EF1 tornado in Amite County, Mississippi

The damage path of an EF-1 tornado with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and max width of 200 yards was identified via high resolution satellite imagery in northwest Amite County, north of Gloster, MS. This tornado caused damage and displacement to several trees including a swath west of Hwy 33 concurrent with an EF-1. Additional tree damage was identified along Hwy 33 near Homochitto Rd. This was corroborated by EM report of tree damage north of Gloster which also was collocated with a strong area of rotation on KHDC radar.

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.