NWS Jackson, MS April 6-7, 2003 Severe Weather

Public Information Statement

NOUS44 KJAN 080129 PNSJAN PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS

615 PM CST MON APR 7 2003

...SUMMARY OF STORM DAMAGE SURVEYS CONDUCTED TODAY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAMS WERE DISPATCHED TO SURVEY DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED ON SUNDAY IN WARREN...ISSAQUENA... HINDS...LAWRENCE...AND LINCOLN COUNTIES.

...WARREN/ISSAQUENA COUNTIES...
A SHORT TORNADO TRACK WAS FOUND IN EXTREME SOUTHERN ISSAQUENA AND EXTREME NORTHERN WARREN COUNTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM THAT MOVED ACROSS THIS AREA DURING THE MIDDAY HOURS SUNDAY. THE DAMAGE WAS ALONG HIGHWAY 465 ABOUT 6 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF REDWOOD. THE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO DOWNED TREES..AND WAS RATED AS F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE REMAINDER OF THE DAMAGE IN NORTHERN WARREN COUNTY...INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...TREES AND POWERLINES FROM REDWOOD... TO OAK RIDGE...WAS FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY STRAIGHTLINE WIND DAMAGE. WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 80 MPH.

...HINDS COUNTY...
A SHORT TORNADO TRACK WAS FOUND IN EXTREME NORTHERN HINDS COUNTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM THAT MOVED ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY EVENING. NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED AND A NUMBER OF HOMES SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE. THE TORNADO STARTED ABOUT 4 MILES WEST OF TOUGALOO...AND MOVED TO NEAR TOUGALOO. THE DAMAGE WITH THIS TORNADO WAS RATED AS F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. A PATH OF SIGNIFICANT STRAIGHTLINE WIND DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH WINDS OF 70 TO 80 MPH ALSO OCCURRED JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THIS TORNADO TRACK.

...LINCOLN COUNTY...
A 10 MILE LONG...THREE-QUARTER MILE WIDE TORNADO PATH WAS FOUND IN NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY. THE TORNADO STARTED 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CASEYVILLE AT ABOUT 737 PM...AND ENDED 3 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF WESSON AT ABOUT 747 PM. NUMEROUS HOMES SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE FROM FALLEN TREES...AND SEVERAL HOMES DID HAVE MAJOR DAMAGE. SIX PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR MINOR INJURIES...AND HAVE BEEN RELEASED. THE DAMAGE FROM THIS TORNADO WAS RATED AS F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. THE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH WAS SURROUNDED BY A THREE MILE WIDE STRAIGHT LINE MACROBURST DAMAGE PATH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED IN THIS AREA.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS IN THE AFFECTED COUNTIES...AND THE MISSISSIPPI FORESTRY COMMISSION...FOR THE INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE THEY PROVIDED IN CONDUCTING THESE SURVEYS. ADDITIONAL STORM DAMAGE SURVEYS WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.