EF4 Tornado — Tippah, Mississippi

2015-12-23 · near Tiplersville, Tippah, Mississippi

Event narrative

The tornado crossed from Benton County Mississippi into Tippah County. The tornado moved across far northwestern Tippah County damaging several homes in the Three Forks Community. One fatality occurred in Tippah County. Over 100 houses were affected and about 45 homes were destroyed. The tornado then crossed the Tennessee state line into Hardeman County.

Wider weather episode

Strong surface low pressure tracked from the Plains into the Mississippi River Valley while a strong cold front pushed into the Mid-South on December 23, 2015. A very moist and unstable airmass moved into the area as a warm front lifted north through the region during the early morning hours. A potent upper level disturbance help to trigger thunderstorms along and in advance of the approaching cold front. The necessary ingredients were in place for storm to rapidly intensify. Three tornadoes touched down across North Mississippi including an EF-4 that caused severe damage.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9428, -89.0174)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 610237. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.