2013 Hattiesburg, Mississippi tornado
| EF4 tornado | |
|---|---|
Radar imagery of the supercell that produced the Hattiesburg tornado.
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| Formed | February 10, 2013 5:03 – 5:36 pm CST |
| Max rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Highest winds |
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| Damage | $38.525 million |
| Casualties | 82 injuries |
| Areas affected | Hattiesburg, West Hattiesburg, and Petal, Mississippi (part of a larger outbreak) |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |
The 2013 Hattiesburg, Mississippi tornado was a large violent EF4 multiple-vortex wedge tornado that devastated the city of Hattiesburg, Mississippi as well as portions of surrounding areas of West Hattiesburg, Hattiesburg, and Petal. The tornado was one of eight that touched down in southern Mississippi and southwestern Alabama that day. It reached a maximum path width of 0.75 mi (1.21 km) in its path through the Hattiesburg area and reached estimated maximum sustained winds of 170 mph (270 km/h) in Oak Grove neighborhood of West Hattiesburg. It destroyed many structures and impacted University of Southern Mississippi and two high schools (Oak Grove High School and Hattiesburg High School). Mississippi was declared a federal disaster area by President Barack Obama, and a state of emergency was issued by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had stated as early as February 8 that a few supercells may develop on the 10th and could result in large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes. When the thunderstorm outlook was issued for the 10th, the SPC stated that only a marginal chance for severe supercell thunderstorms existed and only a few storms would develop. Most of the severe activity was expected to develop along the cold front in the form of a squall line. A 10 percent chance of isolated tornadoes was introduced as the instability remained marginal for the event.
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