Mississippi Tornadoes Leave Wake of Destruction

It’s mid-Spring in the United States, which means the Southeast is going to see a huge uptick in tornado activity. Over the weekend, an outbreak of twisters touched down in Mississippi, carving a swath of destruction through at least three cities.

The National Weather Service in Memphis tweeted out a series of warnings, urging people in Tupelo to take cover as the storms cut through the city. Calhoun City and Yazoo City both also saw tornadoes slice a path through their streets, breaking windows and uprooting trees.

Widespread Damage

As of the time of this writing, none of the three cities have reported any injuries. However, all three have reported serious damage from the high wind speeds. Crushed cars, damaged buildings, and flattened trees greeted the cities Monday morning, even as crews worked to repair the damage.

In Tupelo, officials asked residents to stay inside immediately following the tornado so work crews could clear the most dangerous parts of the destruction. Downed power lines lying across roads were foremost among the crews’ goals for the cleanup effort Sunday evening into Monday morning.

Tornado Season

While tornadoes can strike anywhere in the world and at any time of year, they’re at their most frequent in the warmer months in the United States. The region that sees the highest number of tornadoes, a stretch from Texas all the way to the Atlantic, is colloquially known as “Tornado Alley”.

The uptick in tornado activity in the warmer months is due to the way twisters form. The supercells that spawn tornadoes get their energy when cold air and warm air collide, resulting in the spinning motion that makes tornadoes possible.

Safety First

If you find yourself caught in a tornado, remember these important safety tips. First, if you’re at home, get into the basement and get away from all windows. If your home has no basement, go to the lowest floor in the house and get into a windowless room, like an interior closet or bathroom. If you can, take cover under a table or desk to cover your head from breaking glass or falling debris.

If you find yourself outside when a tornado touches down, try to get to any stable structure as soon as you can. The only exception to this rule is mobile homes: you’re often safer taking cover in a ditch or a hole outside than inside a mobile home.

Most importantly, remember that tornadoes can move much more quickly than you think. If you can see a tornado, you’re not safe: it can be on you faster than you can react.