EF1 tornado, Ludlow to Madden, Mississippi, April 18, 2019

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.

Rating

EF1

Date

April 18, 2019

Touchdown

3:40 PM CDT (20:40 UTC)

Lifted

3:59 PM CDT (20:59 UTC)

On the ground

19 minutes

Path length

11.3 miles (18.3 km)

Path width

1,320 yards (1207 m)

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Property damage

$13,000

Crop damage

$100,000

Counties

Leake and Scott counties

Touchdown point

32.588, -89.779

Lift-off point

32.589, -89.584

Record number

1904181440-01

171 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS JAN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF2. The highest wind the damage implies is 132 mph.

• Numerous trees uprooted and snapped.
• Trees uprooted and snapped.
• Numerous softwood trees snapped.
• Several hardwood trees uprooted

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

During the daytime hours of April 18th, a developing storm system helped generate a large line of thunderstorms which then moved across the region. From this, a regional outbreak of tornadoes along with widespread wind damage occurred. This line became efficient at producing tornadoes as a meso-scale vortex developed. The combination of multiple environmental features, set the stage for 43 tornadoes to occur over the forecast area. This ranks as 4th most for a single event across the forecast area. In addition to the tornadoes, widespread wind damage occurred as well.

The tornado began at the Coal Bluff Park where several large softwood tree limbs were snapped and broken and two campers were blown over. It then progressed eastward across a forested area and likely moved across the Scott County Hunting Club, but the survey team could not see the damage due to private closed off roadways. However, uprooted hardwood trees were visible from the end of North Kincaid Road. It continued to track eastward across southwest Leake County to Utah Road where several softwood trees were snapped and it snapped large softwood tree limbs at Crawford Circle. It continued eastward progression caused the snapping of softwood and hardwood trees at Ludlow Road. It finally lifted just east of Lena along US Highway 500, but not before snapping large softwood tree limbs and trunks. This tornado continued into Leake County. Maximum estimated winds 90 MPH. Total path length 11.46 miles.

This tornado touched down just southwest of the River Bend Road and Hwy 25 intersection where several large tree limbs were snapped. The tornado continued towards the Highway 25 intersection where several mobile homes sustained minor roof damage. Strengthening continued as the tornado hit a gas station along Hwy 25 where a large section of roof was removed. After crossing Hwy 25, the tornado moved northeast snapping and uprooting numerous soft and hardwood trees along River Bend Road, Utah Road and Crawford Circle. The tornado turned and headed southeast after crossing Mapp Road and paralleled Hillsboro-Ludlow Road for several miles where additional trees were snapped and uprooted. Sheet metal was also peeled back on several barns and chicken houses. The tornado turned back east as it crossed Lost Creek and eventually crossing Highway 13 where tree damage continued. The tornado began to weaken as it crossed Cliff Armstrong Road and dissipated shortly after crossing Cash Road. Maximum estimated winds 110 MPH.

The tornado began at the Coal Bluff Park where several large softwood tree limbs were snapped and broken and two campers were blown over. It then progressed eastward across a forested area and likely moved across the Scott County Hunting Club, but the survey team could not see the damage due to private closed off roadways. However, uprooted hardwood trees were visible from the end of North Kincaid Road. It continued to track eastward across southwest Leake County to Utah Road where several softwood trees were snapped and it snapped large softwood tree limbs at Crawford Circle. It continued eastward progression caused the snapping of softwood and hardwood trees at Ludlow Road. It finally lifted just east of Lena along US Highway 500, but not before snapping large softwood tree limbs and trunks. Maximum estimated winds 90 MPH. Total path length 11.46 miles.

This tornado started in the Bienville National Forest just west of Hattie Lyles Road as it snapped large hardwood tree limbs. It progressed northeast to Hatties Lyles Road where it uprooted hardwood trees and peeled off a portion of tin metal from a barn. It progressed northeast crossing Hillsboro-Ludlow Road and Calhoun Lane, resulting in broken hardwood tree limbs and uprooted hardwood trees. The continuation of uprooted hardwood trees was noted farther northeast at Cash Road, in addition to minor shingle roof damage to a nearby home. Persistent uprooting of several hardwood trees and the snapping of large hardwood tree limbs were seen at E Rhinewalt Road and West Rhinewalt Road. Tin roofing peeled off of old chicken houses occurred at Hall Road nearing the county line. The tornado moved into southern Leake County, where it crossed Union Ridge Road and Lindsay Road, causing the uproot of hardwood and softwood trees and broke several small tree limbs. The tornado moved farther northeast, moving across MS Highway 35, where several hardwood trees were either uprooted or had broken large tree limbs. It finally lifted north of Walnut Grove just east of Estes Mill Road, but not before snapping hardwood and softwood trees; some of the branches landed on the roof of a one-story home causing minor damage. This tornado continued into Leake County. Maximum estimated winds 95 MPH. Total path length 12.48 miles.

This tornado began in a wooded area near the Scott and Leake County line north of Low Head Dam Road, where a tornadic debris signature was noted on radar. It then moved eastward across Utah Road, snapping several softwood and hardwood trees. It then shifted southeast crossing Highway 25, snapping softwood trees on McDonald Road. It then impacted New Ground Road where it snapped large softwood tree limbs, uprooted multiple hardwood trees, some of which fell on a power pole and side-swiped a house causing minor roof damage. The tornado then moved east to across Ludlow Road snapping a few softwood trees and once it crossed Highway 13, it continued to snap softwood trees some of which fell on power lines. It continuing snapping large softwood tree limbs and softwood tree trunks as it moved east across US Highway 487 and across Ealy Road. It lifted at Storm Road north of US Highway 500, but not before snapping a few large softwood tree limbs. Maximum estimated winds 95 MPH.

This tornado started in the Bienville National Forest just west of Hattie Lyles Road as it snapped large hardwood tree limbs. It progressed northeast to Hatties Lyles Road where it uprooted hardwood trees and peeled off a portion of tin metal from a barn. It progressed northeast crossing Hillsboro-Ludlow Road and Calhoun Lane, resulting in broken hardwood tree limbs and uprooted hardwood trees. The continuation of uprooted hardwood trees was noted farther northeast at Cash Road, in addition to minor shingle roof damage to a nearby home. Persistent uprooting of several hardwood trees and the snapping of large hardwood tree limbs were seen at E Rhinewalt Road and West Rhinewalt Road. Tin roofing peeled off of old chicken houses occurred at Hall Road nearing the county line. The tornado moved into southern Leake County, where it crossed Union Ridge Road and Lindsay Road, causing the uproot of hardwood and softwood trees and broke several small tree limbs. The tornado moved farther northeast, moving across MS Highway 35, where several hardwood trees were either uprooted or had broken large tree limbs. It finally lifted north of Walnut Grove just east of Estes Mill Road, but not before snapping hardwood and softwood trees; some of the branches landed on the roof of a one-story home causing minor damage. Maximum estimated winds 95 MPH. Total path length 12.48 miles.

This EF-1 tornado formed near the Freeny community tracking east and southeast for nearly 10 miles. Widespread tree damage occurred across the area. Wind speeds near 110 mph caused two swaths of large pine and hardwood to snap or uproot along a stretch of Highway 488 just east of Madden and off of County Road 210. The tornado dissipated in a wooded area near the Leake and Neshoba County line about a quarter mile east of County Road 21. This tornado continued into Neshoba County. Maximum estimated winds 110 MPH. Total path length 10.06 miles.

This tornado began along Laurel Hill Road and tracked roughly east along and mostly to the south of Madden Road. The tornado crossed Risher Road and dissipated just east of that location. Many trees were snapped and uprooted along with several power lines and poles down. Some minor damage was noted to a few sheds and barns. Maximum estimated winds 95 MPH.

This tornado began along Risher Road and tracked just south of east crossing Jolly Road to just past Highway 488 and Turtleneck Road. The tornado continued east into Neshoba County crossing county roads 1119 and 123 before dissipating just east of 123 and north of 404. Many trees were snapped and uprooted, especially along Madden Road along with some power lines down. Maximum estimated winds were 100 mph. Total path length was 4.17 miles.

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

26 minutes of warning. NWS JAN issued a tornado warning for this county at 20:14 UTC, 26 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 20:59 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:43 UTC and running to 22:00 UTC.

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 Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:22 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 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.

Madison (MBO), 43 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

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

The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 45 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 20:37 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.

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

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

The live radar over the trackEvery 2019 tornado in MississippiEvery tornado in Mississippi since 1950Warnings in force in Mississippi nowThe forecast where you are

43 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

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.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.