TornadoLookup

Home / Mississippi / Perry

EF2 tornado in Perry County, Mississippi

Tornado April 17, 2022 · Perry County, Mississippi

EF2
Rating
1.7 mi
Path length
275 yd
Path width
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 275 yards (0.16 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A bowing segment of storms produced a tornado beginning along

Highway 198 near Isabelle Loop just northwest of downtown

Beaumont. The tornado traveled along the tracks of the Canadian

National Railroad, uprooting a tree which fell onto a manufactured

home in its wake. By this time, the tornado had strengthened to

an EF-2 and entered a lumber mill and caused extensive damage to

two large metal buildings. One of the buildings collapsed on

itself, likely due to it being only partially enclosed. Nearby

power poles were damaged, with one snapped clean at its base.

Damage was rated near expected bounds given the age and

construction of the metal buildings which lined up to the snapped

utility pole. The tornado quickly weakened somewhat (to an EF-1),

and continued southeast along the railroad tracks due to the

motion of the parent bowing segment. As it moved along, it caused

a decent amount of tree destruction to numerous hardwood and

softwood trees. As the tornado crossed Bolton Avenue and MS-15, it

restrengthened briefly into an EF-2 and snapped many hardwoods

and softwoods as well as uprooting several trees. It also damaged

the roof of a nearby small home and the roof of a church. A shed

or carport on the church property was also destroyed. More trees

were damaged as the tornado continued to move southeast and also

destroyed a large shed/unattached garage. The tornado then moved

east, parallel to 1st Street, where it likely lifted and

dissipated; however, the survey team was not able to access this

area as the street was closed due to down power poles and

continued tree damage.

The wider storm

A very moist and unstable environment developed ahead of an approaching cold front. As this front entered the area during the evening hours, it triggered severe thunderstorms that produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds.

Began near Beaumont (31.1805, -88.9366).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

2 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1020741. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.