PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED TO INCLUDE JONES CO TORNADO, CORRECT MADISON COUNTY STORM DATES.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
635 PM CST THU MAR 26 2009

...SUMMARY OF CONFIRMED TORNADOES FROM EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...

...EF3 TORNADO CONFIRMED FOR SIMPSON AND SMITH COUNTIES...

TIME OF EVENT: 137 AM THROUGH 157 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 9 MILES SW MAGEE
ENDING POINT: 8.5 MILES NE MAGEE
RATING: EF3 MAXIMUM WINDS 150 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 17.5 MILES...16 MILES IN SIMPSON COUNTY AND 1.5 MILES
IN SMITH COUNTY
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 500 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 25

SUMMARY OF DAMAGES:
60 HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. A LARGE WELL BUILT CHURCH WAS
DESTROYED. A WAREHOUSE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED AND A RADIO TOWER
WAS SNAPPED. NUMEROUS HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED AND
UPROOTED. THE HIGHEST WINDS OCCURRED AT THE CHURCH AND NEARBY HOUSES
AND TREES JUST SOUTHWEST OF MAGEE.

THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN JUST NORTH OF MOUNT ZION ROAD IN
SOUTHWEST SIMPSON COUNTY AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST THROUGH THE
NORTHWEST SIDE OF MAGEE AND THEN ACROSS THE SMITH COUNTY LINE BEFORE
LIFTING NEAR SOUTH COUNTY ROAD 503.

THE EF3 RATING WAS IN SIMPSON COUNTY WHILE THE HIGHEST RATED DAMAGE
IN SMITH COUNTY WAS EF1.

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN JASPER AND NEWTON COUNTIES...

TIME OF EVENT: 231 AM THROUGH 253 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 1 MILE ESE MONTROSE
ENDING POINT: 5 MILES S CHUNKY
RATING: EF1 MAXIMUM WINDS 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 17 MILES
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 500 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

SUMMARY OF DAMAGES:
NUMEROUS TREES UPROOTED AND SNAPPED. HEAVY DAMAGE TO 4 HOMES ALONG
COUNTY ROAD 2414. ONE HOME ON PILLARS WAS PUSHED OFF BLOCKS AND ROOF
WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. TWO LARGE TREES FELL THROUGH A MOBILE HOME. AN
OLD CHURCH BUILDING WAS DESTROYED. ANOTHER HOME WAS DAMAGED IN
NORTHERN JASPER COUNTY AND AN OLD SHED DAMAGED. THE TORNADO MOVED
INTO NEWTON COUNTY DOWNING MANY TREES ALONG PARKS MILL ROAD.

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN HINDS AND MADISON COUNTIES...

TIME OF EVENT: 12 AM THROUGH 1215 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 7.5 MILES NW CLINTON
ENDING POINT: 4.5 MILES W MADISON
RATING: EF1 MAXIMUM WINDS 105 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 12 MILES
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 500 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

SUMMARY OF DAMAGES:
HUNDREDS OF LARGE HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED
ALONG THE PATH.

...EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN MADISON COUNTY...

TIME OF EVENT: 1217 AM THROUGH 1222 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 4.25 MILES NW MADISON
ENDING POINT: 3.75 MILES N MADISON
RATING: EF1 MAXIMUM WINDS 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 4.5 MILES
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 250 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

NUMEROUS LARGE HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED
ALONG THE PATH. SEVERAL HOMES WITH MINOR TO MODERATE DAMAGE MOSTLY
TO ROOFS.

...EF0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN MADISON COUNTY...

TIME OF EVENT: 1220 AM THROUGH 1222 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 5 MILES NW MADISON
ENDING POINT: 5.5 MILES NW MADISON
RATING: EF0 MAXIMUM WINDS 85 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 1 MILE
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 125 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

SUMMARY OF DAMAGES:
SEVERAL SMALL PINES SNAPPED AND 1 LARGE OAK TREE
UPROOTED. MINOR SHINGLE DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOUSES.

......EF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN JONES COUNTY...

TIME OF EVENT: 243 AM THROUGH 256 AM 3/26/09
BEGINNING POINT: 6.1 MILES W SOSO
ENDING POINT: 3 MILES NE SOSO
RATING: EF2 MAXIMUM WINDS 125 MPH
PATH LENGTH: 9 MILE
MAXIMUM WIDTH: 500 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 1

SUMMARY OF DAMAGES:
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG MASON CREEK ROAD ABOUT 6 MILES WEST
OF SOSO. SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED AND SOME MINOR ROOF
DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A FEW HOMES. THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED AS IT
CROSSED SUMMERLAND ROAD. THIS IS WHERE THE TORNADO WIDENED TO 500
YARDS AND REACHED PEAK INTENSITY...ESPECIALLY WITHIN A NARROW
CORRIDOR WHICH LASTED THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE. ONE WELL CONSTRUCTED
HOME SUFFERED MAJOR DAMAGE WITH HALF OF THE ROOF TORN OFF AND OTHER
WALL SECTIONS OF THAT SIDE OF THE HOUSE RIPPED OUT AND THROWN INTO
THE BACKYARD. TWO WELL BUILT STORAGE BUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED WITH
THE CONTENTS THROWN INTO A FIELD. ADDITIONALLY, A WEAKLY BUILT BARN
WAS DESTROYED WITH TIN THROWN ALONG THE PATH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE
SNAPPED OR UPROOTED IN THIS AREA WITH SPLINTERED TREES WITHIN THE
MOST INTENSE CORE. ONE LARGE TREE IN THIS LOCATION WAS UPROOTED AND
THROWN AND ROLLED A SMALL DISTANCE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO TRACK
JUST EAST OF NORTH ACROSS SEVERAL MORE ROADS...INCLUDING HIGHWAY 28
AND 503...UPROOTING AND SNAPPING NUMEROUS TREES. ON THE EAST SIDE OF
HIGHWAY 28...A MOBILE HOME WAS PUSHED OFF OF ITS FOUNDATION AND THE
PERSON INSIDE WAS TRAPPED AND INJURED. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO
WEAKEN AS IT CROSSED HIGHWAY 503 AND DAMAGED MORE TREES AND CAUSED
MINOR DAMAGE TO SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES AND HEAVILY DAMAGED A COUPLE
SHEDS.