EF0 tornado in Wilkinson County, Mississippi

The damage path of an EF-0 tornado with estimated peak winds near 85 mph and max width was identified on high resolution satellite imagery in northeast Wilkinson County, just south of Perrytown, MS. Evident damage and displacement to trees were identified near Turkey Creek Rd which extended to the east-southeast through to Tom Crum Rd which was closely collocated to a strong area of rotation on KHDC. The majority of this damage path was inaccessible to ground survey and thus is rated via identifiable damage via satellite.

Environmental conditions favorable for a QLCS (Quasi-Linear Convective System) tornado event developed across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi during the afternoon and evening hours of March 11th. An upper-level storm system moving east from Texas overspread a very moist and increasingly unstable air mass in place across the region. At the same time, intense low-level wind shear and strong atmospheric spin developed as southerly winds strengthened ahead of an approaching line of storms with bowing segments.

The combination of rich Gulf moisture, strong low-level atmospheric spin, and a fast-moving line of thunderstorms created an environment supportive of embedded rotating circulations along the leading edge of the QLCS. As that line moved west to east across the local area, several rapidly developing tornadoes formed within these circulations. A total of 6 tornadoes were confirmed across southwest Mississippi and multiple reports of damaging straight-line winds were also received.