EF0 Tornado — Hancock, Mississippi

2021-08-29 · near Claiborne, Hancock, Mississippi

Event narrative

A waterspout over Heron Bay moved inland across Hancock County Marsh Coastal Preserve. Numerous road signs and posts were blown over in the Magnolia Ridge area. The tornado tracked northwest across eastern and northern Pearlington. Numerous trees were uprooted and large branches snapped on Dean Road, Whipple Road, Russ Street and Napoleon-Westonia Road. Roof damage to multiple Roof homes on Dean Road was noted. Survey conducted remotely via high-res aerial photography. The true beginning and ending points of the track are unknown without the ability to perform a ground or aerial survey in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Estimated peak winds of 75 mph.

Wider weather episode

The ninth named storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Ida originated from a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea on August 23rd. On August 26th, the wave developed into a tropical depression, which organized further and became Tropical Storm Ida later that day, near Grand Cayman. On a northwestward track, Ida intensified into a hurricane on August 27, just before moving over western Cuba. A day later, the hurricane underwent rapid intensification over the Gulf of Mexico as it passed over a warm core eddy and reached major hurricane strength. It was just under 72 hours from tropical depression formation to category 4 strength with 150 mph winds. Ida remained at its peak intensity of 150 mph winds and a minimum central pressure of 929 millibars as it made landfall near Port Fourchon midday on August 29th. It didn't weaken to a tropical storm until it reached near the Louisiana/Mississippi border.

Ida produced over a dozen tornadoes and light to moderate wind damage across southwestern and coastal Mississippi. Around 100,000 residents were without power. Around 100 homes were damaged, 6 destroyed. Storm surge inundation ranged from a few feet in Jackson County to 7 feet in Harrison County. Hurricane Ida caused approximately $10 million worth of damage.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (30.2061, -89.5074)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 979260. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.