
32.220, -90.730
Lift-off point
32.220, -90.750
Record number
1175

What the Weather Service recorded

This tornado touched down in extreme West-Central Hinds county very near the Claiborne county line. This area can best be described as the area where Hinds, Claiborne and Warren county meet in the Big Black River bottom just south of Highway 27. The tornado moved north-northwest and crossed the extreme northeast corner of Claiborne county before moving into Warren county. The tornado moved into Warren county, just south of Highway 27, then crossed Highway 27 before dissipating. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. The total path length across the 3 counties was 3 miles.

This weak tornado touched down just Northwest of Utica and crossed Cayuga Road. Several trees were snapped with a few uprooted.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Sep 24, 5:50 AM CDT, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 24, 5:50 AM CDT, 5 hours 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 24, 10:39 AM CDT, 41 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1039 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
251539-
ADAMS-ASHLEY-ATTALA-BOLIVAR-CARROLL-CATAHOULA-CHICOT-CHOCTAW-
CLAIBORNE-CLARKE-CLAY-CONCORDIA-COPIAH-COVINGTON-EAST CARROLL-
FORREST-FRANKLIN LA-FRANKLIN MS-GRENADA-HINDS-HOLMES-HUMPHREYS-
ISSAQUENA-JASPER-JEFFERSON-JEFFERSON DAVIS-JONES-KEMPER-LAMAR-
LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEAKE-LEFLORE-LINCOLN-LOWNDES-MADISON LA-
MADISON MS-MARION-MONTGOMERY-MOREHOUSE-NESHOBA-NEWTON-NOXUBEE-
OKTIBBEHA-RANKIN-RICHLAND-SCOTT-SHARKEY-SIMPSON-SMITH-SUNFLOWER-
TENSAS-WARREN-WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WEST CARROLL-WINSTON-YAZOO-
1039 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

...THUNDERSTORMS...
SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING TORNADOES AND WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH WILL BE LIKELY TODAY ACROSS NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...MAINLY WEST OF A LINE FROM
CANTON...TO RALEIGH...TO THE LAUREL/HATTIESBURG AREA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE MORE ISOLATED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS...NORTHERN AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI.I

HURRICANE RITA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWARD ALONG THE SABINE
RIVER VALLEY TODAY. AS IT DOES...STRONG WIND SHEAR IN LOWER
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE STORM WILL
SPREAD INTO EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.
SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING STRONG ROTATION HAVE BEEN
DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING...AND IN
ADDITION A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS DEVELOPING ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA INTO THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. ALL OF
THIS ACTIVITY WILL MOVE NORTH INTO NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON.

DUE TO THE STRONG WIND SHEAR IN THE ATMOSPHERE...SOME OF THESE
STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE TORNADOES AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH.
TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES OF THE SIZE AND INTENSITY OF
RITA CAN BE STRONG...AND CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR AT LEAST
A FEW STRONG TORNADOES TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL DIMINISH SOMEWHAT AFTER 9
PM...BUT A RISK OF ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
REGION...ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR.

...FLOODING...
ALTHOUGH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK
AREA...IT MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI. WITH PLENTY OF TROPICAL MOISTURE FLOWING
INTO THE REGION...PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED AS RAIN
BANDS FROM HURRICANE RITA REPEATEDLY MOVE INTO THE AREA. RAINFALL
TOTALS THROUGH SUNDAY MAY REACH 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS
POSSIBLE.

PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME ALONG WITH SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER THE SAME AREAS MAY LEAD TO RAPID
RUN OFF AND FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED
FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM BASTROP TO CLAYTON
LOUISIANA TO BUDE MISSISSIPPI.

HEAVY RAIN AND PONDING CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE AREA.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE...CAUSING
WATER TO ACCUMULATE ON ROADWAYS AND IN OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.

...NON PRECIPITATION...
WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY FOR MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH
WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH CAN EXPECTED OVER A WIDE AREA WEST OF A
LAUREL TO WINONA LINE. AS HURRICANE RITA MOVES FARTHER
NORTH...STRONG WINDS WILL SPREAD NORTH AND EAST WITH SUSTAINED
WINDS OF NEAR 30 MPH...AND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 50 MPH OVER EAST
CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...ALONG AND SOUTHWEST
OF A BROOKHAVEN TO VICKSBURG TO BASTROP LINE.

WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN QUITE GUSTY OVER THE AREA THIS MORNING.
JACKSON HAS REPORTED A PEAK SUSTAINED WIND OF 26 MPH...WITH A
PEAK GUST OF 36 MPH...WHILE NATCHEZ-ADAMS CIVIL DEFENSE HAS
REPORTED A GUST TO 47 MPH. WINDS WILL PROBABLY INCREASE A BIT
MORE INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON...BEFORE DIMINISHING SOMEWHAT THIS
EVENING AS RITA WEAKENS.

A COMBINATION OF WET GROUND OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...AND DAMAGED TREES AND LIMBS FROM KATRINA
OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...WILL LIKELY LEAD TO
DOWNED TREES AND LIMBS FROM THESE WINDS.  SOME OF THESE LIMBS AND
TREES MAY COME DOWN ON POWERLINES...AND POWER OUTAGES HAVE
ALREADY BEEN REPORTED OVER PARTS OF THE AREA. BE ESPECIALLY ALERT
FOR DEAD LIMBS THAT COULD FALL IF YOU ARE VENTURING OUTDOORS
TODAY.

...FIRE DANGER...
AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER DUE TO NUMEROUS DOWNED TREES AND LIMBS
CONTINUES TO EXIST ACCORDING TO THE MISSISSIPPI FORESTRY
COMMISSION...PARTICULARLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WHERE
NUMEROUS BURN BANS ARE IN EFFECT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

...DAYS TWO AND THREE...SUNDAY AND MONDAY...
THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY...AS SPIRAL
BANDS FROM RITA MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE MAIN
RISK WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE
BANDS. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RISK ON SUNDAY WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON
HOW RAPIDLY RITA WEAKENS. AT THE PRESENT TIME...THE GREATEST RISK
LOOKS TO BE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR AS STEADY RAINS
PERSIST TO THE WEST.
ISOLATED STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EASTERN MISSISSIPPI
MAINLY DURING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR INCREASES
DURING THE DAYTIME HEATING.

HEAVY RAINFALL WILL COVER MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA SUNDAY AND
PERSIST ALL THE WAY INTO MONDAY MORNING. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OF 6 TO 10 INCHES MAY BE COMMON OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI BY MONDAY MORNING.

...DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE RITA WILL CONTINUE TO HANG AROUND THE
REGION THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF THE WORK WEEK...PRODUCING
INTERMITTENT AND OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAIN OVER PORTIONS OF THE
FORECAST AREA. ADDITIONAL RAIN AMOUNTS DURING THIS TIME OF A FEW
INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN ISOLATED SPOTS...WHICH COULD EXACERBATE
ANY MINOR FLOODING PROBLEMS WHICH MAY OCCUR OVER THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY FOR THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE
OUTLOOK AREA. OTHERWISE...ACTIVATION SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED NEXT
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 24, 5:41 AM CDT, 5 hours 39 minutes before
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The surface observations

Vicksburg / Tallulah (TVR), 31 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 16:19 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

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 September 24, 2005

51 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 249:15 AM CDTF0Franklin, MS0.5100
September 2411:14 AM CDTF0Hinds, MS2.075
September 2411:21 AM CDTF1Warren, MS1.875
September 2412:40 PM CDTF1Ashley, AR7.0100$100,000
September 2412:51 PM CDTF1Chicot, AR1.0100$300,000
September 2412:54 PM CDTF1Drew, AR4.840
September 241:30 PM CDTF0Hinds, MS0.750
September 242:10 PM CDTF2Washington, MS2.0300$680,000
September 242:45 PM CDTF0Desha, AR11.040
September 243:12 PM CDTF0Washington, MS0.5100
September 243:13 PM CDTF0Bolivar, MS3.5100
September 243:19 PM CDTF0Arkansas, AR7.040
September 243:30 PM CDTF0Jefferson, AR1.540
September 243:35 PM CDTF0Humphreys, MS4.050$10,000
September 244:18 PM CDTF1Humphreys, MS1.575$150,000
September 244:25 PM CDTF1Humphreys, MS3.510012$50,000
September 244:34 PM CDTF2Humphreys, MS18.08003$2.5 million
September 244:35 PM CDTF0Bolivar, MS1.050$30,000
September 244:40 PM CDTF2Lonoke, AR7.21005
September 244:40 PM CDTF0Sunflower, MS1.050
September 245:02 PM CDTF1Sunflower, MS1.0100$20,000
September 245:03 PM CDTF1Bolivar, MS9.0200$400,000
September 245:14 PM CDTF0East Carroll Parish, LA1.050
September 245:20 PM CDTF1Leflore, MS1.0100
September 245:35 PM CDTF0Sunflower, MS1.0100$10,000
September 245:37 PM CDTF2Bolivar, MS12.0200$800,000
September 245:54 PM CDTF1Chicot, AR1.075$60,000
September 245:56 PM CDTF0Leflore, MS2.050
September 245:59 PM CDTF1Lonoke, AR1.5100
September 246:00 PM CDTF2Leflore, MS9.0250
September 246:01 PM CDTF1Pulaski, AR4.2100
September 246:09 PM CDTF1Pulaski, AR6.080
September 246:17 PM CDTF1Leflore, MS1.075$200,000
September 246:18 PM CDTF1Faulkner, AR2.080
September 246:25 PM CDTF0Holmes, MS1.050$10,000
September 246:29 PM CDTF1Chicot, AR2.075$150,000
September 246:40 PM CDTF0Carroll, MS3.075
September 246:48 PM CDTF2Conway, AR1.0100
September 246:55 PM CDTF0Franklin, MS2.075
September 247:33 PM CDTF2White, AR9.0150
September 247:45 PM CDTF2Newton, MS0.8100$1.0 million
September 247:55 PM CDTF0Cleburne, AR0.640
September 247:56 PM CDTF0Concordia Parish, LA2.075$70,000
September 248:05 PM CDTF1Cleburne, AR0.750
September 248:37 PM CDTF0Sharkey, MS1.0100
September 248:40 PM CDTF1Sharkey, MS3.0100$400,000
September 249:21 PM CDTF1Arkansas, AR7.040
September 2410:06 PM CDTF1Catahoula Parish, LA9.050$200,000
September 2412:40 AM CDTF0Bolivar, MS1.050$10,000
September 2412:42 AM CDTF0Concordia Parish, LA1.075
September 2412:44 AM CDTF3Concordia Parish, LA14.01003$1.1 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.