000 NOUS44 KMEG 100146 AAA PNSMEM PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 846 PM CDT FRI MAY 9 2003 UPDATED TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE MADISON AND HENDERSON COUNTY TORNADO TRACKS OF MAY 4TH 2003... ...F-4 TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEYED IN THE JACKSON TENNESSEE AREA FROM SUNDAY MAY 4 2003... ...F2 TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEYED IN HENDERSON COUNTY OF WEST TENNESSEE FROM SUNDAY MAY 4 2003... ...F2 TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEYED IN DYER COUNTY OF WEST TENNESSEE FROM SUNDAY MAY 4 2003... ...F3 TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEYED IN CROSS COUNTY OF EAST ARKANSAS FROM SUNDAY MAY 4 2003... ...F2 TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEYED IN HENRY COUNTY OF WEST TENNESSEE FROM SUNDAY MAY 4 2003... ...F1 TORNADO DAMAGE SURVEYED IN CARROLL COUNTY OF WEST TENNESSEE FROM SUNDAY MAY 4 2003... ...F-2 TORNADO DAMAGE IN LEE AND ITAWAMBA COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI FROM TUESDAY MAY 6 2003... ...F-2 TORNADO DAMAGE IN CHICKASAW AND MONROE COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI FROM WEDNESDAY MAY 7 2003... PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS NOW INDICATE THAT TWO TORNADOES MOVED ACROSS MADISON COUNTY AND THE JACKSON TENNESSEE METROPOLITAN AREA ON THE NIGHT OF SUNDAY MAY 4TH 2003 INTO THE MORNING OF MONDAY MAY 5TH 2003. THE FIRST TORNADO PRODUCED LOW END F-4 TORNADO DAMAGE IN DOWNTOWN JACKSON...WITH ADDITIONAL F-1 TO F-3 DAMAGE ALONG AN 18 MILE CONTINUOUS PATH. THIS TORNADO CONTINUED EAST ON A NON-CONTINUOUS PATH FOR AN ADDITIONAL 18 MILES...PRODUCING MORE F-1 TO F-2 DAMAGE. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS FROM A HELICOPTER FLY OVER CONDUCTED ON THE MORNING OF FRIDAY MAY 9TH...INDICATED THAT THE JACKSON-MADISON COUNTY TORNADO CONTINUED ON TO PRODUCE THE LEXINGTON-HENDERSON COUNTY TORNADO DAMAGE (SEE MORE CONCERNING DAMAGE FROM THE LEXINGTON-HENDERSON COUNTY TORNADO BELOW). THE SECOND TORNADO THAT PRODUCED ANOTHER DAMAGE PATH ACROSS MADISON AND HENDERSON COUNTIES WAS RATED AT F-1 TO F-2 INTENSITY ALONG A NON-CONTINUOUS PATH...STARTING 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF NEELY AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE BEMIS AREA. IN THESE AREAS...THE TORNADO WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ONE-HALF MILE WIDE AND PRODUCED F-2 TORNADO DAMAGE. SEVERAL HOUSES IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED...INCLUDING EXTENSIVE ROOF DAMAGE. THE INITIAL DAMAGE PATH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 5 MILES IN LENGTH. THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED THIS TORNADO CONTINUED ON TO THE EAST...PRODUCING ADDITIONAL SHORT-TRACKED TORNADOES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF LEXINGTON IN HENDERSON COUNTY. IN THESE AREAS...A 7 MILE LONG NON-CONTINUOUS DAMAGE PATH WAS DOCUMENTED WITH A TORNADO WIDTH ESTIMATED BETWEEN 100 TO 200 YARDS. SEVERAL HOUSES IN THE AREA EXPERIENCED ROOF DAMAGE. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED AS AN F-1 ON THE FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE. THERE ARE NOW 11 CONFIRMED FATALITIES...WITH 2 FATALITIES CONFIRMED IN THE CITY OF JACKSON...AND 9 ADDITIONAL FATALITIES ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF MADISON COUNTY. ALL 9 FATALITIES THAT OCCURRED IN THE COUNTY WERE IN MOBILE HOMES. THE 2 FATALITIES IN THE CITY WERE IN CONVENTIONAL BUILDINGS. TORNADO DAMAGE WAS RATED AS F-2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE IN EAST JACKSON...WHERE IT PRODUCED EXTENSIVE TORNADO DAMAGE TO THE PROCTOR AND GAMBLE INDUSTRIAL PLANT. IN ADDITION...THE TORNADO CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE LOCAL POWER AND WATER UTILITIES THROUGHOUT MADISON COUNTY...ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF JACKSON. THE WATER SUPPLY HAS ALSO BEEN CUT OFF. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT THE TORNADO THAT MOVED ACROSS HENDERSON COUNTY ON THE NIGHT OF SUNDAY MAY 4TH 2003 INTO THE MORNING OF MONDAY MAY 5TH 2003...PRODUCED F1 TO F-2 TORNADO DAMAGE FROM CRUCIFER IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY TO JUST EAST OF LEXINGTON. THE F2 INTENSITY OCCURRED NEAR CRUCIFER AND ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF LEXINGTON. THE TORNADO AT ITS WIDEST EXTENT WAS FOUR TENTHS OF A MILE WIDE. THERE WERE 20 INJURIES...OF WHICH 8 WERE SERIOUS. TWENTY EIGHT MOBILE HOMES AND 4 CONVENTIONAL HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTY WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. IN LEXINGTON 2 HOMES WERE DESTROYED WITH 17 HEAVILY DAMAGED. FOURTEEN BUSINESSES WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED IN LEXINGTON. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT THE TORNADO THAT MOVED ACROSS DYER COUNTY ON SUNDAY MAY 4TH 2003...PRODUCED F1 TO F-2 TORNADO DAMAGE FROM THE DYERSBURG AREA NORTHEAST TO NEWBERN. THE TORNADO RATED AT F1 INTENSITY ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF DYERSBURG INCREASED TO F2 IN PARTS OF THE CITY AND THEN DECREASED TO F1 AS THE TORNADO TRACKED TOWARD NEWBERN. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS NOT CONTINUOUS. TEN PEOPLE WERE INJURED ACROSS THE COUNTY. THE NUMBER OF HOMES DAMAGED WAS 170 WITH 40 OF THOSE DESTROYED. THE ROOF AND BACK WALL OF A MOTEL WAS BLOWN OFF IN SOUTHWEST DYERSBURG AND 20 MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED. A FACTORY WAS DAMAGED IN DOWNTOWN DYERSBURG. ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF DYERSBURG...A WALL OF A HIGH SCHOOL WAS BLOWN OUT. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN NEWBERN. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT THE TORNADO THAT MOVED ACROSS CROSS COUNTY ON SUNDAY MAY 4TH 2003...PRODUCED F1 TO F-3 TORNADO DAMAGE FROM HILTON EAST TO VANNDALE. THE TORNADO RATED AT F3 INTENSITY OCCURRED IN IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY NEAR HILTON AND WAS RATED F1 NEAR VANNDALE BEFORE DISSIPATING. ONE INJURY WAS REPORTED IN THE HILTON AREA. FIVE HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND 4 HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN THE HILTON AREA. THREE HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN THE VANNDALE AREA. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT THE TORNADO THAT MOVED THROUGH HENRY COUNTY ON SUNDAY MAY 4TH 2003...PRODUCED DAMAGE BETWEEN F0 AND F1 FROM JUST SOUTH OF MIDWAY UP TO THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF PARIS. THE TORNADO THEN PRODUCED SCATTERED F2 DAMAGE FROM THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF PARIS TO JUST EAST OF PARIS. THE TORNADO CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST PRODUCING F0 TO F1 DAMAGE TO NEAR THE SUNNY SIDE AREA. THE TORNADO REACHED ONE-QUARTER MILE IN WIDTH. TWO PERSONS WERE TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES. ABOUT 127 STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED IN THE COUNTY WITH 95 OF THOSE BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF PARIS. AMONG THE BUILDINGS THAT WERE DAMAGED INCLUDE THE PARIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE TENNESSEE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION TRAINING CENTER. AN AUTO PARTS STORED AND A CHURCH WERE BOTH DESTROYED. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT A TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN IN CARROLL COUNTY NEAR THE TOWN OF ATWOOD. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS AN F1 AND WAS ONLY ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT ONE-QUARTER OF A MILE. A SECOND TORNADO MAY HAVE TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE TOWN OF HOLLOW ROCK BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION WILL BE DONE TO DETERMINE THE TYPE OF DAMAGE DONE IN THAT AREA. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ACROSS PARTS OF CRAIGHEAD AND MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS ON SUNDAY MAY 4TH 2003. THE TORNADO BEGAN ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLACK OAK IN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY AND ENDED ABOUT 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF MANILA IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AS AN F1. ONE MOBILE HOME IN MANILA WAS OVERTURNED AND DESTROYED. SEVERAL OTHER HOMES SUFFERED ROOF DAMAGE WITH MAINLY SHINGLES BLOWN OFF. ONE FARM HAD 6 FARM PIVOTS DAMAGED. SEVERAL SHEDS WERE DESTROYED. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEYS INDICATE THAT A SHORT...NARROW TRACKED TORNADO OCCURRED ALONG THE LEE AND ITAWAMBA COUNTY LINE IN THE SHILOH COMMUNITY LOCATED NEAR MANTACHIE. THE TORNADO WAS 100 YARDS WIDE AND 1 MILE LONG. INITIAL DAMAGE ESTIMATES RATED THIS TORNADO AS AN F-2 ON THE FUJITA TORNADO INTENSITY SCALE. THE TORNADO OCCURRED AROUND 1030 PM CDT ON TUESDAY MAY 6TH 2003. A TOTAL OF SIX MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND 1 MOBILE HOME WAS DAMAGED. OF THE SEVEN MOBILE HOMES...ONE WAS LOCATED IN LEE COUNTY WHILE THE OTHER SIX WERE SITUATED IN ITAWAMBA COUNTY. TWO VEHICLES NEAR THE SIX MOBILE HOMES WERE ROLLED ONTO THEIR ROOFS. A CARPORT WAS DEMOLISHED ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF BARNS AND OUTBUILDINGS. NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN OVER AS WELL. A TORNADO WARNING FOR LEE COUNTY WAS ISSUED AT 934 PM CDT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT. A TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR ITAWAMBA COUNTY AT 1012 PM CDT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CDT. THIS WARNING HIGHLIGHTED THE POTENTIAL FOR A TORNADO IN MANTACHIE. AT 1023 PM CDT...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR LEE COUNTY WAS EXTENDED UNTIL 1045 PM CDT. RESIDENTS OF THE MOBILE HOMES EVACUATED TO A NEARBY STORM SHELTER BEFORE THE TORNADO OCCURRED. ONE MAN SUFFERED A MINOR CUT ON HIS LEG...OTHERWISE THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED NEAR THE HOUSTON AREA IN CHICKASAW COUNTY. AS OF THURSDAY MAY 8TH...ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION OF THE DAMAGE PATH INDICATED THAT THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF HOUSTON IN CHICKASAW COUNTY...ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE CHICKASAW COUNTY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA. SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED IN THIS REGION AND DAMAGE ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT THE TORNADO WAS AT F-1 STRENGTH AT THAT TIME. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO PRODUCE F-1 TO F-2 TORNADO DAMAGE ALONG ITS NON-CONTINUOUS PATH AND F-0 DAMAGE BEFORE DISSIPATING JUST WEST OF THE MONROE COUNTY AIRPORT. THE LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO PATH WAS DETERMINED TO BE 29 MILES. OTHER AREAS WHERE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED INCLUDE THE EGYPT AREA AND AREAS TO THE NORTH OF ABERDEEN. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT THE TORNADO AVERAGED ONE-QUARTER MILE IN WIDTH ALONG THE ENTIRE TORNADO DAMAGE PATH. PRELIMINARY REPORTS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THAT AN ESTIMATED 6 MOBILE HOMES AND 2 CONVENTIONAL HOMES WERE DESTROYED NEAR THE TOWN OF EGYPT...ALONG PORTIONS OF EGYPT AND COUNTY LINE ROADS. AN ADDITIONAL 4 MOBILE HOMES...4 CONVENTIONAL HOMES...AND SEVERAL BARNS...SHEDS...AND OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED OR HEAVILY DAMAGED ALONG WEST ABERDEEN ROAD AND COUNTY LINE ROAD NEAR ABERDEEN. REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES ALONG PORTIONS OF BOX ROAD...COONTAIL ROAD...AND GOOSE CREEK ROAD HAVE ALSO BEEN RECEIVED. NO SERIOUS INJURIES OCCURRED IN THESE AREAS...BUT THERE WERE A FEW REPORTS OF MINOR INJURIES. FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE DAMAGE SITES WILL BE PROVIDED AS SOON AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. $$