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ALZ051>060-261>266-FLZ201>206-MSZ067-075-076-078-079-010845-

Public Information Statement...UPDATED
National Weather Service Mobile AL
239 PM CST Tue Dec 31 2024

...NWS Damage Survey for 12/27/24 through 12/28/24 Tornado Event 
Update 2...

.Update... The start point for the Whilster tornado has been
adjusted to the west to account for the tornado initially touching
down in Jones Co. The start and end times for the Summerdale
tornado has been corrected.

.Overview...A multi day severe weather episode occurred across
southeast Mississippi into southwest and south-central Alabama 
and the Florida Panhandle the afternoon of December 27 and again 
December 28 into the early morning hours of December 29. Multiple
tornadoes and areas of damage were reported and the storm survey 
process is now underway. The next three tornadoes that we were
able 
to complete surveys for are listed below. Additional storm
surveys 
are planned in the coming days.

..Whistler Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  11.94 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   330 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             12/27/2024
Start Time:             03:03 PM CST
Start Location:         4 NW Strengthford / Wayne County / MS
Start Lat/Lon:          31.6573 / -88.943

End Date:               12/27/2024
End Time:               03:22 PM CST
End Location:           4 W West King / Wayne County / MS
End Lat/Lon:            31.7505 / -88.7653

Survey Summary:
The tornado began just west of the Jones/Wayne County line and 
moved to the northeast with sporadic tree damage along 
Strengthford Myrick Road and Maxcey Drive. The tornado began to 
intensify as it approached a farm on Sellers Cooley Drive. Several
metal farm buildings were heavily damaged. A few cattle were 
picked up and tossed during the tornado. Several large trees were 
snapped or uprooted across the farm. The tornado continued to move
to the northeast across inaccessible and heavily forested areas. 
The EF- 1 tornado crossed Highway 84 and lifted the roof of a 
house on the north side of the road. The wind likely got under the
roof overhanging the carport area and caused the uplift of a 
significant chunk of the roof over the rest of the house. Another 
house on Oscar Bell Road also had an uplift of the roof. The 
tornado continued off to the northeast and trekked over heavily 
forested areas. A convergent pattern in the tree damage was noted 
further to the northeast as the tornado moved across Beat 4 
Shubuta Road. Very sporadic damage was noted off to the northeast 
toward Gatlin Road. Future adjustments to the track are expected 
given that some of the track was inaccessible due to densely 
forested areas.

.Buckatunna Tornado...

Rating:                 EF2
Estimated Peak Wind:    115 mph
Path Length /statute/:  4.38 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   500 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               4

Start Date:             12/28/2024
Start Time:             09:33 PM CST
Start Location:         1 NW Chicora / Wayne County / MS
Start Lat/Lon:          31.5803 / -88.5904

End Date:               12/28/2024
End Time:               09:39 PM CST
End Location:           3 S Denham / Wayne County / MS
End Lat/Lon:            31.6076 / -88.5234

Survey Summary:
The tornado began just west of Chicora River Road near the
Chicora community and quickly moved across the K-M Nursery.
Several greenhouses at the nursery were damaged with several
trees uprooted or snapped all around the nursery, producing EF-
1 damage. The tornado moved east-northeast across the
Chickasawhay River and over another 1-1.5 miles of inaccessible
land. The tornado began to intensify as it approached Old
45 Winchester Road with numerous pine trees snapped low. The
worst damage was noted along Taylor Circle as the tornado
intensified to EF-2 strength. A new, manufactured home was
completely rolled off its cinder blocks and pushed toward the
road and a nearby house. There were 4 injuries in the
manufactured home. The home across the street sustained roof
damage with blown-out windows. Several cars were destroyed by
falling trees or debris. A significant corridor of damage was
noted on the north side of Taylor Circle as nearly every large
tree was snapped with more damage to roofs. The tornado continued
off to the northeast, producing a significant corridor of tree
damage based on drone imagery from MEMA. The tornado crossed
Highway 45 before damaging a church and a few long chicken
houses. The metal roof was peeled off most of the chicken houses
with one chicken house partially destroyed. More tree damage and
roof damage occurred along both Buckatunna Mount Zion and Cane
Mill Roads. Very sporadic damage was noted along Denham
Buckatunna Creek Road. The tornado may have extended to the
northeast beyond the tree line, however, the area was
inaccessible due to Buckatunna Creek. Future adjustments to the
track are possible given that some of the track was inaccessible
due to rivers and densely forested areas.

.Summerdale Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    95 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.38 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   50 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             12/29/2024
Start Time:             12:47 AM CST
Start Location:         1 NNE Summerdale / Baldwin County / AL
Start Lat/Lon:          30.5001 / -87.6923

End Date:               12/29/2024
End Time:               12:50 AM CST
End Location:           3 NE Summerdale / Baldwin County / AL
End Lat/Lon:            30.5097 / -87.6558

Survey Summary:
A tornado first touched down in a field approximately 100 yards
to the west of a home to the southwest of the intersection of N E
7th Street and E Greenwood Road in Summerdale. The tornado
destroyed a shed roof structure then struck the single family
brick home. Significant damage to the roof was observed with
destruction of a roof gable on both the front and rear of the
home and the roof decking was lifted and removed from the roof
framing resulting in large holes in a large portion of the roof.
A rear roofed screened patio was completely destroyed and a front
porch was heavily damaged. Large branches of two oak trees were
broken and deposited into the yard. There was also a large
section of fencing that was downed at this house and a
neighboring yard just to the south. The tornado was rated an EF-
1 at this location with winds of 95 mph. The tornado only briefly
touched down and was very intermittent along the entire 2.25 mile
track. EF-0 tornado damage occurred at the Graystone RV Park at
the intersection of E Greenwood Road and the Baldwin Beach
Express and to the northeast of the Baldwin Beach Express at a
mobile home community along County Road 38 S. A recreational
vehicle was blown over onto a pickup truck damaging both the RV
and a nearby pickup truck. A few additional recreation vehicles
were also shifted slightly from their resting locations. There
was minor tree damage at this location as well. The tornado
produced 70 to 75 mph winds at this location. To the northeast at
the mobile home community several mobile homes had damage to the
skirting along the bottom of the mobile homes. In addition, loose
objects to include patio furniture and children's toys were
thrown about. The tornado produced winds to 65 mph at the mobile
home community. The tornado again lifted and then again touchdown
to the northeast and struck a metal outbuilding removing large
portions of the metal roofing and bending and twisting the
roofing and side support beams. A large section of the metal roof
was also launched 75 yards over a nearby home and landed in the
front yard. A small tractor combine was also overturned. The
tornado had intensified at this location and was rated as an EF-
1 with winds estimated at 95 mph. The tornado lifted and rapidly
dissipated in an open field just beyond the damaged metal
outbuilding. 

&&

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

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

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




$$