NWS Confirms Bolivar Co. Tornado

The National Weather Service in Jackson, MS, confirmed an EF-1 tornado as causing damage seen Sunday night, Sept. 25, 2011 along the northern side of Cleveland..  Additionally, an EF-0 tornado was confirmed based on reliable storm spotter sightings, and radar data.  Here's the info regarding the Cleveland tornado. (original at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/?n=2011_09_25_svr_bolivar_sunflower)

Rating: EF-1 (click here for EF scale)
Estimated Maximum Winds: 100 mph
Casualties: Zero
Damage path: 11 miles
Maximum Path Width: 800 yards
Approximate Start Point/Time: 6mi NW of Cleveland, 8:04pm
Approximate End Point/Time: 5mi ESE of Cleveland, 8:22pm

The tornado started out producing a relatively narrow path of tree damage along Township Road. It moved southeast through the Stanton subdivision, heavily damaging four trailer homes and caused minor to moderate damage to several other homes and outbuildings. It continued to move southeast causing tree damage, and widened as it moved into the northwest side of the city of Cleveland. As the tornado moved through the north side of Cleveland, it snapped and uprooted numerous trees, blew the signs out of several restaurants and stores, blew the doors out of the automotive area of a department store, and blew out a wall and a large part of a roof of another commercial building. Several homes suffered shingle damage and powerlines were downed. The tornado then turned more eastward, continuing to cause tree damage as it moved along and just north of State Highway 8 east of Cleveland. Additional powerlines were downed and a few more homes suffered minor roof damage due to wind or branches falling on them. As the tornado crossed into Sunflower County it moved more southeast again. It snapped several wooden powerpoles along and just south of Highway 8 along Mallette-Jones Road, along with destroying a greenhouse type structure and causing some roof damage to a frame home. The tornado continued to cause tree damage in a relatively narrow path as it crossed Walker Road, and then dissipated before reaching Lusk Road.

These images from the Jackson, MS doppler radar show a tornadic thunderstorm at 8:15pm just to the east of Cleveland. The image on the left shows 0.5° base reflectivity data, and the image on the right shows 0.5° storm relative velocity data. Click on the thumbnail below for a higher resolution image.

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***