National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Banner

Smith/Jasper/Newton County Tornado

Event Summary

The tornado initially touched down 2 miles southeast of Mize and moved northeast through the Sylvarena community. The tornado then moved into Jasper County at 12:44 am 2 miles north of the Ted community. It continued across the northwest corner of Jasper County through Bienville National Forest and crossed into Newton County four miles northwest of Baxter at 1:03 am. The tornado lifted on the southern city limits of Newton at 1:14 am.

This was an extremely large and intense tornado that fortunately moved through mainly uninhabited areas. In Smith County, 15 people were injured within Sylvarena. Over 90 homes were destroyed and 1 large church was demolished. Within Jasper County, 3 houses and 4 mobile homes were destroyed and 21 houses and 2 mobile homes were damaged. In Newton County, 6 homes were damaged, 1 mobile home was destroyed, and 1 commercial building was destroyed. Timber loss was well into the millions of dollars, mainly through the Bienville National Forest.

Rating: F4
Estimated Maximum Wind: NA
Casualties: Deaths: 0 | Injuries: 20
Damage Path Length: 40 miles
Maximum Path Width: 1 mile
Approximate Start Point/Time: 2 SE Mize
12:14 am
Approximate End Point/Time: Newton
1:14 am