Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2005

F0 tornado, Vicksburg, Mississippi, September 25, 2005

This F0 tornado ran 1.5 miles across Warren County on September 25, 2005, touching down at 9:21 AM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $10,000 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.

  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 25, 2005
Touchdown
9:21 AM CDT (14:21 UTC)
Path length
1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
County
Warren County
Touchdown point
32.280, -90.820
Lift-off point
32.320, -90.780
Record number
474

What the Weather Service recorded

This weak tornado briefly touched down off Halls Ferry, Timberlane and Sweetgum Roads. Several trees were snapped and uprooted along with a few power lines taken down.

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

The warnings

32 minutes of warning. NWS JAN issued a tornado warning for this county at 13:49 UTC, 32 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 14:30 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
23:49 UTC00:30 UTCTornado WarningJAN
00:49 UTC01:30 UTCTornado WarningJAN
01:31 UTC01:40 UTCTornado WarningJAN
07:38 UTC08:13 UTCTornado WarningJAN
11:25 UTC12:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAN
11:48 UTC12:30 UTCTornado WarningJAN
11:51 UTC15:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningJAN
12:33 UTC13:15 UTCTornado WarningJAN
13:21 UTC14:00 UTCTornado WarningJAN
13:27 UTC13:46 UTCTornado WarningJAN
13:49 UTC14:30 UTCTornado WarningJAN
14:14 UTC15:00 UTCTornado WarningJAN
14:19 UTC15:00 UTCTornado WarningJAN
15:00 UTC18:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningJAN
15:18 UTC16:15 UTCTornado WarningJAN
17:20 UTC18:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningJAN
17:43 UTC18:13 UTCTornado WarningJAN

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 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 12:34 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

2.4 hours before the tornado, 68 km from the path. September 25, 2005.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2005-09-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 770 joules per kilogram, CIN -4, lifted condensation level 665 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2005-09-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 291 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 35 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
770 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Surface CAPE
772 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
665 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
291 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
456 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
5.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Jackson, MS (KJAN), 00:00Z

9.6 hours after it, 68 km from the path. September 26, 2005.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2005-09-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1241 joules per kilogram, CIN -21, lifted condensation level 799 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2005-09-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 180 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 41 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1241 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Surface CAPE
946 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
799 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
407 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.6
Supercell composite
8.4
0-3 km lapse rate
5.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 14:21 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.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
12:46 UTCTSTM WND DMGVicksburgWarren, MSNUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES REPORTED DOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF VICKSBURG.
12:46 UTCTSTM WND DMGVicksburgWarren, MSONE MOBILE HOME DESTROYED BY A TREE FALLING ON IT ON TANGLEWOOD DRIVE JUST OFF OF HALLS FERRY.
13:15 UTCTORNADO 15 Wnw Port GibsonClaiborne, MSA NUMBER OF LARGE TREES DOWN. SOME DAMAGE TO ROOF AND PORCH OF A LARGE WELL BUILT FRAME HOUSE. PATH WAS 3/4 OF A MILE LONG AND WIDTH WAS 50 YDS.
13:45 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 S Port GibsonClaiborne, MSONE HOUSE ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTH OF PORT GIBSON HAD A TREE FALL IN IT.
14:00 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 S BentoniaYazoo, MSSOUTHBOUND LANE OF HIGHWAY 49 JUST SOUTH OF BENTONIA REPORTED UNDER WATER.
14:20 UTCTSTM WND DMGBrownsvilleHinds, MSONE TREE REPORTED DOWN ON HIGHWAY 22 IN BROWNSVILLE.
14:21 UTCTORNADO 06 Se VicksburgWarren, MSTHIS BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN SE OF VICKSBURG OFF HALLS FERRY RD...TIMBERLANE RD AND SWEETGUM RD. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. PATH LENGTH 1.5 MILES. RATED F0.
14:40 UTCFLASH FLOOD5 W EdwardsHinds, MSMINOR FLOODING REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 27 NEAR THE BIG BLACK RIVER.
15:45 UTCFLASH FLOODVicksburgWarren, MSSEVERAL STREETS AND HOMES HAVE ARE FLOODED IN VICKSBURG AND SEVERAL AREAS AROUND WARREN COUNTY. SOME HOMES IN LOWER LYING AREAS IN VICKSBURG HAVE UP TO 3 FEET OF WATER IN THEM.
16:50 UTCFLASH FLOOD10 Se VicksburgWarren, MSFLOODING OFF HIGHWAY 27. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN WARREN COUNTY.

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 September 25, 2005

44 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
September 251:39 AM CDTF0Franklin Parish, LA0.7100$200,000
September 251:43 AM CDTF0Madison Parish, LA4.075$30,000
September 253:17 AM CDTF2Jefferson, MS10.0600$180,000
September 253:37 AM CDTF1Jefferson, MS1.075
September 253:49 AM CDTF2Jefferson, MS5.08001$300,000
September 253:54 AM CDTF2Claiborne, MS2.0800$20,000
September 254:44 AM CDTF0Jefferson, MS4.050$40,000
September 255:00 AM CDTF0Monroe, AL2.250$80,000
September 258:02 AM CDTF1Claiborne, MS0.750$70,000
September 2512:26 PM CDTF0Warren, MS0.550$30,000
September 251:01 PM CDTF0Lamar, AL0.125$1,000
September 251:55 PM CDTF0Attala, MS2.075$50,000
September 252:04 PM CDTF0Pickens, AL5.230$4,000
September 252:05 PM CDTF0Madison, MS3.075
September 252:22 PM CDTF1Lamar, AL6.2300$140,000
September 252:25 PM CDTF0Smith, MS1.050$30,000
September 252:30 PM CDTF1Marion, AL2.540$10,000
September 252:38 PM CDTF1Oktibbeha, MS3.5757$2.0 million
September 252:47 PM CDTF1Leake, MS1.5100$200,000
September 252:54 PM CDTF0Winston, AL0.850$30,000
September 252:55 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL1.680$40,000
September 252:57 PM CDTF1Winston, AL2.5150$20,000
September 253:00 PM CDTF0Fayette, AL0.120
September 253:01 PM CDTF0Jasper, MS1.050
September 253:05 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL0.850$20,000
September 253:06 PM CDTF0Winston, AL0.530$3,000
September 253:28 PM CDTF0Hinds, MS1.075
September 253:39 PM CDTF0Pickens, AL0.325$2,000
September 253:54 PM CDTF0Greene, AL0.125
September 253:55 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa, AL13.8100$10,000
September 253:55 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL0.225
September 253:58 PM CDTF1Rankin, MS2.075$400,000
September 254:05 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa, AL6.71502$250,000
September 254:14 PM CDTF0Oktibbeha, MS1.050
September 254:19 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL5.8100$20,000
September 254:21 PM CDTF1Lauderdale, MS1.8150$250,000
September 254:24 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL5.060$10,000
September 255:07 PM CDTF0Rankin, MS1.050$10,000
September 255:24 PM CDTF0Noxubee, MS1.050
September 255:37 PM CDTF1Greene, AL6.0250$250,000
September 255:52 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL1.260$60,000
September 255:59 PM CDTF1Tuscaloosa, AL4.8125$200,000
September 256:14 PM CDTF0Tuscaloosa, AL0.110
September 259:42 PM CDTF0Sumter, AL2.850$20,000

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.