Yazoo City: Looking Back One Year Later

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Yazoo City, MS EF4 tornado. On April 24th, 2010, a devastating tornado roared through Mississippi, causing extensive damage around Yazoo City, and becoming the 4th longest-tracked tornado in state history.

Comparisons have been made between this tornado and the EF5 tornado that obliterated 95% of Greensburg, Kansas on May 4th, 2007. Similar destruction likely would have taken place in Yazoo City, had the tornado not missed the downtown area by two miles. Storm Chaser Vincent Webb was on-site, with footage that can be seen here.

The NWS in Jackson, MS estimated that the tornado had a max wind speed of 170 mph, along with a damage path 149 miles long. A radar loop showing base reflectivity (left) and storm relative velocity (right) can be found here (the loop may be slow to load). Here is a radar image of the tornado when it was over Yazoo City.

I was in Jackson from June 7th to the 11th for the 2010 NOAA Weather Camp that was held at Jackson State University, and the camp had the privilege of getting to tour spots along the damage path around Yazoo City. Below are some pictures I took of the damage.