Tornado in Hinds County, Mississippi

This tornado began along Airport Road to the southwest of Clinton and moved northeast across Interstate 20, US Highway 80, Interstate 220, and Interstate 55 before lifting near the intersection of Old Canton Road and Pear Orchard Road in southeast Ridgeland.||The most intense damage occurred in Clinton and western Jackson. In these areas, numerous homes and businesses were damaged and destroyed both by the tornado wind and from falling trees, cars were flipped and smashed, thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted, and numerous power lines and power poles were downed or snapped. The basis for the EF-3 rating was houses that were destroyed in neighborhoods just southwest of US Highway 80 and just south of Clinton Blvd in Clinton. The tornado maintained EF-2 and EF-1 strength as it moved through western Jackson. However, once it crossed Interstate 55, the tornado weakened to EF-0 and low end EF-1. Maximum winds were around 140 mph.

This tornado first touched down in Midway Estates just to the west of Midway Road. Initially the tornado knocked down a few trees and caused minor shingle damage to roofs. The tornado tracked northeast crossing Tank Road, Green Gable Road, and Lebanon-Pinegrove Road. The damage was predominantly downed trees and minor structural damage. The tornado then moved nearly parallel to Interstate 55 and passed through Byram. Numerous structures were damaged, dozens of billboards were blown out, a tanker truck was overturned, numerous power poles were snapped and numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado was the most intense at this point with winds estimated to be around 120 mph. In addition, the maximum path width of 1/2 mile occurred in Byram. The tornado then crossed the Pearl River into Rankin County. The tornado was on the ground for almost 14 miles in Hinds County with a total path length of 26 miles through both Hinds and Rankin Counties.

The tornado touched down approximately four miles west of the city of Byram, then tracked northeast two miles. The worst damage occurred along and near Spring Wood Drive and Springdale Road, where nine homes sustained major, structural damage. Thirty other homes sustained minor damage in the area. Otherwise, several trees and power lines were either blown down or uprooted.