EF0 tornado in Clarke County, Mississippi

The tornado started along County Road 658 and traveled northeast. It crossed Pine Ridge Road and ended about one quarter mile into the woods. The skirting of a mobile home was blown out along with a few large pine branches and large tree tops were broken off. The estimated wind speed was 75mph.

During the afternoon of Dec 23, just enough ingredients came together to support numerous severe storms ahead of a cold front. Across the Lower Mississippi River Valley, peak heating contributed to decent instability in the developing warm sector in advance of the front. Sufficient low level wind shear and strong winds aloft were also in place as a decent upper low was located to our north. This helped to support organized thunderstorm activity along with quite a few supercell storms.

A long lived, persistent, storm tracked across the southeastern counties (near Columbia, Mississippi to Sumrall and Laurel to Heidelberg, Mississippi line) and produced multiple tornadoes. Widespread damage occurred in southern Columbia and near Laurel. Additional damage occurred across Marion, Jones and Clarke counties. Sadly, five confirmed fatalities occurred, with three near Columbia in Marion County and two near Laurel in Jones County. Severe storms moved out of the region by late afternoon to early Tuesday evening. The front continued to track through the area through the evening of December 23.