January 21st 2016 Tornadoes

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2024 NWS Jackson/Mississippi Tornado Information and Upcoming Damage Survey Plans

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January 21, 2016 Tornadoes

Event Summary

A strong upper trough began to deepen across the central Plains on Thursday, January 21st. This trough became very deep and strong aloft, driving a strong surface low to develop across eastern Texas by later that morning. This surface low pressure and a stalled frontal boundary were key in the severe weather development later that evening. The surface low gradually moved east into the ArkLaMiss region later that afternoon to evening. As the surface and upper low deepened in central to southern Mississippi, muggy air with temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s and high dewpoints in the upper 60s to low 70s moved in mainly along and south of the I-20 corridor. However, areas in northern Mississippi were only experiencing temperatures in the 40s north of that stalled frontal boundary. There was a combination of enough wind shear and moisture for supercell thunderstorms to develop in the late evening and produce a total of five tornadoes across the area, with one being a strong tornado (EF2 in Lamar County). These supercells gradually weakened late in the evening and became a strong squall line. The showers and storms finally moved out of the area mainly after midnight.

This strong surface low rapidly strengthened as it began to move through northern Mississippi later that night into Friday. This, added to a very deep upper trough, brought enough cold air for some light snow to fall on the backside the following day on Friday, January 22nd. Most areas received flurries but some areas in the Highway 82 corridor received light accumulations, mainly from a dusting in northeast Mississippi to around an inch in the northwest ArkLaMiss Delta. This surface low pressure gradually went on to produce a large blizzard along the East Coast.

Tornado Event Track Map

Click on map above to see entire event tracks and damage point notation.

Click on the location in the table for additional maps and details below.

Location	Start/ End Time	Event Type	Fatalities/ Injuries	Path Length	Path Width
Copiah County 4.5 SE Crystal Springs to 5.6 ESE Crystal Springs	4:14 PM- 4:19 PM	EF-0 Tornado 85 mph	none	3.0 miles	50 yards
Lincoln/Copiah County 5 N Loyd Star to 4 WNW Wesson	4:25 PM- 4:33 PM	EF-1 Tornado 100 mph	none	5.4 miles	200 yards
Pinola 3.1 WSW Pinola to 0.8 ENE Pinola	5:20 PM- 5:29 PM	EF-1 Tornado 95 mph	none	3.9 miles	300 yards
Scott County 2.4 NW Homewood to 1.7 N Homewood	5:46 PM- 5:49 PM	EF-0 Tornado 70 mph	none	2.1 miles	75 yards
Lamar County 8.6 SW Sumrall to 4.6 S Sumrall	6:49 PM- 6:56 PM	EF-2 Tornado 115 mph	none	6.6 miles	530 yards

Copiah County EF-0 Tornado

Click on map above to see entire damage point notation and damage pictures at select points.

Event Summary
This weak tornado touched down along Bennett Rd and tracked northeast along the northern portion of Burt-Loop Rd. Here a couple trees were snapped along with several limbs broken off and some shingles peeled off the roof of a home. The tornado continued to Harmony Rd where a few more trees were snapped and some tin was peeled off the roof of a house. The tornado dissipated before it reached Highway 27.

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-0
Estimated Maximum Wind:	85 mph
Fatalities/Injuries:	none
Damage Path Length:	3 miles
Maximum Path Width:	50 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	4.5 SE Crystal Springs 4:14 pm
Approximate End Point/Time:	5.6 ESE Crystal Springs 4:19 pm

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Lincoln/Copiah County EF-1 Tornado

Click on map above to see entire damage point notation and damage pictures at select points.

Event Summary
This weak tornado touched down just north of the Old Red Star community along Old Red Star Rd just to the south of the Copiah/Lincoln county line. A shed was damaged with the roof blown off and a few trees damaged. As the tornado tracked northeast, it crossed Watson Rd and damaged a couple trees. The heaviest damage occurred just west of Lott Smith Rd where dozens of pine trees were snapped and several hard woods were uprooted. A shed was damaged along with a small portion of a roof on a house. Another home had a larger section of the roof torn off. This area was rated EF1. The tornado continued northeast and lifted at Sylvarena Rd and Bayou Pierre.

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-1
Estimated Maximum Wind:	100 mph
Fatalities/Injuries:	none
Damage Path Length:	5.4 miles
Maximum Path Width:	200 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	5 N Loyd Star 4:25 pm
Approximate End Point/Time:	4 WNW Wesson 4:33 pm

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Pinola EF-1 Tornado

Click on map above to see entire damage point notation and damage pictures at select points.

Event Summary
The tornado started off of Highway 472 where it snapped a few trees then continued northeast along the highway where it took a large portion of the roof off of a mobile home. The tornado continued northeast and crossed Berta Mangum Rd where it snapped a few trees along the way blew some tin off the roof of a mobile home. The tornado continued across Railroad Ln and Highway 28 snapping several trees and ended just east of Old Westville Rd.

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-1
Estimated Maximum Wind:	95 mph
Fatalities/Injuries:	none
Damage Path Length:	3.9 miles
Maximum Path Width:	300 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	3.1 WSW Pinola 5:20 pm
Approximate End Point/Time:	0.8 ENE Pinola 5:29 pm

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Scott EF-0 Tornado

Click on map above to see entire damage point notation and damage pictures at select points.

Event Summary
This weak tornado snapped a handful of large pine trees off of County Road 562 and County Road 550. A few other large limbs were broken off as well. This tornado dissipated just before it crossed Highway 35.

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-0
Estimated Maximum Wind:	70 mph
Fatalities/Injuries:	none
Damage Path Length:	2.1 miles
Maximum Path Width:	75 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	2.4 NW Homewood 5:46 pm
Approximate End Point/Time:	1.7 N Homewood 5:49 pm

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Lamar County EF-2 Tornado

Click on map above to see entire damage point notation and damage pictures at select points.

Event Summary
The tornado started near Strickland Rd where it snapped a few trees. The tornado continued northeast to the intersection of Porter Hudson Rd and North Slade Rd. At this point the tornado was the strongest with 115 mph winds. The tornado destroyed a garage and took the roof off of a house. The tornado continued across Bob Graham Rd where it took some roof decking off of a home. The tornado continued across Sand Ln where it caused some roof damage to a mobile home. The tornado crossed Old Salt Rd where it snapped a few trees and tipped over a mobile home. The tornado continued to move east across North Black Creek Rd snapping a few more trees along the way and ended just east of Black Creek Rd.

Rating: (Click for EF Scale)	EF-2
Estimated Maximum Wind:	115 mph
Fatalities/Injuries:	none
Damage Path Length:	6.6 miles
Maximum Path Width:	530 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time:	8.6 SW Sumrall 6:49 pm
Approximate End Point/Time:	4.6 S Sumrall 6:56 pm

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