...PRELIMINARY EF-1 TORNADO IN NORTHERN UNION AND SOUTHERN TIPPAH COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI... PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM INDICATE THAT AN EF1 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED FROM 86 TO 110 MILES AN HOUR STRUCK EXTREME NORTHERN UNION AND SOUTHERN TIPPAH COUNTIES SATURDAY AFTERNOON MAY 1ST. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ONE AND A HALF MILES SOUTH OF COTTON PLANT MISSISSIPPI NEAR HIGHWAY 15 AROUND 134 PM SATURDAY MAY 1. MOVING NORTHEAST THE TORNADO CAUSED DAMAGE TO TREES AND HOMES BEFORE LIFTING JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF DUMAS. THE TORNADO TRACK...APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES LONG WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 300 YARDS...WAS PREDOMINATELY IN RURAL AREAS. DAMAGE TRACK START: 34 34` 38.93" / -88 59` 48.17" END: 34 39` 59.69" / -88 51` 01.69" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-1 TORNADO IN CROSS COUNTY ARKANSAS... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 100 MPH OCCURRED IN CROSS COUNTY ON MAY 1 2010 FROM ABOUT 858 PM CDT TO 905 PM CDT. THE PATH WAS ABOUT 6.3 MILES WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS. THE TORNADO MOVED INTO CROSS COUNTY FROM WOODRUFF COUNTY NEAR PRIMROSE EAST OF HIGHWAY 49. THE TORNADO TRACKED TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS OPEN FARM LAND. THEN DAMAGED THREE HOMES AND SEVERAL OUT BUILDINGS ON US HIGHWAY 64. ONE HOME HAD MAJOR DAMAGE TO IT AND A TWO STORY BARN COMPLETELY COLLAPSED. THE OTHER TWO HOMES HAD MINOR DAMAGE. SEVERAL VERY LARGE TREES WERE ALSO KNOCKED DOWN. AT US 64 THE TORNADO SNAPPED 5 POWER POLES. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH OPEN FARM LAND BEFORE SNAPPING POWER LINES ALONG HIGHWAY 156 BEFORE LIFTING. DAMAGE TRACK START: 35 12` 19.0" / -91 02` 30.0" END: 35 15` 28.8" / -90 57` 04.5" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-1 TORNADO IN POINSETT COUNTY ARKANSAS... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 100 MPH OCCURRED IN POINSETT COUNTY ON SATURDAY MAY 1 FROM ABOUT 935 PM CDT TO 939 PM CDT. THE PATH WAS ABOUT 6.2 MILES WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF APPROXIMATELY 400 YARDS. A TORNADO TOUCHED SOUTHWEST OF WEONA AND MOVED A FARM IMPLEMENT AND THEN MOVED ACROSS OPEN FARM LAND DAMAGING SEVERAL TRANSMISSION LINES NEAR HWY 373 AND SNAPPING 4 POWER POLES ON HWY 373. THE TORNADO THEN DESTROYED AN OFFICE TRAILER AT THE CROP DUSTER HANGER OFF HWY 14 IN WEONA AND ALSO DAMAGED THE HANGER. IT CONTINUED ACROSS OPEN FARM LAND DAMAGING MORE TREES...POWER POLES. IT CROSSED HENDERSON LANE AND DAMAGED ONE HOME. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO THE NORTHEAST IN OPEN FARM LAND. IT SNAPPED THREE MORE TRANSMISSION LINES AS IT CROSSED MAPLE GROVE LANE. THE TORNADO DAMAGED MORE TREES BETWEEN THE FARM FIELDS BEFORE LIFTING. DAMAGE TRACK START: 35 31` 20.2" / -90 37` 04.7" END: 35 35` 19.2" / -90 32` 36.8" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-0 TORNADO IN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY ARKANSAS... A TORNADO SPIN UP OCCURRED AT 1002 PM SATURDAY MAY 1 AS SPOTTED BY AN EYEWITNESS. THE TORNADO WAS BRIEF AND THE EXTENT OF THE TREE DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN DUE TO A TRACK ACROSS THE ST FRANCIS RIVER AND A MARSHY AREA. PICTURES WERE RELAYED BY KAIT-TV. DAMAGE TRACK START/END: 35 45` 2.02" / -90 25` 35.76" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-1 TORNADO IN SHELBY COUNTY TENNESSEE... AN EF1 TORNADO SPUN UP AT 1047 PM SATURDAY MAY 1 JUST WEST OF HIGHWAY 51 ON MICRO RD AND TRACKED NORTHEAST TO HIGHWAY 51. THE STORM TRACK WAS AROUND 1/2 MILE LONG AND THE WIDTH WAS AROUND 100 YARDS. A COUPLE WOODEN POLES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND TWISTED. DAMAGE TRACK START: 35 19` 22.08" / -89 56` 17.88" END: 35 19` 33.06" / -89 55` 41.56 ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-0 TORNADO IN DESOTO COUNTY MISSISSIPPI... A WEAK TORNADO SPUN UP AT 110 AM SUNDAY MAY 2 JUST NORTH OF INTERSTATE 69 NEAR FOGG ROAD AND TRAVELED NORTHEAST ABOUT 1 MILE. THE PATH WIDTH WAS ABOUT 100 YARDS. VERY LARGE TREES WERE DOWN...A FEW WERE SNAPPED WITH SOME SHINGLE DAMAGE NOTED AS WELL. DAMAGE TRACK START: 34 52` 33.24" / -90 2` 38.98" END: 34 53` 22.70" / -90 2` 05.71" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-1 TORNADO IN PANOLA COUNTY MISSISSIPPI... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-1 TORNADO (MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 105 MPH) SPUN UP AT EUREKA AND HUBBARD ROADS ABOUT 4 MILES ENE OF POPE AROUND 142 AM ON SUNDAY MAY 2. THE TORNADO TRAVELED 200 YARDS. TREES WERE SNAPPED...BOLTED DOWN PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT WAS THROWN...A DUMPSTER WAS TURNED OVER...AND POWER LINES WERE DOWNED. THE PATH WIDTH WAS AROUND 30 YARDS. DAMAGE TRACK START/END: 34 14` 37.0" / -89 53` 21.0" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-2 TORNADO IN GIBSON COUNTY TENNESSEE... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO (MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 115 MPH) TOUCHDOWN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF HUMBOLDT AT 220 AM ON SUNDAY MAY 2. THE TRACK LENGTH WAS 3.3 MILES. THE TRACK WIDTH RANGED FROM 150 TO 200 YARDS. SEVERAL HOUSES RECEIVED ROOF...SIDING...AND GARAGE DOOR DAMAGE. ONE HOME IN HUMBOLDT RECEIVED PARTIAL ROOF LOSS...GARAGE DAMAGE AND THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF A STORAGE SHED AND WOODEN SWINGSET. A WINERY RECEIVED TREE AND VINE DAMAGE...ALONG WITH MISSING TILES ON THE BUSINESS HOME. ONE RURAL HOME SUFFERED MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE NEAR THE END OF THE TRACK WITH PARTIAL ROOF LOSS...PORCH REMOVAL...AND BRICK VENEER RIPPED OFF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE HOME. WINDOWS WERE ALSO BLOWN OUT ON THE HOME WITH A LARGE WELL BUILT BRICK SUPPORTED CARPORT COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A WELL BUILT 40` BY 40` WOOD AND METAL SHED ON THE PROPERTY WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH THE WOOD SUPPORT BEAMS SNAPPED OFF APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT ABOVE THE CONCRETE SLAB. A TOUR BUS NEARBY WAS LIFTED AND TURNED 180 DEGREES. A SEMI TRAILER ON THE PROPERTY WAS ALSO FLIPPED OVER. NUMEROUS LARGE TREES ALONG THE PATH WERE EITHER UPROOTED OR DAMAGED ALONG THE TRACK. A FEW SMALLER TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF AT ONE TO TWO FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. SEVERAL POWER LINES WERE ALSO DOWN BEFORE THE TORNADO LIFTED AT 225 AM APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF A MILE NORTH OF PLEASANT HILL ROAD. DAMAGE TRACK START: 35 48` 31.5" / -88 54` 23.7" END: 35 49` 51.4" / -88 51` 34.7" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-3 TORNADO IN BENTON AND TIPPAH COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI AND HARDEMAN AND MCNAIRY COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE... *** 3 FATAL, 1 INJ *** A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-3 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT ABOUT 246 AM SUNDAY MAY 2 APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES SOUTH OF ASHLAND MISSISSIPPI NEAR HIGHWAY 5 IN BENTON COUNTY. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS BENTON COUNTY INTO TIPPAH COUNTY MISSISSIPPI AND THEN CROSSED THE TENNESSEE STATE LINE WHERE IT LIFTED IN THE TOWN OF POCAHONTAS IN SOUTHEAST HARDEMAN COUNTY. THE TRACK LENGTH WAS 27.7 MILES. THE TRACK WIDTH RANGED FROM 100 YARDS UP TO ONE-HALF MILE. THE TORNADO WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 145 MPH. AT LEAST THIRTY HOMES WERE DESTROYED OR SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ALONG THE TRACK. TWO FATALITIES AND ONE CRITICAL INJURY OCCURRED WHEN A DOUBLEWIDE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED JUST EAST OF ASHLAND MISSISSIPPI. ONE WELL BUILT HOME WAS ALSO DESTROYED. A THIRD FATALITY OCCURRED IN POCAHONTAS TENNESSEE WHEN A SINGLE WIDE TRAILER WAS DESTROYED. A FREE STANDING TRANSMISSION TOWER COLLAPSED AND WAS SEVERELY TWISTED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BOTH SNAPPED OFF AND DEBARKED ALONG THE PATH. DAMAGE TRACK START: 34 48` 02.8" / -89 11` 21.5" END: 35 03` 44.2" / -88 46` 32.9" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-2 TORNADO IN MCNAIRY AND HARDIN COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO (MAXIMUM WINDS ESTIMATED AT 111-135 MPH) SPUN UP AT 320 AM SUNDAY MAY 2 AND STRUCK THE CITY OF SELMER TENNESSEE. THE TORNADO DID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO HOMES AND TREES. THE TORNADO WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IN THE CITIES OF PURDY AND GOOD HOPE IN MCNAIRY COUNTY. THE NWS WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK THE MCNAIRY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR ASSISTING ON THE DAMAGE SURVEY. DAMAGE TRACK START: 34 07` 06.1" / -88 41` 21.2" END: 35 22` 22.6" / -88 21` 22.7" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-0 TORNADO IN MCNAIRY COUNTY TENNESSEE... BRIEF TORNADO SPIN UP AT 322 AM SUNDAY MAY 2 WITH SOME TREES DOWN. PATH WIDTH WAS ABOUT 50 YARDS. DAMAGE TRACK START/END: 35 04` 43.31" / -88 44` 11.27" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-2 TORNADO IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI... *** 1 FATAL *** A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT AN EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 329 AM SUNDAY MAY 2 NEAR HIGHWAY 7 IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI JUST SOUTHWEST OF ABBEVILLE. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHSIDE OF ABBEVILLE AND LIFTED ALONG COUNTY HIGHWAY 215. THE TRACK LENGTH WAS 1.4 MILES WITH A TRACK WIDTH RANGING FROM 30 YARDS AT THE TOUCHDOWN POINT TO 75 YARDS AT THE END POINT. THE TORNADO WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 130 MPH. A FATALITY OCCURRED AT THE END POINT WHEN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME WAS DESTROYED. ONE DOUBLEWIDE TRAILER WAS DESTROYED ALONG WITH THREE OTHER HOMES THAT WERE DAMAGED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE ALSO UPROOTED. DAMAGE TRACK START: 34 29` 20.7" / -89 30` 46.5" END: 34 30` 11.2" / -89 29` 40.3" ---------- ...PRELIMINARY EF-0 TORNADO IN HENDERSON COUNTY TENNESSEE... AN EF-0 TORNADO SPUN UP AROUND 418 AM SUNDAY MAY 2 AND TRAVELED NORTHEAST 6 MILES. A ROOF OF A BUILDING WAS REMOVED AND A TIN ROOF OF AN OFF BUILDING WAS REMOVED. TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 100 AND ON HUGHES ROAD. PATH WIDTH ABOUT 100 YARDS. DAMAGE TRACK START: 35 29` 54.20" / -88 16` 56.82" END: 35 32` 40.06" / -88 11` 54.60