Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2011

EF1 tornado, Pineville to Roberts, Mississippi, April 15, 2011

From Pineville to Roberts, this EF1 tornado ran 6.9 miles across Smith, Scott and Newton counties on April 15, 2011, touching down at 2:23 PM CDT and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $15,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

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

  3. EF2111 to 135 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. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

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

  6. EF5over 200 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
EF1
Date
April 15, 2011
Touchdown
2:23 PM CDT (19:23 UTC)
Lifted
2:34 PM CDT (19:34 UTC)
On the ground
11 minutes
Path length
6.9 miles (11.1 km)
Path width
150 yards (137 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$69,000
Counties
Smith, Scott and Newton counties
Touchdown point
32.220, -89.360
Lift-off point
32.250, -89.248
Record number
1104151323-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A significant severe weather event and tornado outbreak affected portions of central Mississippi, southeastern Arkansas, and northeastern Louisiana on April 15th. This event evolved slowly and brought multiple rounds of severe storms to the region between 3 am and 9 pm. A total of 15 tornadoes occurred during this event with 3 being of the strong variety (EF2 or EF3). In addition, numerous reports of damaging straight-line winds occurred as well as instances of large hail. Some of the strongest storms produced hail from golf ball to baseball size. There were two reports of softball sized hail as well, one in Clarke County and the other in Kemper County. In addition to the severe storms, significant flash flooding occurred over northern portions of central Mississippi.

This tornado touched down along Sun Road just south of the Scott/Smith county line, where it downed some limbs and snapped a tree. The tornado then tracked into extreme southeastern Scott County, where it uprooted and snapped numerous trees across Cox Camp Road. This was the most intense damage. The tornado continued into southwestern Newton County, downing some trees along Logan and Gordy Roads, before dissipating as it reached State Highway 505. Maximum winds were around 100 mph. Total path length across all three counties was 6.8 miles.

This tornado touched down along Sun Road just south of the Scott/Smith county line, where it downed some limbs and snapped a tree. The tornado then tracked into extreme southeastern Scott County, where it uprooted and snapped numerous trees across Cox Camp Road. This was the most intense damage. The tornado continued into southwestern Newton County, downing some trees along Logan and Gordy Roads, before dissipating as it reached State Highway 505. Maximum winds were around 100 mph. Total path length across all three counties was 6.8 miles.

This tornado touched down along Sun Road just south of the Scott/Smith county line, where it downed some limbs and snapped a tree. The tornado then tracked into extreme southeastern Scott County, where it uprooted and snapped numerous trees across Cox Camp Road. This was the most intense damage. The tornado continued into southwestern Newton County, downing some trees along Logan and Gordy Roads, before dissipating as it reached State Highway 505. Maximum winds were around 100 mph. Total path length across all three counties was 6.8 miles.

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 Apr 15, 10:15 AM CDT, 4 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 15, 10:15 AM CDT, 4 hours 8 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1015 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IN PROGRESS TODAY...

.UPDATE...TORNADO WATCH 139 WAS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 10 AM. ALTHOUGH
COVERAGE OF SEVERE STORMS HAS DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER MUCH OF
THE DELTA AREA...A SMALL POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL
CONTINUE FOR THAT AREA THROUGH NOON. HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS INDICATE
THAT AN IMPULSE THAT WILL PIVOT INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON WILL
MAINTAIN OR ENHANCE SHEAR ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE
AREA...PARTICULARLY FOR AREAS ALONG AND S OF A LINE FROM VICKSBURG
TO BROOKSVILLE. LINEAR MODE DISPLAYED BY STORMS EARLIER THIS MORNING
HAS CHANGED TO A MORE CELLULAR/SUPERCELL MODE...WHICH WILL INCREASE
THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES FOR THE REGION. ALTHOUGH STRONG
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE FOR ALL BUT THE EXTREME NW PORTION OF THE
FORECAST AREA...THE BEST RISK FOR STRONG TORNADOES IS EXPECTED
ACROSS ECNTRL AND SERN ZONES THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING.
THIS AREA WILL SEE THE MOST ENHANCED EFFECTS OF WIND SHEAR THIS
AFTERNOON AS WELL AS INCREASING INSTABILITY FROM CONTINUING MOISTURE
INFLUX AND DAYTIME HEATING. CURRENT RADAR IMAGES SHOW DEVELOPING
CONVECTION UPSTREAM IN THE VICINITY OF THE DRY LINE. THIS ACTIVITY
WILL INCREASE WITH TIME TO MAINTAIN SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WELL
INTO THE AFTERNOON FOR MANY AREAS. SEVERE STORMS WILL NOT EXIT
ECNTRL/SERN ZONES UNTIL 8 OR 9 PM.

&&

.DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM (FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...FOCUS WILL
CENTER ON INCREASING CONCERN FOR A DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK
TO UNFOLD TODAY. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR CYCLIC AND STRONG
TORNADOES...HAIL TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS...AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS UP TO 80 MPH. A TORNADO WATCH IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT UNTIL
10AM ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN AREAS OF THE CWA. CERTAINLY
ANTICIPATE AN ADDITIONAL WATCH FOR MUCH OF THE AREA LATER THIS
MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

AS OF 330AM...A SEVERE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ACROSS
EASTERN ARKANSAS AND STRETCHING SW INTO NW LOUISIANA AND TRAILING
BACK INTO SE TEXAS. NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES
HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LINE AS IT
PROGRESSES TOWARDS THE ARKLAMISS DELTA REGION BY 5 AM. LATEST SURFACE
ANALYSIS DEPICTS NEARLY 1000 J/KG SBCAPE AHEAD OF LINE WITH 50 TO 60
KT EFFECTIVE SHEAR SUPPORTING LARGE BOWING SEGMENTS AND TORNADOES
ALONG THE LINE. A WEDGE OF MID TO UPPER 60 DEWPOINTS CURRENTLY
LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI AND ALL OF LOUISIANA
WILL CONTINUE TO SURGE NORTHWARD ON AN ACCELERATING LLJ OF 50 TO 60
KT. WITH SFC WINDS BACKED TO SSE...SOUTHERLY 50KT H85 WINDS...AND
CYCLONICALLY CURVED 70 KT H5 WINDS FROM THE SW... EFFECTIVE SHEAR
VALUES OF 50 TO 60 WILL BE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT VIGOROUS CONVECTION
AND STRONG ROTATING UPDRAFTS THIS MORNING AND ESPECIALLY THIS
AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF THE ARKLAMISS.

AS FAR AS EVENT EVOLUTION IS CONCERNED...A DANGEROUS SEVERE LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THAT ARKLAMISS DELTA REGION OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
HIGHWAY 82 CORRIDOR THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS AS IT TRANSLATES
EASTWARD. THE LINE COULD BECOME MORE BROKEN IN NATURE AND SLOW WHILE
TRAILING BACK TO THE SW INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA AS SUPPORTIVE
VORTICITY LOBE MOVES NE AWAY FROM CONVECTIVE COMPLEX. DAMAGING
WINDS...TORNADOES...AND HAIL WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
CONVECTION ACROSS THE ARKLAMISS DELTA AND ALONG HIGHWAY 82 CORRIDOR.
BY THE MID MORNING HOURS...SBCAPE WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE TO
1500-2000 J/KG AND 0-1 KM SRH OF 200-300 M2/S2 WILL SETUP ALONG AND
SOUTH OF LOCATIONS NOT AFFECTED BY EARLIER CONVECTION. LOCATIONS
ALONG AND SOUTH OF NATCHEZ TRACE...AND SOUTH OF A POSSIBLE COLD POOL
BOUNDARY WITH HAVE A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF DISCRETE AND POTENTIALLY
LONG-LIVED SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINMENT IN AN UNSTABLE AND
HIGHLY UPPER-LVL DIVERGENT ENVIRONMENT AS ANOTHER VORT LOBE AND
UPPER JET STREAK ROTATE THROUGH THE BASE OF THE H5 TROUGH. PER LOCAL
HI-RES WRF AND HRRR OUTPUT AND OVERALL ENVIRONMENT...SEVERAL
ROUNDS OF SUPERCELLS AND BOWING SEGMENTS APPEAR POSSIBLE ACROSS THE
REGION. SEVERE WEATHER RISKS WITH THESE SUPERCELLS INCLUDE
TORNADOES...SOME POSSIBLY STRONG AND CYCLIC...LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE
OF BASEBALLS...AND DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 80 MPH.

SEVERE WEATHER RISK WILL END WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE DRYLINE FROM
WEST TO EAST. PLEASE SEE GRAPHICASTS FOR ESTIMATED SEVERE WEATHER
TIMING AND ENDING. THE ENTIRE REGION WILL BE CLEAR OF SEVERE WEATHER
RISK BY 10 PM THIS EVENING. PLEASE STAY ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY
ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DRYLINE AS CLEARING WILL TAKE PLACE. WIND
GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH FROM THE WEST WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY FOR
THE ARKLAMISS DELTA REGION AND AREA LAKES.

MUCH QUIETER AND PLEASANT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY. MORNING LOWS FOR THE WEEKEND WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S
WITH HIGHS TOPPING OUT NEAR 70 ON SATURDAY WITH SOME STRATOCUMULUS
CLOUDS PIVOTING ACROSS HIGHWAY 82 CORRIDOR AND INTO THE UPPER 70S ON
SUNDAY UNDER SUNNY SKIES ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.

CONCERNING OTHER FORECAST MATTERS...TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS WERE
MASSAGED UPWARDS IN THE SHORT TERM GIVEN CURRENT OBSERVATIONS AND
TRENDS. MAX HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY AS MUCH OF THE
REGION IS HOVERING AROUND THE 70 DEGREE MARK WITH ANTICIPATION OF
PARTIAL EROSION OF STRATUS DECK AND DESPITE OVERSPREADING OF ANVIL
CIRRUS. INCREASED HIGH TEMPS A COUPLE OF DEGREES ON SUNDAY GIVEN
SOLID WARM AIR ADVECTION AND CLEAR SKIES. POPS WERE INCREASED FOR
THIS MORNING ACROSS THE ARKLAMISS DELTA AND UPPED FOR MUCH OF THE
REGION...EXCLUDING THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST...FOR THIS
AFTERNOON/EVENING PERIOD. POPS WERE REDUCED ALONG AND WEST OF I-55
AFTER 0Z TONIGHT BEHIND TO DRYLINE/FRONT./ALLEN/

&&

LONGER TERM (SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)...A FLATTER ZONAL FLOW PATTERN
ACROSS THE CONUS SHOULD KEEP STORM SYSTEM MOVING RIGHT ALONG FOR MUCH
OF NEXT WEEK. SURFACE HIGH(1020MB) OVER AL EARLY SUNDAY WILL MOVE OFF
SRN GA COAST BY MONDAY ALLOWING ANOTHER QUICK RETURN FLOW PATTERN TO
SET UP STARTING SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THE LOWER MS VALLEY. NEAR NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL REVERT TO ABOVE NORMAL FOR MOST OF THE
WEEK PER ENSEMBLE AND MEX GUIDANCE.

SEVERAL MID LEVEL SHORTWAVES WILL BE RACING THROUGH THE FLOW IN THE
CENTRAL AND ERN CONUS. IN RESPONSE...DEEP MOISTURE WILL INCREASE
OVER OUR CWFA PROBABLY IN ABOUT 2 TO 3 DAY INTERVALS...THE FIRST
BEING ON TUESDAY...THEN THURSDAY AND FINALLY SATURDAY. THE POSITION
OF A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE MID SOUTH OR GULF
STATES WILL BE KEY TO FOCUSING RAINFALL DURING THE WEEK.  MODEL
CONSENSUS MOVES A PLAINS LOW ACROSS THE OZARKS HEADING NEWD TUESDAY
DRAGGING A COLD FRONT TOWARD OUR CWA TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AS
IT STALLS OUT. THE STALLING FRONT GETS STUCK UNDER PREVAILING SWLY
FLOW ALOFT SO UNCERTAINTY IN THESE FEATURES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL.
ANY QPF SHOULD INITIALLY BE UNDER ONE INCH BEFORE MID WEEK HOWEVER
PATTERN SUGGESTS A HEAVY RAINFALL EPISODE COULD BE SETTING UP FOR
THE TN VALLEY/MID SOUTH OR GULF STATES BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK. /40

&&

.AVIATION...DANGEROUS FLYING CONDS XPCTD THRU THE DAY TODAY AS A
STRONG STORM SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS TSTMS
WILL PERSIST THRU THE DAY...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE OF STORMS
INVOF OF JAN/GTR/HBG/MEI. MOD TO SEVERE TURBULENCE...GOLF BALL SIZE
HAIL AND TORNADOES WILL BE PSBL ACROSS THESE AREAS. ACROSS THE DELTA
A FEW STORMS WILL BE PSBL THRU THE DAY HOWEVER TSTM COVERAGE WILL BE
LOWER THAN FURTHER SE. MVFR/OCSNL VFR CIG XPCTD TO ACCOMPANY THE
SEVERE WEATHER ALONG WITH GUSTY SOUTH SFC WINDS...PEAKING IN THE
20-30KT RANGE. STORMS WILL PUSH EAST INTO AL THIS EVENING...WITH A
SHIFT TO WESTERLY WINDS XPCTD BEHIND A COLD FRONT THAT WILL PASS
OVER THE REGION. /BK/

&&
.
.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...NONE.
LA...NONE.
AR...NONE.
&&

ALLEN/40/BB
03/BK
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 15, 4:21 AM CDT, 10 hours 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
421 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>028-034>036-
040>042-047-160930-
ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND-
MADISON LA-FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-BOLIVAR-
SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-
HOLMES-ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO-WARREN-
421 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CROSSING LOCATIONS WEST OF A
LINE FROM TALLULAH LOUISIANA TO WINONA MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING.
INITIALLY... THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE SEVERE STORMS WILL BE
DAMAGING WINDS OF 70 MPH AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF HALF DOLLARS. THIS
LINE SHOULD GRADUALLY BREAK UP DURING THE MID MORNING HOURS WITH A
RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUING AND INCLUDING TORNADOES...DAMAGING
WINDS OF 75 MPH...AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS POSSIBLE. THE
MAIN RISK SHOULD SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE MIDDAY HOURS AND
END COMPLETELY BEFORE MID AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH
THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE PROBABILITY OF 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 CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE MORNING HOURS BUT
SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED AFTER ABOUT 3 PM.

MSZ029>033-037>039-043>046-048>066-072>074-160930-
WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES-CHOCTAW-OKTIBBEHA-ATTALA-WINSTON-NOXUBEE-
MADISON MS-LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER-HINDS-RANKIN-SCOTT-NEWTON-
LAUDERDALE-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH-SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-JEFFERSON-
ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-
JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST-
421 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EAST MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY. A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING IN FROM THE WEST THIS
MORNING SHOULD BEGIN BREAKING UP ROUGHLY ALONG THE NATCHEZ TRACE
PARKWAY CORRIDOR BEFORE NOONTIME. THEN...SCATTERED SEVERE SUPERCELLS
ARE EXPECTED TO FORM DURING THE MIDDAY AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS
ESPECIALLY IMPACTING EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. AT THIS
POINT...THERE WILL BE AN ENHANCED RISK OF TORNADOES...WHICH COULD BE
STRONG...DAMAGING WINDS TO 80 MPH... AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF
BASEBALLS. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR THESE STORMS WILL BE FROM NOON TO
800 PM.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL END FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS EAST OF
THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE PROBABILITY OF 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 NEEDED THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT.

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

40

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:45 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
145 PM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0134 PM     TORNADO          4 WSW SCOOBA            32.81N 88.54W
04/15/2011                   KEMPER             MS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TORNADO SPOTTED CROSSING HIGHWAY 16 KNOCKING DOWN TREES
            AND POWER LINES.

&&

JF/DL
Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:49 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
149 PM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0110 PM     TORNADO          5 SSW BLUFF SPRINGS     32.71N 88.85W
04/15/2011                   KEMPER             MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HOUSE DESTROYED A COUPLE MILES SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 16 ON HWY
            495. PROBABLE TORNADO.

&&

BK
Local storm report, Apr 15, 2:00 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
200 PM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0125 PM     TORNADO          5 WSW SCOOBA            32.82N 88.57W
04/15/2011                   KEMPER             MS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN...ONE HOME
            DESTROYED...IN AREA FROM NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF DE
            KALB...REPORTED BY MHP

&&
Local storm report, Apr 15, 2:16 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
216 PM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0152 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WHITE OAK               32.07N 89.69W
04/15/2011                   SMITH              MS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 18

&&
Local storm report, Apr 15, 2:17 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
217 PM CDT FRI APR 15 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0205 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 W DE KALB             32.77N 88.71W
04/15/2011  E70 MPH          KEMPER             MS   STORM CHASER

            50-70 MPH WIND GUST AS WELL AS PEA SIZE HAIL WERE
            REPORTED.

&&

JF/DL
Local storm report, Apr 15, 2:22 PM CDT, 1 minute before
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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

7.4 hours before the tornado, 74 km from the path. April 15, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2011-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1458 joules per kilogram, CIN 0, lifted condensation level 523 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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 2011-04-15The 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 382 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 59 knots.1939587897Sfc1 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
1458 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1279 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
523 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
382 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
565 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
4.0
Supercell composite
14.6
0-3 km lapse rate
5.8 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Jackson, MS (KJAN), 00:00Z

4.6 hours after it, 74 km from the path. April 16, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2011-04-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 173 joules per kilogram, CIN -18, lifted condensation level 1488 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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 2011-04-16The 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 34 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 74 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 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
173 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2631 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1488 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
74 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
165 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.3
0-3 km lapse rate
7.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Meridian/Key Field (MEI), 53 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), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:24 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 2011 tornado in MississippiEvery tornado in Mississippi since 1950Warnings in force in Mississippi nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 15, 2011

74 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 151:13 AM CDTEF1Garland, AR7.3250$240,000
April 151:38 AM CDTEF1Saline, AR3.0250$40,000
April 151:47 AM CDTEF1Saline, AR16.9350$775,000
April 151:57 AM CDTEF1Pulaski, AR3.947522$39 million
April 152:01 AM CDTEF1Pulaski, AR6.6200$2.0 million
April 152:09 AM CDTEF1Pulaski, AR6.82001$455,000
April 152:17 AM CDTEF2Lonoke, AR7.0200$20 million
April 156:26 AM CDTEF0Issaquena, MS1.775$50,000
April 1510:11 AM CDTEF0Wayne, MS0.050
April 1510:51 AM CDTEF3Hinds, MS16.552810$8.0 million
April 1511:20 AM CDTEF1Clarke, AL3.3500$102,000
April 1511:22 AM CDTEF1Rankin, MS7.4200$6,000
April 1511:24 AM CDTEF0Choctaw, AL0.150$60,000
April 1511:26 AM CDTEF0Choctaw, AL4.7100$40,000
April 1511:41 AM CDTEF1Washington, MS to AL5.1200$312,000
April 1511:43 AM CDTEF1Rankin, MS7.6200$400,000
April 1511:48 AM CDTEF1Choctaw, AL16.7200$40,000
April 1511:58 AM CDTEF1Scott, MS7.0200$375,000
April 1512:04 PM CDTEF2Washington, AL0.91501$50,000
April 1512:53 PM CDTEF3Neshoba, MS to AL48.51,7605$19 million
April 151:35 PM CDTEF1Pike, MO3.050
April 151:39 PM CDTEF0Copiah, MS1.0200$2,000
April 151:47 PM CDTEF1Smith, MS3.8100$18,000
April 151:54 PM CDTEF1Holmes, MS6.1150$10,000
April 152:19 PM CDTEF2Attala, MS3.72002$35,000
April 152:33 PM CDTEF0Attala, MS4.575
April 153:03 PM CDTEF2Sumter, AL4.5200$2.1 million
April 153:04 PM CDTEF1Jasper, MS1.2440$25,000
April 153:06 PM CDTEF1Monroe, AL0.8100
April 153:14 PM CDTEF3Greene, AL18.4500$7.1 million
April 153:33 PM CDTEF2Hale, AL2.2700$374,000
April 153:53 PM CDTEF2Sumter, AL8.9200$3.9 million
April 154:00 PM CDTEF1Bibb, AL21.81,760$89,000
April 154:08 PM CDTEF1Clarke, MS to AL24.5470$200,000
April 154:35 PM CDTEF2Sumter, AL8.73251
April 154:44 PM CDTEF2Hale, AL24.1880$3.4 million
April 154:59 PM CDTEF1Jasper, MS1.6880$35,000
April 154:59 PM CDTEF0Shelby, AL1.450$15,000
April 155:04 PM CDTEF3Marengo, AL15.380014$4.0 million
April 155:11 PM CDTEF2Monroe, AL0.9150$200,000
April 155:19 PM CDTEF2Marengo, AL5.4575$1.0 million
April 155:29 PM CDTEF2Monroe, AL22.3300$390,000
April 155:30 PM CDTEF1Mason, IL3.11001$300,000
April 155:35 PM CDTEF2Marengo, AL10.9600$1.8 million
April 155:44 PM CDTEF1Shelby, AL4.4100$29,000
April 156:00 PM CDTEF0Perry, AL4.7150$23,000
April 156:12 PM CDTEF2Choctaw, AL38.8800$8.8 million
April 156:22 PM CDTEF0Menard, IL1.250$10,000
April 156:25 PM CDTEF2Perry, AL0.8500$38,000
April 156:25 PM CDTEF1Menard, IL1.7150$450,000
April 157:50 PM EDTEF0Harris, GA0.450$5,000
April 157:05 PM CDTEF1Dallas, AL0.175$21,000
April 157:23 PM CDTEF0Lowndes, AL2.775$21,000
April 157:45 PM CDTEF3Greene, MS to AL18.3500428$13 million
April 157:48 PM CDTEF1Dallas, AL0.2100$25,000
April 158:04 PM CDTEF1Dallas, AL1.6250$70,000
April 158:12 PM CDTEF0Trigg, KY0.350$8,000
April 158:14 PM CDTEF1Trigg, KY2.5125$30,000
April 158:48 PM CDTEF1Autauga, AL7.9200$440,000
April 158:56 PM CDTEF1Autauga, AL13.4200$458,000

All 75 of them

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.