Tornadoes · United States · Mississippi · 2020

EF0 tornado, Jackson County, Mississippi, April 19, 2020

This EF0 tornado ran 2.0 miles across Jackson County on April 19, 2020, touching down at 10:53 PM CDT and reaching 150 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
April 19, 2020
Touchdown
10:53 PM CDT (03:53 UTC)
Lifted
10:56 PM CDT (03:56 UTC)
On the ground
3 minutes
Path length
2.0 miles (3.2 km)
Path width
150 yards (137 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Jackson County
Touchdown point
30.650, -88.520
Lift-off point
30.626, -88.501
Record number
2004192153-01

The damage survey

34 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LIX and NWS MOB, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 100 mph.

  • Screened in porch detached and flew over house and street.
  • Patchy tree damage on high resolution satellite imagery.
  • Patchy tree damage on high resolution satellite imagery collocated with likely TDS.
  • Patchy tree damage on high resolution satellite imagery. Likely TDS on KMOB radar 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.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 02:41 UTC and running to 05:50 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
17:00 UTC04:00 UTCWind AdvisoryLIX
23:56 UTC02:41 UTCTornado WatchLIX
02:41 UTC05:50 UTCTornado WatchLIX
03:38 UTC04:32 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIX

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 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 01:01 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.

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), 00:00Z

3.9 hours before the tornado, 122 km from the path. April 20, 2020.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2020-04-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2097 joules per kilogram, CIN -13, lifted condensation level 819 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2020-04-20The 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 202 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 65 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
2097 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2649 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
819 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
202 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
227 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.5
Supercell composite
9.5
0-3 km lapse rate
6.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), 12:00Z

8.1 hours after it, 122 km from the path. April 20, 2020.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2020-04-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -90188, lifted condensation level 1340 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2020-04-20The 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 -138 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 61 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-90188 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1340 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-138 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-96 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
2.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Pascagoula (PQL), 19 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
01:53 UTC7772210° 7 kt181003.7
01:55 UTC210° 5 kt1003.7
02:00 UTC220° 9 kt181003.7
02:05 UTC210° 8 kt1004.1
02:10 UTC 1004.4
02:15 UTC220° 8 kt1004.4
02:20 UTC220° 8 kt1004.7
02:25 UTC230° 5 kt1004.7
02:30 UTC220° 8 kt1005.1
02:35 UTC230° 8 kt1004.7
02:40 UTC240° 5 kt1004.7
02:45 UTC230° 7 kt1004.4
02:50 UTC240° 5 kt1004.7
02:53 UTC7773230° 8 kt1004.4
02:55 UTC230° 5 kt1004.4
03:00 UTC230° 5 kt1004.4
03:05 UTC230° 5 kt1004.4
03:10 UTC 1003.7
03:15 UTC220° 4 kt1003.7
03:20 UTC240° 5 kt1004.1
03:21 UTC7773 5 kt1004.1
03:25 UTC230° 8 kt1004.1
03:30 UTC240° 9 kt1004.1
03:35 UTC230° 7 kt1004.1
03:40 UTC220° 8 kt1004.4
03:45 UTC210° 8 kt1004.4
03:50 UTC 1004.7
03:53 UTC7773 1004.4VCTS -RA
03:55 UTC240° 8 kt1004.4-RA
04:00 UTC240° 9 kt141005.1-RA BR
04:03 UTC7673240° 8 kt151005.1+TSRA BR
04:05 UTC250° 8 kt1005.1+RA BR
04:10 UTC280° 11 kt1006.4-RA BR
04:15 UTC7370340° 10 kt201007.1TSRA BR
04:19 UTC7066360° 13 kt201006.1+TSRA BR
04:20 UTC 15 kt1006.1+RA BR
04:23 UTC6865350° 10 kt201006.1+TSRA BR
04:25 UTC 18 kt221004.7+RA BR
04:30 UTC20° 13 kt1005.4+RA BR
04:32 UTC676510° 11 kt231005.4TSRA BR
04:35 UTC6765 5 kt1006.1TSRA BR
04:40 UTC60° 5 kt1005.4+RA BR
04:45 UTC60° 4 kt1005.8+RA BR
04:48 UTC66.264.4 4 kt1005.8+TSRA BR
04:50 UTC30° 5 kt1005.8+RA BR
04:53 UTC676430° 7 kt1005.4+TSRA BR
04:55 UTC40° 7 kt1005.1+RA BR
04:59 UTC676460° 5 kt1005.1+TSRA BR
05:00 UTC70° 4 kt1005.4RA BR
05:05 UTC60° 4 kt1005.4+RA BR
05:08 UTC676490° 3 kt1005.4+TSRA BR
05:10 UTC100° 5 kt1005.4+RA BR
05:15 UTC20° 4 kt1004.7+RA BR
05:18 UTC67640° 0 kt1005.1TSRA BR
05:20 UTC0° 0 kt1005.4-RA BR
05:21 UTC67650° 0 kt1005.4-TSRA BR
05:25 UTC350° 2 kt1004.7-RA
05:27 UTC66640° 0 kt1005.1VCTS -RA
05:30 UTC0° 0 kt1004.7-RA
05:35 UTC0° 0 kt1004.7
05:39 UTC66640° 0 kt1005.1VCTS
05:40 UTC0° 0 kt1005.1
05:45 UTC0° 0 kt1005.1
05:50 UTC0° 0 kt1005.1

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

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 03:54 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
03:52 UTCTSTM WND DMG6 Nnw VancleaveJackson, MSSEVERAL TREES DOWNED AROUND 2300 BILBO ROAD IN VANCLEAVE DUE TO STRAIGHLINE WINDS.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2020 tornado in MississippiEvery tornado in Mississippi since 1950Warnings in force in Mississippi nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 19, 2020

20 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 192:17 PM CDTEF1Grant Parish, LA2.0500
April 194:50 PM CDTEF1Vernon Parish, LA5.3500$300,000
April 197:09 PM CDTEF4Sandy Hook–Camp Shelby tornado, MS53.82,27511$700,000
April 199:50 PM CDTEF1Pearl River, MS4.475
April 1910:13 PM CDTEF1Saint Tammany Parish, LA3.0300
April 1910:28 PM CDTEF0Jackson, MS1.825
April 1910:47 PM CDTEF0Jackson, MS0.510
April 1910:49 PM CDTEF2Covington, AL1.2300
April 1910:55 PM CDTEF1Mobile, AL8.9100
April 1911:03 PM CDTEF0Coffee, AL4.450$50,000
April 1911:05 PM CDTEF1Mobile, AL1.375
April 1911:06 PM CDTEF1Mobile, AL3.275
April 1911:20 PM CDTEF1Dale, AL24.4150$200,000
April 1911:32 PM CDTEF0Geneva, AL1.8100
April 1911:40 PM CDTEF2Henry, AL5.23001
April 1911:42 PM CDTEF1Houston, AL0.750$50,000
April 1911:45 PM CDTEF1Henry, AL1.5500$250,000
April 1911:46 PM CDTEF1Baldwin, AL0.5300
April 1911:46 PM CDTEF1Henry, AL6.5100$5,000
April 1912:07 AM CDTEF0Santa Rosa, FL0.250

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.