F4 tornado — Mississippi County, Arkansas

F4 tornado in Mississippi County, Arkansas

Tornado April 16, 1998 · Mississippi County, Arkansas

Rating

5.0 mi

Path length

400 yd

Path width

Deaths

Injuries

$350K

Damage as recorded

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The path drawn at its surveyed width of 400 yards (0.23 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F4 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F4 meant devastating damage: well-built houses levelled; the scale paired it with winds of 207–260 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The tornado began just west of Manila and tracked northeast. The tornado demolished or heavily damaged several homes including some mobile homes. Two children were killed in one of these mobile homes. The tornado continued northeast flattening a discount department store and an gas station/food mart. Three small factory and machine shop buildings as well as a furniture store were destroyed. Several other buildings were seriously damaged. The tornado reached the main residential section of Manila destroying several homes. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down.

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5642005. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

F4 tornado in Mississippi County, Arkansas

What the National Weather Service wrote

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

Tornadoes near your address