EF2 Tornado — Coahoma, Mississippi

2013-12-21 · near Rena Lara, Coahoma, Mississippi

Event narrative

A tornado touched down in Rena Lara and tracked northeast. There was major damage to a mobile home where the fatality occurred. Two large garage sheds were completely destroyed. Two football light poles were bent and destroyed at the Cohoma County High School. There was roof and window damage to the elementary school on Bobo-Sharard Road. Several homes had minor roof damage and four homes had significant roof damage on County Road 332. Several trees were uprooted or snapped off along the path of the tornado. The tornado lifted just west of Clarksdale. The peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.

Wider weather episode

A potent upper level disturbance moved out of the East Texas while a surface low pressure system tracked from Arkansas along a stalled front. Moist and unstable air moved into the Mid-South in advance of the stalled front and the developing low pressure system. As a result a line of showers and thunderstorms moved across North Mississippi during the evening hours of December 21st. Many storms were severe with reports of damaging winds and a few tornadoes.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.1490, -90.7670)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 484469. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.