EF1 Tornado — Wilkinson, Mississippi

2024-12-28 · near Lessley, Wilkinson, Mississippi

Event narrative

An EF-1 tornado embedded in a line of severe thunderstorms snapped branches on several pine trees as it crossed MS Hwy 24. Additional analysis from high resolution satellite imagery helped to identify the start point of this tornado east of Raccoon Road. The sporadic damage path of this tornado was tracked east-southeast and the tornado was estimated to have continued across US Hwy 61 northeast of Woodville where it snapped the tops of several pine trees. Additional analysis from high resolution satellite imagery helped to identify a few patches of heavier damage to trees near Brown Creek and west of Koonsville Road in inaccessible areas to ground survey teams. This damage coincided well with an evident tornado debris signature on V018 Climavision radar in West Feliciana Parish.

Wider weather episode

On December 28, 2024, a potent storm system traversed the southeastern United States, significantly impacting southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and adjacent coastal waters. The Storm Prediction Center had issued a moderate risk (level 4 out of 5) for severe weather in these areas, anticipating the development of supercell and QLCS thunderstorms capable of producing strong tornadoes and damaging wind gusts. Meteorologically, a pronounced shortwave trough advanced eastward, interacting with a moist and unstable air mass characterized by surface dew points in the upper 60s to lower 70s Fahrenheit. This setup resulted in high convective available potential energy (CAPE) values between 1500 and 2000 J/kg and substantial low-level wind shear, fostering an environment conducive to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Throughout the day and into the evening, multiple tornadoes were reported across the region, leading to significant structural damage, particularly in parts of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. In addition to tornadoes, these storms produced straight-line winds exceeding 70 mph, causing widespread power outages and hazardous conditions on both land and coastal waters. The severe weather threat persisted into the night as the storm system continued its eastward progression.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (31.1400, -91.4200)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1228619. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.