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Event Summary

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, five confirmed fatalities occurred, with three 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.

Tornado Track Map

Track Map

Click on map above to see entire event tracks and damage point notation. Individual track maps also available on individual tornado pages.

 

Survey Information

Location Start/
End Time
Event Type Fatalities/
Injuries
Path Length Path Width
Concordia, Catahoula and Franklin parishes
2.0 E Wildsville to 5.0 E Wisner
11:00 am-
11:40 am
Large hail none none none
Marion County
2.0 S Columbia to 3.0 ESE Improve
2:20 pm-
2:36 pm
EF-3 Tornado
165 mph
Deaths: 3
Injured: 50
12.0 miles 830 yards
Lamar County Tornado One
1.0 NE Sumrall to 1.0 NE Sumrall
2:46 pm-
2:46 pm
EF-0 Tornado
75 mph
none 0.25 mile 50 yards
Lamar County Tornado Two
Sumrall
2:45 pm-
2:45 pm
EF-0 Tornado
70 mph
none 100 yards 50 yards
Jones County
5.0 W Laurel to 5.0 N Laurel
3:22 pm-
3:27 pm
EF-2 Tornado
125 mph
2 5.0 miles 350 yards
Clarke County
3.0 ENE Crandall to 4.0 ENE Crandall
4:27 pm-
4:29 pm
EF-0 Tornado
75 mph
none 0.5 mile 100 yards

 

 

Local Storm Reports
Click on the map below for additional details.

Local Storm Reports
Storm Reports Key

 

Damage and Tornado Pictures - Click to enlarge

Please submit your pictures to sr-jan.webmaster@noaa.gov .

Marion County

Columbia Damage- Taken by Teresa Mergens

December 2014 Tornadoes December 2014 Tornadoes
December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Columbia Damage- Taken by Haskel Burns

December 2014 Tornadoes December 2014 Tornadoes
December 2014 Tornadoes December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Columbia Damage- Taken by Ryan Moore

December 2014 Tornadoes December 2014 Tornadoes
December 2014 Tornadoes December 2014 Tornadoes
December 2014 Tornadoes December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Columbia Tornado- Taken by Amanda Stogner

December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Jones County

Laurel Tornado- Taken by Eric Roberts

December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Laurel Tornado- Taken by Al Jones

December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Laurel Tornado- Taken by Kevan Lindsey

December 2014 Tornadoes

 

Jasper County

Funnel cloud near Heidelberg- Taken by John Carter

Heidelburg funnel cloud