Draft:2014 Noxapater tornado
 EF4 damage to a structure in Louisville, Mississippi. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 28, 2014, 3:51 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | April 28, 2014, 4:47 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 56 minutes |
| EF4 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 185 mph (298 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 10 |
| Injuries | 84 |
On April 28, 2014, a large and violent tornado moved through several counties in central Mississippi, destroying several structures and killing ten. The tornado was one of two EF4-rated tornadoes that touched down during the tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014.
Meteorological synopsis
[edit]A strong mid-level shortwave trough developed into a closed low-pressure area as the system occluded over the central High Plains on April 27, 2014. An associated surface cyclone reached peak intensity while a trailing cold front moved eastward across eastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma and northern Texas. There were two areas where severe weather was expected, morning pre-frontal convection from Kansas and Oklahoma into Missouri and Iowa and warm sector supercell development across southeast Oklahoma and northeast Texas into Arkansas. The Storm Prediction Center indicated this system for six days in advance on its 4–8 day outlook.[1]
Tornado summary
[edit]The tornado touched down in Leake County, initially snapping numerous trees at EF1 intensity as it moved through heavily forested areas.[2] The tornado proceeded to reach EF2 intensity as it completely destroyed a mobile home and a metal building. Three cars were tossed nearby, and a frame home lost most of its roof, sustaining EF1 damage. Maintaining EF2 intensity, the tornado crossed into Winston County at the Attala/Neshoba County border. Numerous trees were snapped and a house sustained roof damage at that location. The tornado then weakened momentarily, causing only EF1-strength tree damage as it moved through dense forest. Continuing northeast, the tornado reintensified dramatically and reached EF3 strength as it heavily damaged or destroyed several homes and metal chicken houses.[2] Some of the homes sustained collapse of their exterior walls. Slightly further along the path, a large area of trees along Hartness Rd sustained extreme denuding and debarking, with only stubs of the largest branches remaining. The severity and consistency of the debarking/denuding was severe enough that surveyors applied an EF4 rating at that location.[2] Numerous chicken houses were destroyed at EF3 intensity nearby.[2]
Slight weakening occurred beyond this point, with consistent EF2 damage occurring: a house had its roof torn off, a mobile home was completely destroyed, and numerous trees were snapped. The tornado then regained low-end EF4 intensity, where a large complex of metal chicken houses was obliterated with little trace of them left.[2] Nearly 220,000 chickens were killed.[3] A nearby cell phone tower was toppled, and several homes at the edge of the path sustained roof damage. The tornado maintained EF4 strength as it moved northwest of Noxapater, sweeping away a brick building and a brick home, obliterating a mobile home, and debarking numerous trees. The tornado then weakened slightly, snapping numerous trees and power poles and destroying chicken houses at EF3 intensity.[2] After that, the tornado weakened further, but maintained EF2 intensity as it made a dramatic turn to the north, roughly following and eventually crossing MS 15. Many trees and power poles were snapped, homes had their roofs torn off, and many mobile homes were completely destroyed in this area. One mobile home frame was found wrapped around a tree in this area.[2]
The tornado re-intensified as it continued sharply northeastward into the south side of Louisville at EF3 strength, destroying numerous homes in residential areas. The tornado then re-attained EF4 strength as it completely destroyed three large factories in an industrial area of town, including a Georgia-Pacific plywood plant.[4] The tornado maintained its strength as it devastated nearby subdivisions and an apartment complex, with some homes and one of the apartment buildings reduced to bare slabs. Several homes and churches were leveled or swept away in this area as well.[2] Past this point, additional homes were destroyed at EF3 intensity, with debarking and denuding of trees noted. The tornado then passed through a wooded area and across the east edge of town, striking the Winston County Medical Center in the process. The building sustained EF3 damage, with numerous cars flipped and tossed in the parking lot. A daycare center and an automobile showroom were completely leveled across the street from the medical center, both of which were housed in manufactured structures.[2] The owner of the daycare center died while shielding a 4-year-old child from the tornado as it struck.[5] The tornado made another sharp turn and began moving due-north through residential areas on northeast side of town. Numerous homes sustained EF3 to EF4-strength damage in this area, including one that was reduced to a bare foundation slab. Continuing north of town, the tornado caused EF2 and EF3-strength damage to homes, trees, and power poles before dissipating in a wooded area near MS 25. Overall, ten people were killed by this tornado, and many others were injured.[2] Some victims were found hundreds of yards from their homes.[6] A wooden door from Louisville was found 30 miles (48 km) away at the Mississippi State University campus.[7]
Aftermath
[edit]Fatalities
[edit]Ten people were killed in the tornado. Sharon Pell, who lived in Richland, was killed when the tornado threw her car off of Old Highway 49. Ruth Bennett was killed when the daycare that she worked at in Louisville was hit by the tornado. Two residents of the Eiland Plaza Apartments were also killed when the complex was destroyed. Three members of a family, including an eight-year-old boy, were found dead almost half of a mile away from their home, which was destroyed in the tornado.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Apr 27, 2014 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 27, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Louisville EF-4 Tornado". NWS Jackson, Mississippi. NOAA. May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ "Tornado Kills Nearly 220,000 Chickens In Direct Hit On Mississippi Farm". The Weather Channel. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Conaway, Brad (May 1, 2014). "Body of missing Winston County 8-year-old found". msnewsnow.com. WLBT. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
- ^ Hensley, Nicole (May 1, 2014). "Daycare worker dies protecting girl, 4, in Mississippi tornado". NYDailyNews.com. NY Daily News. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
- ^ Amy, Jeff (May 1, 2013). "Body of Louisville boy missing from tornado found". Sun Herald.com. The Sun Herald. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ Chandler, Clay (April 28, 2014). "At least 6 dead in Miss. tornadoes; Guard deployed to Tupelo, Winston Co". clarionledger.com. The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ Press, Associated. "Mississippi storm victims identified; death total rises to 13". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2024-11-04.