Mississippi, Neighboring States Brace For Possible Intense Tornadoes; 5 Areas Under Flood Watch

Mississippi and its neighboring states are under Flood Watches as severe thunderstorms and showers are expected in the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Central Gulf Coast through Wednesday. Officials warned of an increased risk of EF2 to EF5 tornadoes in affected areas.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms over the Lower Mississippi Valley through Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said Tuesday.

"The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes. In addition, there is an increased risk of EF2 – EF5 tornadoes over parts of the region," the NWS continued, noting that "intense tornadoes" are possible in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.

EF2 tornadoes pack wind gusts of up to 135 mph, EF3 carry three-second wind gusts of up to 165 mph, and EF4 wind gusts can reach up to 200 mph, according to the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale that the NWS uses to estimate wind speeds.

EF5 tornadoes, according to the EF Scale, have wind gusts of up more than 200 mph.

Meanwhile, the Fujita Scale measures estimated wind damage and according to ranking, F5 tornadoes are the ones that bring "incredible damage," can pack up to 318 mph of wind gusts and lift foundations of "strong frame houses."

Officials at the NWS in Jackson noted that along with the likelihood of tornadoes, the state may also experience hail "up to golf ball size."

In Louisiana, the NWS in Lake Charles said showers may strengthen into storms that could produce damaging winds and tornadoes.

The NWS in Atlanta, Georgia has also warned of widespread rainfall with totals of up to 3 inches in some areas.

In Tennessee, up to 2 inches of rainfall is possible, the NWS in Nashville noted.

Over in Alabama, the NWS in Birmingham said the highest chances of severe storms are forecasted in the southwest of the state.

Advisories in Mississippi

Tornado Watch effective through 2 a.m. Wednesday:

• Adams, Bolivar, Claiborne, Caroll, Holmes, Franklin, Issaquena, Humphreys, Leflore, Jefferson, Sunflower, Sharkey, Washington, Warren and Yazoo

Flood Watches effective through Wednesday evening:

• North Mississippi – Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Lafayette, Panola, Marshall, Tallahatchie, Prentiss, Pontotoc, Union, Tishomingo, Tippah, Yalobusha
• Central Mississippi – Attala, Choctaw, Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Leake, Madison, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Humphreys
• East Central Mississippi – Clarke, Kemper, Neshoba, Lauderdale, Jasper, Winston, Noxubee, Newton
• North Central Mississippi – Webster, Leflore, Caroll, Granada, Montgomery
• Northeast Mississippi – Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Clay
• South Central Mississippi – Marion, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Lawrence
• Southeast Mississippi – Covington, Lamar, Forrest, Jones
• Southwest Mississippi – Jefferson, Claiborne, Adams, Franklin (rainfall totals up to 7 inches possible)
• West Central Mississippi – Warren
• Southern Mississippi – Amite, Pearl River, Hancock, Pike, Wilkinson, Walthall (rainfall totals up to 4 inches possible)

Flood Warning effective through 6 a.m. Friday:

• Lafayette, Marshall, Union (cropland flooding forecasted)

Flood Warning effective through 2 p.m. Friday:

• Monroe – Tombigbee River near Amory (move livestock to higher ground)

Advisories in Louisiana

Tornado Watch effective through 2 a.m. Wednesday:

• Catahoula, Concordia, East and West Caroll, Tensas, Morehouse, Franklin, Madison, Richland

Flood Watch effective through Wednesday evening:

• Southeast Louisiana – Assumption, Central and Upper Plaquemines, East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, East and West Ascension, Eastern and Western Orleans, Iberville, Upper and Lower Jefferson, Tangipahoa, Northern and Southern Livingston, Southwestern and Northern St. Tammany, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John The Baptist, Upper Lafourche, Upper St. Bernard and Washington (rainfall totals up to 4 inches possible)

Flood Warning effective through 8 a.m. Friday:

• Bayou Des Cannes near Eunice – Acadia, Evangeline, St. Landry (18 structures near Bayou expected to be flooded)

Flood Warning effective through noon Friday:

• Calcasieu River near Salt Water Barrier

Advisory in Georgia

Flood Watch effective through Thursday morning:

• Northwest Georgia – Catoosa, Dade, Floyd, Chattooga, Murray, Gordon, Whitfield, Walker

Advisories in Tennessee

Flood Watches effective through 6 a.m. Thursday:

• Southern Middle Tennessee – Franklin, Moore, Lincoln
• West Tennessee – McNairy, Hardin, Fayette, Chester, Decatur, Hardeman and Henderson
• Middle Tennessee – Giles, Wayne, Lawrence (rainfall totals up to 3 inches possible)

Flood Warning effective through Friday morning:

• Sequatchie River near Whitwell – Marion, Bledsoe, Sequatchie (flooding of agricultural land possible)

Advisories in Alabama

Flood Watches effective through Wednesday evening:

• Cobert, DeKalb, Cullman, Jackson, Franklin, Lauderdale, Limestone, Lawrence, Marshall, Morgan, Madison (flash flooding possible)
• Central Alabama – Bibb, Calhoun, Blount, Etowah, Cherokee, Greene, Fayette, Jefferson, Hale, Marion, Lamar, Shelby, Pickens, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, Sumter, Winston and Walker (rainfalls totals up to 4 inches possible)

Flood Warning effective through 7 a.m. Friday:

• Flint River at Brownsboro – Madison

Flood Warning effective through Saturday morning:

• Paint Rock River near Woodville – Jackson, Marshall