Damaging Tornadoes Tear Through Mississippi, Alabama

Strong severe weather is marching from west to east from the Gulf Coast all the way to the Ohio River Tuesday evening as some towns are dealing with tornadoes and damaging winds.

Connor Baird, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, said all or parts of three counties – Tuscaloosa, Pickens and Carroll – were under tornado warnings.

Student housing was damaged at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, which is northeast of Meridian in Kemper County, near the Alabama state line.

Public schools in the county have canceled classes for Wednesday.

The primary threat for tornadoes will occur from 3 p.m.to 7 p.m. and mainly for areas West of I-65. The National Weather Service reported severe structural damage to homes, trees, churches and the Federal Correctional Institution, a nearby prison.

Downed power lines, trees and other damage are a problem for people in Pickens County, AL Wednesday morning. The Storm Prediction Center has areas generally south of I-70 in a slight risk. Sollie says there were no immediate reports of injuries, although emergency crews were on standby. The roadway was clear Tuesday, and there was no concern for security, he said.

One of the forecast tools for severe weather is the Significant Tornado Parameter.

The weather service predicted a reduced chance of strong storms in southern and southeastern Alabama.

A brief tornado warning was issued just after 6:15 a.m. for Covington and Crenshaw counties but was cancelled before 6:45 a.m.

That same storm system created blizzard conditions across the Midwest.

Here is a four panel radar view of the storm with (clockwise from top left) reflectivity showing precipitation intensity, storm relative velocity showing rotation, correlation coefficient showing potential debris signatures and finally vertically integrated liquid showing possible hail.