Grenada County, MS F2 Tornado – February 4, 1971

This tornado was 1 of 8 that occurred on February 4, 1971.  It was given a rating of F2 and tragically 7 members of one family were killed when their mobile home was hit. 

The tornado developed 2 miles SE of Gore Springs, MS.  Per the survey, it lifted after 1 mile and then “touched down” again near Highway 8 about 15 miles East of Grenada.  The main damage was to this trailer.  The other damage was to timber.  

Per a newspaper article in the Hattiesburg American from February 5, 1971, the wife and 3 children of Christopher Hankins, a Grenada policeman were killed. Officer Hankins was returning home from duty when the trailer was hit. The three other victims were his sister, niece and mother-in-law. His wife Mary Helen had returned from the hospital a day before the tornado with a new baby. He was one of the victims.

Per the article, “wreckage of the trailer was scattered as far away as one mile, authorities said, and one body was found three-fourths of a mile from the trailer site.”