Clockwise from top: The tornado spotted travelling near the town of Philadelphia, Mississippi; tremendous ground scouring left behind by the tornado, with a large, debarked, and defoliated tree that was ripped out by its roots and thrown can also be seen in the background; damage swath of the tornado across eastern Mississippi | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 27, 2011, 2:30 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | April 27, 2011, 3:00 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| EF5 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Path length | 28.28 miles (45.51 km) |
| Highest winds | 205 mph (330 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Injuries | 8 |
| Damage | $1.1 million (2011 USD) |
| Areas affected | Neshoba, Kemper, Winston, and Noxubee counties in Mississippi |
Part of the 2011 Super Outbreak and Tornadoes of 2011 | |
During the afternoon hours on April 27, 2011, an extremely powerful and fast-moving EF5 multi-vortex tornado, known commonly as the Philadelphia, Mississippi tornado or the Philadelphia EF5,[1] touched down in eastern Mississippi causing catastrophic damage to the northern outskirts of the town of Philadelphia. Part of the historic 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak on record, this was the first of four EF5 tornadoes to touch down that day and the first such storm in Mississippi since the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado. While on the ground for 30 minutes, it traveled along a 28.28-mile (45.51 km) path through four counties, leaving behind three deaths, eight injuries, and $1.1 million in damage.
The supercell thunderstorm that produced this tornado formed around 1:00 pm. CDT south of Jackson, Mississippi. Traveling briskly to the northeast, it became severe within 25 minutes and potentially tornadic by 1:36 pm. CDT. A tornado finally touched down at 2:30 pm. CDT just east of the Philadelphia Municipal Airport. It quickly intensified and began producing EF5 damage by 2:38 pm. CDT; extreme ground scouring, up to .5 metres (1.6 ft) deep in places, occurred in northeastern Neshoba County. After crossing into Kemper County, the tornado obliterated a mobile home, killing all three inside. It reached EF5 strength a second time near the Kemper–Winston county line where extreme ground scouring again took place and pavement was scoured from roads. Extensive tree damage took place elsewhere along the track and it ultimately dissipated at 3:00 pm. CDT about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Mashulaville.