EF2 tornado in Bolivar County, Mississippi

A long track tornado touched down along Highway 65 in Chicot County, Arkansas, where numerous power poles were snapped and two eighteen wheelers flipped over causing 2 minor injuries. Damage occurred to several homes and farm buildings and heavy roof damage occurred to the Yellow Bend Port facility. This tornado was initially in Chicot County, moved into Desha County, and then moved back into Chicot County. The tornado then crossed the Mississippi River into Bolivar County, Mississippi. The tornado was rated EF-1 in Chicot County and was given an overall rating of EF-2 due to damage in Mississippi.

In Bolivar County, Mississippi, numerous power poles were snapped. A well built tractor shed was destroyed and several farm buildings were damaged. This tornado remained in Bolivar County after it crossed into Mississippi. It did not cross back into Desha County, Arkansas a second time. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 115 MPH with a total path length of 41 miles in Chicot, Desha, and Bolivar counties.

A squall line took shape across west-central Louisiana early to mid afternoon on the 21st. The squall line gradually moved to the east with some strong storms and embedded supercells developing in the ArkLaMiss Delta. The supercells produced a tornado in the far northwestern portions of the ArkLaMiss Delta. The tornado began in Chicot County, southeast of Dermott, and tracked through Chicot and Desha counties in Arkansas, before dissipating in Bolivar County Mississippi northwest of Cleveland. As the squall line progressed east through the late afternoon and evening multiple trees and power lines were downed across Mississippi. A 64 mph wind gust was recorded at the Cleveland Municipal Airport. The line of storms weakened later in the evening and finally moved out of the region in the early morning hours of December 22nd.

In addition to the damage from the line of storms, strong gradient winds ahead of the storms caused trees and power lines to fall in Adams, Clarke and Jones counties. Winds speeds between 45 and 50 mph were measured ahead of the line of the storms at the Greenville, Greenwood and Meridian airports.