Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2019

EF0 tornado, Amite County, Mississippi, May 9, 2019

This EF0 tornado ran 1.2 miles across Amite County on May 9, 2019, touching down at 10:30 AM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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 mphthis tornado

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    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
EF0
Date
May 9, 2019
Touchdown
10:30 AM CDT (15:30 UTC)
Lifted
10:32 AM CDT (15:32 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
1.2 miles (1.9 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Amite County
Touchdown point
31.206, -91.021
Lift-off point
31.206, -91.001
Record number
1905090930-01

The damage survey

8 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LIX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 80 mph.

  • Tree displaced on high resolution satellite imagery.
  • Trees displaced on high resolution satellite imagery.
  • Tree displaced on high res satellite imagery.
  • Minor tree damage on high resolution satellite imagery.

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

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
15:11 UTC11:19 UTCFlash Flood WatchLIX
15:28 UTC16:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIX
15:54 UTC16:44 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIX
16:06 UTC16:18 UTCTornado WarningLIX
16:46 UTC18:05 UTCTornado WatchLIX
17:12 UTC19:15 UTCFlood AdvisoryLIX

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 13:34 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

3.5 hours before the tornado, 152 km from the path. May 9, 2019.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 12:00Z on 2019-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 398 joules per kilogram, CIN -106, lifted condensation level 535 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 12:00Z on 2019-05-09The 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 415 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 54 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
398 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-106 J/kg
Surface CAPE
65 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
415 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
535 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Jackson, MS (KJAN), 00:00Z

8.5 hours after it, 152 km from the path. May 10, 2019.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2019-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 321 joules per kilogram, CIN -245, lifted condensation level 858 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 2019-05-10The 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 67 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 65 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
321 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-245 J/kg
Surface CAPE
64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
858 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
67 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Mccomb/Lewis Field (MCB), 52 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
13:30 UTC160° 13 kt201011.2
13:35 UTC170° 11 kt1011.2
13:40 UTC160° 13 kt201011.2
13:45 UTC160° 14 kt1011.5
13:50 UTC170° 13 kt1011.9
13:53 UTC7972180° 12 kt191011.9
13:55 UTC170° 13 kt1011.9
14:00 UTC190° 11 kt1012.2
14:01 UTC7872190° 11 kt1012.2
14:05 UTC180° 9 kt1012.2
14:10 UTC180° 10 kt1012.2
14:15 UTC180° 9 kt1012.2
14:20 UTC190° 8 kt1012.2
14:25 UTC190° 7 kt1012.2
14:30 UTC170° 9 kt1012.2
14:35 UTC190° 9 kt1012.5
14:40 UTC190° 5 kt1012.5
14:45 UTC190° 7 kt1012.5
14:50 UTC180° 8 kt1012.5
14:53 UTC7972180° 6 kt1012.5
14:55 UTC160° 8 kt1012.5
15:00 UTC190° 5 kt1012.5
15:05 UTC170° 7 kt1012.5
15:10 UTC170° 4 kt1012.5-RA
15:15 UTC190° 10 kt1012.5-RA BR
15:20 UTC200° 5 kt1012.5-RA BR
15:25 UTC180° 2 kt1012.2RA BR
15:30 UTC200° 2 kt1012.5-RA
15:35 UTC190° 4 kt1012.2-RA
15:40 UTC210° 2 kt1012.2-RA
15:45 UTC160° 4 kt1011.9-RA
15:50 UTC140° 5 kt1011.5-RA
15:53 UTC7973150° 8 kt1011.9
15:55 UTC170° 7 kt1011.9
16:00 UTC200° 4 kt1012.2
16:05 UTC180° 5 kt1012.5
16:10 UTC170° 5 kt1012.2
16:12 UTC8074150° 8 kt1012.2VCTS
16:15 UTC160° 10 kt1012.2
16:20 UTC 20 kt1013.9
16:22 UTC7771290° 20 kt331014.2TS HZ
16:25 UTC7367290° 9 kt331014.6+TSRA
16:30 UTC320° 10 kt201013.9+RA FG
16:35 UTC 15 kt1013.9+RA BR
16:40 UTC 17 kt1013.5+RA FG
16:45 UTC 15 kt1013.2+RA FG
16:50 UTC330° 11 kt1013.5+RA BR
16:53 UTC6864340° 13 kt1013.2TSRA BR
16:55 UTC 9 kt1012.9-RA BR
16:56 UTC6964350° 7 kt1012.9-TSRA
17:00 UTC280° 2 kt1013.2-RA
17:05 UTC6864170° 8 kt1013.5TS
17:10 UTC170° 7 kt1013.9-RA
17:15 UTC180° 2 kt1013.9-RA
17:20 UTC 1013.9-RA BR
17:25 UTC180° 4 kt1013.9RA BR

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

What was reported nearby

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

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
15:33 UTCTSTM WND DMGGlosterAmite, MSEM RELAYED REPORT OF 2 TREES ON HOMES IN GLOSTER. NO INJURIES REPORTED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
15:33 UTCTSTM WND DMGGlosterAmite, MSEM RELAYED REPORT OF 6 TREES ON HOMES IN GLOSTER. NO INJURIES REPORTED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
15:52 UTCTSTM WND DMGLibertyAmite, MSWFO JAN RELAYED HAM RADIO REPORT OF TREES DOWN IN LIBERTY. ALSO, ONE TREE DOWN ALONG HWY 24 ABOUT 1 MILE WEST OF LIBERTY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
16:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGCentrevilleWilkinson, MSLARGE TREE ON HOME IN CENTREVILLE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
16:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGMccombPike, MSMULTIPLE TREES DOWN AROUND MCCOMB.
16:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGMccombPike, MSPOWERLINE ON CAR ON I-55.
16:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGMccombPike, MSTREE DOWN NEAR EXIT 17 ON I-55 SOUTH OF MCCOMB.
16:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGMccombPike, MSTREE ON HOUSE ON NORTHEAST SIDE OF MCCOMB.
16:30 UTCTORNADO1 Wnw MccombPike, MSA TORNADO DEVELOPED ALONG DELAWARE AVENUE NEAR SEMINOLE DRIVE. IT SNAPPED AND UPROOTED NUMEROUS TREES AS IT TRACKED EASTWARD FOR ABOUT 1 MILE, LIFTING BY AROUND I-55.

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

This ground now

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

The other tornadoes of May 9, 2019

6 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 98:41 AM CDTEF1Hinds, MS3.5550$50,000
May 910:55 AM CDTEF1Amite, MS5.575
May 911:21 AM CDTEF1Pike, MS3.4150
May 912:46 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, AL to TN2.675
May 91:30 PM CDTEF1Marshall, AL0.525
May 91:55 PM CDTEF1DeKalb, AL0.625

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.