Damage Survey PNS (Max: EF3) from KJAN

[akr...@iastate.edu]

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Text Permalink: IEM Website (202607282356-KJAN-NOUS44-PNSJAN)

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Max EF Rating Below: (EF3)

Count by Rating:

EF-3 ⇒ 1

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081 
NOUS44 KJAN 282356
PNSJAN
ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
291200-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Jackson MS
656 PM CDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...NWS Damage Survey for 5/6/2026 Tornado Event - Update #4...

.Update...Following consultation with plant biology and forest
damage pattern experts, the estimated maximum wind speed of the May
6th South Mississippi long track tornado has been revised upward
to 160 mph, making it a high end EF3 tornado on the EF scale. The
basis of this revision was an area of highly concentrated tree 
damage east of the Garden City community in southwestern Franklin 
County. In addition, based on additional analysis of aerial 
imagery, the maximum path width has been revised upward to 1.5 
miles, which occurred in Lincoln County east of I-55. This is the 
last planned update for this tornado path.


.Garden City/Lincoln County/Monticello Tornado...

Rating:                 EF3
Estimated Peak Wind:    160 mph
Path Length /statute/:  81.9 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   1.5 miles
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               23

Start Date:             5/6/2026
Start Time:             6:22 PM CDT
Start Location:         5 WNW Dolorosa / Adams County / MS
Start Lat/Lon:          31.338 / -91.4368

End Date:               5/6/2026
End Time:               8:31 PM CDT
End Location:           1 S Monticello / Lawrence County / MS
End Lat/Lon:            31.5361 / -90.1129

Survey Summary:
Over the course of two hours and nine minutes, a strong, long 
track tornado trekked 81.9 miles across South Mississippi. It 
began in southwestern Adams County, then moved across northern 
Wilkinson, southeastern Adams, southern Franklin, and central 
Lincoln counties, before lifting on the south side of Monticello 
in Lawrence County. The tornado intensity peaked at a high-end EF3
with an estimated maximum wind of 160 MPH just east of Garden 
City in southwestern Franklin County. The maximum path width was 
1.5 miles in east central Lincoln County.

The tornado began in the St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife 
Refuge in southwestern Adams County, causing sporadic tree damage 
as it crossed US Hwy 61, Will Washington Rd, and the Homochitto 
River into northern Wilkinson County. The path straddled the 
Wilkinson and Adams County line for 7-8 miles, remaining mainly on
the Wilkinson Co side, but producing damage on the Adams County 
side at times as it strengthened. The tornado then fully re-
entered the southeasternmost corner of Adams County, producing 
heavy timber damage over a 3/4 to 1 mile wide footprint as it 
entered the Homochitto National Forest for the first time. Here, a
few swaths of tree damage began to reach EF2 thresholds.

Crossing into southwestern Franklin County, heavy timber damage, 
reaching EF2 intensity at times, continued into the Garden City 
community. A few structures were impacted in this area, including 
multiple buildings with roof damage, a mobile home that was 
destroyed, and multiple outbuildings that were destroyed. The 
tornado reached its peak intensity as it continued east-
northeastward and reentered the Homochitto National Forest. As it 
crossed Freewood Road, it intensified, snapping a high percentage 
of trees through dense pine forest and mixed forest tracts. While 
tree damage was extensive in this area, ground surveys revealed 
there were numerous dead snags throughout this section of the 
forest, possibly impacted by prior drought, fire, or some 
combination thereof. As a result, it was determined that several 
of the trees along the damage path originally believed to be 
debarked by the tornado were already without bark or had bark that
was easily stripped. Still, extensive damage to the healthy trees
through this portion of southwestern Franklin County warranted a 
high end EF3 rating. The tornado remained strong as it crossed 
Bunkley Road twice, then weakened slightly as it crossed the 
Homochitto River. It continued producing periodic EF2 damage east 
of Gloster Road and as it crossed US Highway 98 near Okhissa Lake,
where the nearby Bude RAWS site recorded a 76 mph gust on the 
south side of the track. East of the lake, the tornado weakened 
further to EF0–EF1 intensity, leaving patches of downed trees 
across Berrytown, Bogue Chitto, Burt Jordan, Murray, and Olympia 
Roads before moving into western Lincoln County.

The tornado began to intensify again as it passed near the West 
Lincoln community, producing EF2 damage as it crossed West Lincoln
Drive and briefly reaching EF3 intensity just east of that 
location, bodily removing two trees and moving them 5 to 10 yards.
There was also a large portion of a snapped pine was thrown about
30 to 40 yards into a field in the same location. As the tornado 
approached Jackson Liberty Road, the tornado collapsed a lattice 
electrical transmission tower and removed the top half of another.
Along Auburn Drive, multiple mobile homes were destroyed, two 
houses sustained major roof loss, and two vehicles were moved. The
tornado then crossed Calvary Drive, Apple Trail, and Pecan Lane, 
causing widespread timber loss and further structural roof damage.
After crossing I-55, the storm reached low-end EF3 strength near 
Stoneybrook Trail, where a home suffered exterior wall failure and
extensive tree damage and some tree debarking was observed. 
Crossing US Highway 51, the tornado swept directly through a 
mobile home park, destroying 10 to 20 mobile homes and tossing 
several vehicles. Additional mobile homes were destroyed just east
of Highway 51 north of Hog Chain Drive, with severe tree damage 
persisting near the Bogue Chitto River. 

Pushing into eastern Lincoln County, the circulation widened 
significantly—expanding up to 1.5 miles wide east of Pricedale 
Drive. Widespread EF2 damage continued across Pricedale Drive and 
Mount Olive Road, with the tornado destroying a mobile home, 
heavily damaging several houses, and impacting multiple farm 
buildings. At a destroyed hay shed, a single hay bale was moved 10
to 20 yards toward the center of the path. Near the Enterprise 
community, tree damage spiked once more, and several homes 
suffered major roof damage across MS Highway 583, Mallalieu Drive,
and surrounding roads. After crossing East Lincoln Road near 
Wellman Drive, the tornado tracked east-northeastward toward 
Harmony. Along Harmony Drive, it destroyed multiple chicken houses
and damaged several homes. Severe timber damage—including partial
debarking—continued east of Pleasant Grove Drive as the tornado 
approached the Lawrence County line.

The tornado maintained EF2 intensity into western Lawrence 
County, with significant damage to timber continuing across Trace 
Road and Ford Calcote Road. In this area, a barn and mobile home 
were demolished. Another home sustained heavy roof damage as the 
tornado paralleled Lower Brookhaven Road. It then began to weaken 
as it crossed Carmel Road and Carmel New Hope Road, then lifted on
the south side of Monticello, just east of MS Highway 27 near 
Halls Creek.

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$

DL/CE/LP/MH/BP/SW