MAP: Courtesy, National Weather Service
LEAKE COUNTY, Miss.–Tornadoes were confirmed by National Weather Service survey teams Sunday in four Mississippi counties. The twisters spun up early Saturday when storms passed through, while most people were asleep.
There were no injuries from the tornadoes, but one man died near Batesville when the truck he was riding in crashed into a ravine left behind when a culvert washed away.
Panola County authorities told MyFoxMemphis that James Harris died and that the driver of the truck was taken to the hospital in Memphis. More than four inches of rain fell in a very short time in the area.
The first tornado that was confirmed happened in Madison County just before 2 a.m. Saturday. It was an EF-1 and stayed on the ground for just under two miles. The only damage reported was to trees.
The same storm produced three tornadoes in Leake County. Two were south of Carthage and one was north of Lena. None of them stayed on the ground long and no appreciable damage was reported.
An EF-1 tornado touched down in Neshoba County and stayed on the ground for over six miles, crossing Hwy. 19 before dissipating. That tornado had winds of about 105 mph. The twister destroyed a chicken house and pulled up trees that fell on a mobile home, destroying it. Still, no injuries were reported.
The last twister from the storm was in Kemper County at 3:10 a.m. and lasted only about a minte before it dissipated. It was an EF-0.