National Weather Service Raw Text Product

389 
NOUS44 KJAN 210125
PNSJAN
ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
211330-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
825 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2020

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 4/19/20 TORNADO EVENT... 

.HURRICANE CREEK/PINE BURR/PURVIS/CAMP SHELBY TORNADO...

Rating:                 EF4
Estimated Peak Wind:    170 mph
Path Length /statute/:  54.2 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   1.25 miles
Fatalities:             1 
Injuries:               1

Start Date:             4/19/2020
Start Time:             7:10 PM CDT
Start Location:         1 E Dexter / Walthall County / MS
Start Lat/Lon:          31.0716 / -89.9644

End Date:               4/19/2020
End Time:               8:19 PM CDT
End Location:           3 NW New Augusta / Perry County / MS
End Lat/Lon:            31.2338 / -89.0792

Summary: This violent tornado began over southeastern Walthall
County in a field just west of Reagan Road and moved east
northeastward along MS Highway 48, producing significant tree
damage and minor damage to a few homes. It crossed into Marion
County near the intersection of MS Highway 48 and Mt Bethel Road.
The tornado then began to move more northeastward as it moved
into southwestern Marion County, uprooting and snapping several
softwood trees, causing minor roof damage to a home, and
destroying an outdoor small shed along New Hope Road. It also
snapped several trees and peeled the tin roof of a barn along A
Pittman, Marks and Davis Roads. The tornado intensified
relatively quickly once it moved northeast, snapping the majority
of trees close to the ground in a wooded area east of New Hope
Road. The basis for the low-end EF4 rating was a home on Johnson
Road that was completely destroyed with its debris pushed to a
corner of the foundation leaving residual vinyl flooring and a
few of its anchor bolts bent. Furthermore, across the street from
the aforementioned home, in a field a few of the snapped trees
sustained patchy debarking. A higher rating was not assigned
because the contents of the home were not spread a significant
distance from the foundation and debris remained over a part of
the slab. Nonetheless, significant damage to the home and nearby
trees occurred. In addition, multiple wooden power poles were
snapped, several other homes had significant roof damage and
multiple mobile homes were completely destroyed, resulting in one
fatality. Continual uprooting and snapping of trees was observed
at Hurricane Creek Road, in addition to minor roof damage to a
shed and a one-story home. When the tornado crossed Hurricane
Creek Church Road, it caused significant roof damage to the
Hurricane Creek Baptist Church and the nearby pastor s home.
Behind the pastor s home was a large 40-foot shed that sat
partially on cinder blocks and partially on a slab that was
bolted down. This shed was completely destroyed as it was blown a
few feet away. Several headstones in a cemetery were knocked over
at this location as well. Additional roof damage to multiple
homes and the uprooting and snapping of numerous trees along
Hurricane Creek Road to the intersection of MS Highway 35. When
the tornado reached MS Highway 35, it snapped multiple wooden
power-poles and continued snapping trees. It continued east-
northeast to Old MS Highway 35 causing numerous snapping of
hardwood trees and the removal of a portion of a one-story home
roof. The tornado continued moving east-northeast across the
Pearl River bottom, when it reached MS Highway 43, multiple
wooden power-poles were snapped, some minor roof damage occurred
to some one-story homes and hardwood trees were snapped. Just
east of MS Highway 43 along Joe Magee Road, a brick home
sustained significant damage as the roof was completely destroyed
and a few exterior walls were collapsed. A swath of snapped
softwood trees was noted along Abrams Road thus producing
EF2 damage.

Once the tornado reached MS Highway 13 and surrounding streets 
such as Pine Burr Road and Firetower Road near the Marion and 
Lamar county borders, a slight decline in strength was noted, 
though its path remained wide. Although, it was still snapping 
large tree limbs and snapping and uprooting some softwood trees, 
several of which fell onto wooden power poles and caused them to 
fall. The tornado maintained its east northeastward track, 
knocking thousands of trees down along with numerous power lines 
and poles down across the western portions of Lamar County. This 
tree damage was consistent with high end EF1 winds peaking between
100-110 mph. Around a dozen homes were damaged starting from 
Luther Saucier Rd to Purvis to Columbia Road, including one old 
mobile home that was completely destroyed. As the tornado 
continued to track east northeastward to the north of Purvis. It 
crossed Purvis Oloh Road, MS Highway 589 along with US 11. 
Hundreds of trees were damaged along with many power lines down. 
Some minor damage occurred to some homes. The tornado was slightly
weaker here with winds between 90- 100mph. The tornado crossed 
I-59 into Forrest County along Ford and Elks Lodge Road in the 
Dixie community. Hundreds of trees were damaged along with many 
power lines down. Sheds and several homes had minor damage and one
mobile home had the roof blown off. The tornado then crossed US 
49 a couple miles north of Southgate Road. The tornado proceeded 
into Camp Shelby. At Camp Shelby, there were widespread snapped 
and uprooted trees. Multiple structures across the north half, in 
and around Lee Avenue to Glenn Walker Lake, had varying degrees of
minor to moderate roof damage from the tornado or fallen trees. 
The park and camper area on the north end of the lake was 
impacted. One person was injured here as a large tree fell on a 
truck. The tornado then crossed over US 98 just west of the Perry 
County line. It continued into Perry County along the Leaf River
bottom, snapping and uprooting trees. It continued to track just
south of Old River Road before dissipating along Old River Road 3
miles northwest of New Augusta.


EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into
the following categories.

EF0...Weak......65 TO 85 mph
EF1...Weak......86 TO 110 mph
EF2...Strong....111 TO 135 mph
EF3...Strong....136 TO 165 mph
EF4...Violent...166 TO 200mph
EF5...Violent...>200mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in
NWS Storm Data. 

$$

CE/FB/JE/TW/DL