Noxubee County, MS EF3 Tornado – January 1, 2011

SPC Stats

Path length: 9.63 miles

Width: 1330 yards

Fatalities: 0

Injuries: 1

Rating: EF3

County: Noxubee

Tornado Path

SPC coordinates: Start: 33.0609 / -88.464 End: 33.1484 / -88.3345

Corrected coordinates Based on NWS Jackson damage survey:

Start: 33.059044 / -88.460832 End: 33.141492 / -88.346521

Summary

2011 was one of the most active tornado years on record and it started off with seven twisters that traveled through portions of Mississippi. One of the strongest, was given an EF3 rating. It tracked close to nine miles through Noxubee County. Many thanks to the National Weather Service in Jackson, MS for providing us with additional map data and images!

This event began 2.4 miles to the south-southwest of McLeod. Damage at the beginning of the path was mainly to hard and softwood trees along E. Spann Road.

The tornado moved north-northeast heading toward Paulette Road. Along this stretch of highway, it caused tremendous damage to a dairy farm. A barn, milkhouse, a silo and a mobile home were all destroyed. Large trees were uprooted and several power poles were snapped. A horse trailer was tossed about 100 yards. Debris was found about one mile to the northeast.

The twister jogged a bit more northeasterly and destroyed a metal farm building and an office off Stan Tabor Road. An 18-wheeler was pushed approximately 25 yards.

The tornado continued its trek to the northeast, crossing Highway 14. It was in this area that the greatest concentration of damage occurred. Numerous trees and power poles were downed. At one property, the second story of a home was destroyed, along with a metal barn and smaller shed. A tree at this location was completely debarked.

Approximately a third of a mile to the northeast, shingles were torn off the roof of a home and the windows were blown out. A guesthouse on the property was destroyed. Metal buildings at a pig farm nearby were demolished.

A before and after view of the hog farm. Google Earth/USGS before and after NAIP imagery taken September 29, 2010, and June 23, 2012.

The tornado tracked for the next 1.8 miles across open fields and then struck a farm off Greenbriar Road. A wood-constructed barn was destroyed. Pieces of the barn were tossed approximately a half-mile. The home only had some roof damage. The tornado traveled another 3.5 miles and no structures were in its way. The last observed damage was to a few trees off Koehn Road.