NWS Jackson Report on the Yazoo City Tornado

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-4
Estimated Maximum Wind:	170 mph
Casualties:	10 Total Fatalities with Dozens of Injuries
Damage Path Length:	149 miles
Maximum Path Width:	1.75 miles
Approximate Start Point/Time:	5 miles W of Tallulah, LA 32.408N, 91.283W
Approximate End Point/Time:	5.5 miles N of Sturgis, MS 33.430N, 89.054W

Preliminary ground surveys along the entire path of the primary supercell thunderstorm that tracked from west of Tallulah, Louisiana to Yazoo City to northeast of West Point on Saturday April 24 have been completed. The preliminary conclusion, based on the ground surveys, is that a single, continuous path of tornadic damage was produced from west of Tallulah Louisiana to the extreme western part of Oktibbeha county in northeast Mississippi. The tornado appeared to dissipate at this point but the storm produced two additional tornadoes in the NWS Jackson service area: an EF-1 in northern Oktibbeha County and an EF-2 in northeast Clay County.

The main long track tornado was strong almost from its initial stage of development in northeast Louisiana. EF-2 and EF-3 damage was common all along the tornado’s path into central Mississippi with areas of EF-4 damage observed in both Yazoo and Holmes counties. After crossing Interstate 55, the tornado weakened with EF-1 and occasional EF-2 damage being commom as the tornado moved across Attala County. The tornado reintensified as it moved into Choctaw County, with at least high end EF-3 damage occurring northwest of the Weir community. The tornado remained strong before rapidly weakening and then dissipating just after moving into Oktibbeha County.

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