On the evening of December 23,2015,a large,violent,long-tracked,and deadly late-season tornado impacted the communities of Chulahoma,Holly Springs,Ashland in Mississippi and Selmer,Tennessee. This tornado resulted in nine fatalities and 36 injuries. This was the only violent tornado of a larger outbreak,the strongest,deadliest,and longest-tracked tornado of the outbreak,and the third violent tornado of the 2015 tornado season.
The tornado touched down near Tyro and crossed into Marshall County,intensifying to low-end EF3 strength south of Chulahoma,leveling a couple of homes and blowing away mobile homes. A tornado emergency was issued for Holly Springs. The tornado caused major damage in the southern parts of Holly Springs;demolishing a church,damaging or destroying multiple homes,and overturning numerous vehicles. A raceway suffered major damage. The wedge tornado continued to cause high-end EF3 damage in Benton County,killing many people in the county. In northeast Benton county,the tornado became violent as it swept away a large home near Hamilton.
The tornado continued onward,weakening to EF3 strength as it crossed into Tennessee,destroying a large metal building and further damaging and destroying numerous homes in Southern Tennessee before dissipating south of Selmer. The tornado traveled 75.46mi (121.44km) and peaked at low-end EF4 intensity. The tornado caused $10.9 million and resulted in nine fatalities and 36 injuries.
Meteorological synopsis
December 23,2000Z Convective Outlook (above),and respective tornado probability contour (below)
On December 23,the Storm Prediction Center discussed the probabilities for severe weather to materialize in the Mississippi Valley,encompassing regions in northern Louisiana,eastern Arkansas,northwestern Mississippi,western Tennessee,the Missouri Bootheel,and extreme southwestern Kentucky. A cold front ejecting from the Texas Panhandle and a warm front coming from the lower Ohio River valley,intersected by a stationary front placed over western Kansas,led to the creation of a triple point over northwestern Missouri. This set up the environment for an atmosphere conductive to severe weather. As the evening progressed,further certainty arose for the possibility for an outbreak,as Convective Available Potential Energy values of around 1,000–2,000J/kg and effective wind shear were present for the aforementioned areas of the upper Mississippi Valley. Daylight heating in these areas gave way for effective buoyancy in the area,further improving the conditions for supercells and to develop. Given the favorable parameters,the SPC,alongside its Convective outlook,introduced a 15% hatched area for tornadoes,indicating the probability for a few strong tornadoes to occur,as discrete supercell thunderstorms were expected to develop in the area.[1] As such,the SPC issued a PDS tornado watch,the first of multiple tornado watches that day,for northern Louisiana,western Arkansas,northwestern Mississippi,and western Tennessee,highlighting the elevated threat for strong tornadoes in the area.[2] At 2000 UTC,the SPC introduced an increased area for the concern of strong tornadoes,extending the existent area to reach central Tennessee,northwestern Alabama,and central portions of Kentucky.[3]
Tornado summary
Tate and Marshall Counties
The tornado touched down north of Tyro near Pearl Smith Road in Tate County. Minor roof damage was reported in Tyro before the tornado exited Tate County and entered Marshall County. The tornado did $5,000 in damages in Tate County with no casualties.[4]
A poorly constructed home near Chulahoma completely leveled at low-end EF3 intensity
The tornado began to rapidly intensify. The tornado approached Tyro Road south of Chulahoma where it intensified to a mid-range EF2 tornado,a single-wide trailer home was blown away and destroyed. Five occupants in the home were injured and a 12-year-old child was blown away 300ft (91m). Further north,another single-wide manufactured home was obliterated at 127mph (204km/h). The tornado intensified further to a low-end EF3 tornado. A poorly constructed block home was leveled at 145mph (233km/h) and another home nearby experienced losses to their exterior walls. Nine homes along Tyro Road were heavily damaged or destroyed.[5][6] The large tornado passed west of Chulahoma,crossing Highway 4,and impacting the Mount Gillie Community Church,which was destroyed at high-end EF2 strength.[7] A building nearby suffered minor damage.[6] The tornado continued through the rural parts of Marshall County north of Galena. The tornado crossed Yarbrough Chapel Road where it slightly strengthened to high-end EF2 intensity,collapsing an exterior walls of a home at 132mph (212km/h).[6] The wedge tornado crossed Old Highway 4,rapidly intensifying to high-end EF3 with maximum estimated wind speeds of 160mph (260km/h). The Beverly Chapel CME Church was obliterated and leveled,and surrounding trees were downed.[8][9] A poorly built home nearby the church sustained major damage,nearly collapsing,leaving a few interior walls standing.[6] Around this time,the National Weather Service office in Memphis,Tennessee issued a tornado emergency for Holly Springs and others counties.[10]
Beverly Chapel CME Church completely destroyed near Holly Springs
...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR HOLLY SPRINGS...
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CST FOR NORTHWESTERN LAFAYETTE...MARSHALL...SOUTHEASTERN TATE AND NORTHEASTERN PANOLA COUNTIES...
AT 416 PM CST...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MARIANNA...OR 8 MILES WEST OF WALL DOXEY STATE PARK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR HOLLY SPRINGS. TAKE COVER NOW. THIS IS A
PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
The tornado brushed the southeastern edge of Holly Springs, leveling multiple homes and flipping many vehicles at EF2-EF3 intensity, killing a 7-year-old boy along Highway 7 and injuring several others, an 80-year-old elderly woman was also killed when her mobile home was heavily damaged.[9][11] Holly Springs Motorsports suffered catastrophic damage. An RV was flipped onto one of the track's bathrooms, sections of grandstands and a trailer were wrapped around a tree, and the track managers' home was destroyed.[12] The tornado eventually left Marshall County, resulting in $6 million in damages and two fatalities, as well as thirty injuries.[9]
Benton and Tippah Counties
Low-end EF4 damage to a large house near Hamilton, Mississippi.
The tornado entered Benton County and initially stayed in rural, forested area. The tornado passed northeast of Ashland, rapidly intensifying to high-end EF3 strength with wind speeds up to 165mph (266km/h). A home along Lamar Road was leveled, injuring one person inside. Multiple trees were snapped and uprooted, another house along the road lost large sections of their roof and a car was left mangled.[6] The tornado continued at the same intensity as it crossed Country Church Road, a wooden framed home was completely swept away, killing two people in this location and leaving one missing and another injured.[13][6] Three days after the tornado, the body of the missing person was found.[14] The tornado crossed Highway 5, weakening to low-end EF2 intensity. A metal building sustained significant damage and a metal roof for a church was ripped off.[6] The tornado crossed Hunt Road north of the rural community of Black Jack. A one-story home had large portions of their roof ripped away and another home along the road sustained major damage to their exterior walls.[6] After crossing a small body of water, the tornado reached its peak intensity near the small community of Hamilton. A large, well built home was swept away at low-end EF4 intensity, with estimated wind speeds up to 170mph (270km/h). Multiple softwood trees nearby were shredded and debarked.[6] The tornado left Benton County, resulting in six fatalities and one injury and a $1.96 million loss.[15] The tornado weakened down to EF3 intensity as it entered Tippah County, damaging multiple homes and mobile homes, killing a 61-year-old woman.[6] Near the Mississippi and Tennessee border, a metal building collapsed along Highway 15.[6]
Hardeman and McNairy Counties
The tornado crossed into Tennessee, weakening down to EF3 intensity. The tornado destroyed a large metal agricultural building. The tornado passed south of Middleton, damaging a convenience store and mobile home.[16] Multiple homes and businesses were damaged in Hardeman County before moving into McNairy County.[17] The tornado weakened further as it passed south of Selmer, damaging or destroying numerous, including one that sustained low-end EF3 damage to its exterior and interior walls. The final damage noted was to an automobile service along Highway 45, suffering minor damage to its roof before the tornado dissipated.[6]
Aftermath
The tornado seen on a CCTV camera in Holly Springs
The tornado damaged or destroyed 200 homes in Marshall County,[18] 145 homes in Tippah County,[19] 77 homes and mobile homes in Benton County,[20] 12-15 homes in McNairy county.[21]Samaritan's Purse sent experts to assess the tornado impacted areas. The disaster relief unit set up base at the Ashland Baptist Church in Ashland, Mississippi, carrying supplies of heavy duty tarps, chainsaws, and generators, promising to clear debris and cover damage roof with tarps.[22] Operation BBQ relief went to Holly Springs to distribute meals to affected residents and first responders.[23] 150-200 volunteers went out to put tarps on roofs and checks on farmstock. Other groups helped distribute donated goods and meals to residents and volunteers.[24]
See also
2015 Garland tornado – Another large and violent tornado that occurred three days later in Texas.
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