EF2 tornado in Sharkey County, Mississippi

This strong tornado touched down just north of Highway 16 and tracked northeast for nearly 7 miles through the Delta National Forest. Timber damage was significant as a few thousand trees were snapped and uprooted. At the end of the track, a hunting camp sustained minor damage. Maximum winds were estimated at 120 mph.

A strong upper level system and evolving surface low moved across the region late on March 3rd. These features combined to bring a potent weather system to the area and a healthy round of severe thunderstorms from late afternoon through around midnight. It was a line of thunderstorms which brought most of the severe weather, but a few supercells did occur just ahead of the line. Ten tornadoes occurred, two of which were strong (EF-2), along with a good deal of wind damage as the line pushed east across Mississippi.