2/16/01 Storm Survey and Confirmed Wind Speeds
The following is an alphanumeric message from NWS Jackson, MS, regarding the storm survey for the "bow echo" that hit Oktibbeha and Lowndes Counties on 2/16/01.
NOUS44 KJAN 221613
PNSJAN
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1010 AM CST THU FEB 22 2001
...STORM SURVEY CONDUCTED FOR OKTIBBEHA AND LOWNDES COUNTIES...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON DISPATCHED A GROUND SURVEY
TEAM TO NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI ON WEDNESDAY TO SURVEY THE DAMAGE FROM
SEVERE STORMS THAT STRUCK THE REGION ON FRIDAY...FEBRUARY 16TH. WITH
ASSISTANCE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...LOWNDES AND OKTIBBEHA
COUNTIES WERE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE SURVEY.
DAMAGE IN THESE COUNTIES WAS EXTENSIVE. THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE
KNOCKED DOWN...AND MANY OF THE TREES FELL ON HOMES. MANY ROAD SIGNS
AND BILLBOARDS WERE ALSO KNOCKED DOWN...PARTICULARLY ALONG EAST-WEST
ROADS SUCH AS HIGHWAY 82.
THE SURVEY TEAM FOUND THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS OF 60 TO 80 MPH WHICH WERE SUSTAINED FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL
MINUTES. THE LONG DURATION OF THE WINDS INTENSIFIED THE DAMAGE BY
SUSTAINING AERODYNAMIC FORCES ON TREES AND BUILDINGS. THE RESULTING
DAMAGE...PARTICULARLY TO TREES...IS WORSE THAN DAMAGE WHICH WOULD
HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY STRONGER...BUT SHORTER-DURATION...WINDS.
EVEN THOUGH NO EVIDENCE OF CIRCULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH TORNADOES
WAS FOUND...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO MAY HAVE
OCCURRED. THIS COULD HAVE ONLY BEEN DETERMINED BY AN AERIAL
SURVEY...WHICH WAS NOT AN OPTION FOR THIS EVENT. THE CONCLUSION THAT
THE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WAS THE RESULT OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...AND
NOT TORNADOES...WAS BASED ON SEVERAL REASONS.
1. ALMOST ALL OF THE DOWNED TREES AND BILLBOARDS FELL IN THE SAME
DIRECTION. THIS INDICATES STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OVER A VERY LARGE
AREA. TORNADO DAMAGE WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED OVER SUCH A LARGE
AREA...AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONVERGENT OR SPIRAL PATTERN TO
THE DAMAGE.
2. DAMAGE TO HOMES WAS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY CAUSED BY TREES FALLING ON
THEM. SHINGLES MISSING FROM ROOFS WAS THE ONLY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO
HOMES WHICH WAS DIRECTLY CAUSED BY WIND. THE SURVEY TEAM DID NOT SEE
ANY MOBILE HOMES WHICH HAD BEEN ROLLED...EVEN IN THE MIDST OF MAJOR
TREE DAMAGE.
3. THE DESTROYED BILLBOARDS ALL FACED EITHER WEST OR EAST. FEW IF
ANY BILLBOARDS WHICH FACED NORTH OR SOUTH WERE DAMAGED. SINCE THE
STRONG WIND BLEW FROM THE WEST...IT EASILY FLOWED AROUND BILLBOARDS
FACING NORTH OR SOUTH...BUT SLAMMED DIRECTLY INTO BILLBOARDS WHICH
FACED EAST OR WEST. A TORNADO LIKELY WOULD HAVE DESTROYED BILLBOARDS
NO MATTER WHICH DIRECTION THEY FACED.
FINALLY...THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT DAMAGE OF THIS MAGNITUDE
MUST BE ASSOCIATED WITH TORNADOES. THIS IS NOT TRUE. STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS CAN OFTEN PRODUCE THE SAME DAMAGE AS STRONG TORNADOES...AND
MAKE ROARING OR "FREIGHT TRAIN" SOUNDS LIKE TORNADOES.
THEREFORE...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS SHOULD BE TAKEN JUST AS
SERIOUSLY AS TORNADO WARNINGS...AND YOU SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IN
STURDY STRUCTURES WHEN EITHER TYPE OF WARNING IS ISSUED.
WE ARE NOW IN OUR PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER SEASON. MAKE SURE SEVERE
WEATHER PLANS ARE IN PLACE FOR YOUR HOME...WORK...AND/OR SCHOOL.
MAKE IT A POINT TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER
EACH AND EVERY DAY...AND KEEP ABREAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY OF THE
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. OUR WEB SITE IS LOCATED AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV.
FROM THERE...CLICK ON THE JACKSON OFFICE. WE ISSUE A GRAPHICAL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK EVERY DAY AROUND 6 AM...WITH UPDATES
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. OUR SITE ALSO PROVIDES REAL-TIME RADAR
DATA...FORECASTS...AND SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND
WARNINGS.
Confirmed Wind Speeds
The following is a list of measured wind gusts from weather reporting stations along the path of the bow echo, and the times they occured (times are Central Standard Time):
Columbus AFB - 71 MPH (1:55pm)
Tuscaloosa Airport - 60 MPH (2:27pm)
Birmingham Airport - 68 MPH (3:09pm)
Anniston Airport - 60 MPH (4:03pm)
Dobbins AFB - 72 MPH (5:19pm)
Fulton County Airport - 63 MPH (5:24pm)
Page last modified 31 December, 2003