EF1 tornado, Bertice to Ocobla, 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

4:04 PM CDT (21:04 UTC)

Lifted

4:15 PM CDT (21:15 UTC)

On the ground

11 minutes

Path length

9.9 miles (15.9 km)

Path width

1,600 yards (1463 m)

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Property damage

$6,000

Crop damage

$505,000

Counties

Leake and Neshoba counties

Touchdown point

32.696, -89.481

Lift-off point

32.658, -89.317

Record number

1904181504-01

214 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS JAN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 110 mph.

• Numerous trees uprooted and snapped.
• Several hardwood trees uprooted
• Several hardwood trees uprooted. one on a house.
• several large trees uprooted along Poplar. a tree fell on a house.

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.

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 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. Maximum estimated winds 74 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.

This brief tornado began just west of Highway 427 and just north of Sistrunk Lane. The tornado crossed Highway 427 where it snapped and uprooted several trees. The tornado ended just east of Highway 427 near Luneluah Creek, uprooting several trees along its path. Maximum estimated winds were 95 mph. Total path length was .5 miles.

This brief tornado began just west of Highway 427 and just north of Sistrunk Lane. The tornado crossed Highway 427 where it snapped and uprooted several trees. The tornado ended just east of Highway 427 near Luneluah Creek, uprooting several trees along its path. Maximum estimated winds were 95 mph. Total path length was .5 miles.

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.

This brief tornado began just inside Leake County where Highway 488 intersects the county line and tracked just south of east where it crossed CR 123 before dissipating. The better tree damage was along Highway 488. Maximum estimated winds were 95 mph. Total path length was 1.71 miles.

This brief tornado began just inside Leake County where Highway 488 intersects the county line and tracked just south of east where it crossed CR 123 before dissipating. The better tree damage was along Highway 488. Maximum estimated winds were 95 mph. Total path length was 1.71 miles.

This brief tornado began just to the west of CR 151 and tracked just south of east in the Hope Community and dissipated after it crossed Highway 488. One home sustained moderate shingle and roof damage along CR 151. The tornado appeared to peak as it crossed CR 147 where a solid area of pines were snapped. Maximum estimated winds were 100 mph. Total path length is 1.95 miles.

This tornado began over a marshy area just south of Hooper Mill Creek Road where several large tree branches were snapped. It then moved northeast crossing County Roads 165 and 820 where several softwood trees were uprooted. The tornado took on a slight eastward movement as it crossed several roads in the vicinity of Highway 19 where additional softwood trees were uprooted. A swath of tree damage continued along county roads 834, 838, 571 and 1361 before the tornado crossed Highway 15. The tornado began to weaken as it tracked along county road 844 and 573 where several large tree limbs were snapped before dissipating east of 573 in a marshy area along the Pearl River. Maximum estimated winds were 85 mph. Total path length is 11.22 miles.

This EF-1 tornado started near Hospital Road West and tracked northeast through historic parts of Philadelphia. Along the path, numerous large limbs were snapped and numerous trees were uprooted. A couple of trees were blown on houses causing structural damage. The tornado caused the exterior wall to the Urgent Care Center on East Main Street to collapse and uprooted a swath of pine trees before dissipating. Maximum estimated winds were 110 mph. Total path length is 1.91 miles.

This EF-1 storm began in a wooded area about half mile east of Deemer Road and tracked northeast about 3 miles. The tornado moved across Holland Avenue knocking down numerous trees in the Airpark Subdivision. Numerous trees were also downed and snapped across the golf course at the Philadephia Country Club and the neighboring community to the northeast. Several large hardwood trees were snapped along Mckee street between Bounds Avenue and Will Avenue where winds were near 105 mph. The tornado continued across main street before dissipating in a wooded area. There was some structural damage from large hardwood trees falling on homes. Maximum estimated winds were 105 mph. Total path length is 3.07 miles.

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

38 minutes of warning. NWS JAN issued a tornado warning for this county at 20:26 UTC, 38 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 21:30 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.

The Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:04 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.