Mississippi Tornado Takes The Life Of Four

Article by Affiliate Mississippi Gazette

Jackson, MS-- Tornados leave a trail of wide spread damage with four dead and  at least 20 injured Tuesday. The tornados were reported in Louisiana and Mississippi with the heaviest damage reported in Mississippi. Several Southeastern states were issued watches and warnings. The National Weather Service office at Jackson, Mississippi, said, "During the afternoon of Dec 23, just enough ingredients came together to support numerous severe storms ahead of a cold front. Across the Lower Mississippi River Valley, peak heating contributed to decent instability in the developing warm sector in advance of the front. Sufficient low level wind shear and strong winds aloft were also in place as a decent upper low was located to our north. This helped to support organized thunderstorm activity along with quite a few supercell storms. A long lived, persistent, storm tracked across the southeastern counties (near Columbia, Mississippi to Sumrall and Laurel to Heidelberg, Mississippi line) and produced multiple tornadoes. Widespread damage occurred in southern Columbia, near Sumrall and near Laurel and areas in Marion, Jones and Clarke counties. Sadly, four confirmed fatalities occurred, with two near Columbia in Marion County and two near Laurel in Jones County. Severe storms moved out of the region by late afternoon to early Tuesday evening. The front continued to track through the area through the evening of December 23."