2010 Yazoo City tornado

On April 20, the weather forecasting agency, Storm Prediction Center (SPC), first highlighted a severe weather risk for the lower Mississippi River basin region for April 24. A favorable kinematic and thermodynamic environment possibly near or ahead of an advancing front. While large hail and damaging winds was expected, a boundary layer, which is an area of moist air moving into an area, and strong wind shear indicated potential tornadic activities.^[8] A large, upper-level trough was forecast to move slowly across the central United States and center over Illinois, with strong southwesterly flow aloft forecast to spread across the Mississippi Valley into the Gulf Coast Region. Within the area south of the Ohio Valley, a moist and destabilizing airmass with a strong wind field was spreading across the region, suggesting severe weather potential.^[9]

At 12:57 a.m. CDT on April 24, a high risk for severe weather was designated over portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas. The risk was accompanied by a 30% hatched risk, an enhanced probability for strong (EF2+) tornadoes, severe hail, and strong damaging winds for the area. A strengthening upper-level storm system traversed across the Central United States, with the cold front moving easterly from the central southern Mississippi River Valley into the Ohio River Valley, a warm and moist environment was ahead of the front. Development of severe thunderstorms was occurring during the morning hours, with conditions expected to become more favorable throughout the day. A potent wind profile was expected to spread across the moist, warm sector, which is a region of warm air ahead of the cold front.^[10]

Discrete, cyclic supercells were expected over the high risk zone in the mid-morning into the afternoon, with convective clusters and lines of embedded supercells also being a possibility. Forecast soundings, observations that deciphers the environment of an area, over the high risk area depicted a 60–70 mph (95–115 km/h) low-level jet supporting large hodographs, which plot winds from soundings from Earth's atmosphere, and storm relative helicity of 300-600 joules per kilogram (j/kg), and mid-level convective available potential energy of 1500—2500 j/kg.^[10]

At 9:31 a.m. CDT, upper air analysis showcased the upstream trough negatively tilting, with an embedded jet-stream traversing east-northeast into the Ark-La-Tex region. The jet-stream was expected to transfer into regions in the mid to lower Ohio valley later in the afternoon, with the surface low tracking northward from Arkansas to St. Louis as it underwent significant deepening. Morning convection were expected to move into the Tennessee Valley and become elevated, no longer surface-based, over time as they moved into the Cumberland Plateau and Appalachian Mountains.^[11]

At 10:28 a.m. CDT, a couple of large thunderstorms began demonstrating supercell characteristics in southeastern Mississippi, with the storms expected to move into Alabama throughout the late morning hours, with dew points reaching 60–69 °F (16–21 °C). Large-scale ascent was to continue downstream, though there was still some uncertainty on where storms will develop, with further destabilizing of the warm sector occurring over the lower Mississippi valley. With favorable low-level wind shear and a moist and unstable boundary layer maintaining the possibilities of strong tornadoes throughout the afternoon as discrete supercell development was started ahead of the developing quasi-linear convective system (QLCS).^[11]

At 11:30 a.m. CDT, the SPC issued a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watch across several states, with a high probability of multiple significant tornadoes, along with large hail and strong straight-line wind gusts up to 80 mph (130 km/h). The surface low located over Arkansas was undergoing rapid deepening as a strong, shortwave trough rotated across the area. SPC noted that tornadic supercells were already in progress across Mississippi, with strong wind shear profiles expected to spread north and east. Additionally, a rapidly moving squall line was moving across northern Arkansas, forecasted to evolve into a strong QLCS with intense, damaging winds.^[11]

On July 1, 2015, two researchers from the Florida State University's Department of Geography, Tyler Fricker and James B. Elsner, published a study looking into kinetic energy released by tornadoes when inflicting significant damage. The study used total kinetic energy (TKE) as a metric of destruction estimated from the fraction of the tornado path, using a model developed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that connects factual data with the theory. A portion of every tornadoes recorded has TKE exceeding 62.1 gigajoule, with a quarter exceeding 383.2 gigajoule. The tornado with the highest energy was the Yazoo City tornado, with a TKE of 516.7 terajoules.^[38]

The tornado caused $36 million in total damage in Louisiana, with a reported 16 injuries.^[16] The tornado did $373.5 million in total damage in Mississippi, including $144 million in Yazoo County alone, and ten people were killed, with 130 people injured in across several counties. Overall, the tornado inflicted $409.5 million in damage.^[16][19] In Yazoo City, more than 160 homes sustained moderate damage to major damage, and 107 homes destroyed.^[39]

Throughout the track, the tornado affected 556 homes, 242 manufactured homes, 33 businesses, and 18 agricultural structures.^[1] In Madison Parish, 10—15 homes were destroyed and an industrial plant was heavily damaged.^[11] Overall, 319 homes in Yazoo County were damaged, 114 homes in Choctaw County were damaged, 60 homes in Holmes County were damaged, 42 homes in Warren County were damaged, and 35 homes in Attala were damaged, with 100 residences in Yazoo County and 38 in Choctaw County designated uninhabitable.^[40] In Yazoo County, nine homes funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Rural Development's Self-Help Housing development program were demolished.^[41]

In Yazoo and Holmes counties, portions of State Highway Three and State Highways 14 and 17 were closed due to fallen trees and other damage. University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson saw 27 patients, with a couple of them from Yazoo City, who were airlifted to the hospital; 14 of the patients were in critical condition. King's Daughter Hospital also reported receiving injured people.^[25]

State insurance commissioner Mike Chaney estimated that insurance estimates were likely above $50 million after touring the affected area by helicopter, with Chaney also stating that 90% of homes in Yazoo County were insured, but another 90% in Holmes County was uninsured. Insurance company, State Farm, reported that they've received over 360 claims on auto and home damage in Mississippi after the tornado.^[42][43] The Insurance Department and a few companies set up centers at a Sunflower Food store in Yazoo City to respond to questions and evaluate claims. Nationwide spokeswomen reported that 35 claims were placed by Monday. Mississippi Farm Bureau's office in Yazoo City reported that over 390 reports of property losses were recorded to the bureau.^[43]

Electricity company, Entergy, reported that the tornado caused extensive damage to Entergy facilities, leaving 1,500 Entergy customers without power, with 457 in Yazoo County, 338 in Holmes County, and 319 customers in Attala County, with Entergy predicting power to be fully restored in Yazoo County by Wednesday, April 28, while everyone in Holmes County should get power back by the April 27, and the majority of everyone else the day after the tornado. Entergy dispatched 75 linemen and support personnel to Mississippi to reinstate power to tornado-stricken areas. The Electric Power Association reported 18,000 of their customers were without power, which lowered to 1,700, with 800 customers in Yazoo County and 600 in Holmes County.^[40][44]

After the tornado, it was revealed that tornado sirens in Warren County failed to sound before the tornado struck the Eagle Bend area. The head of the Warren County Emergency Operations Center claimed that she arrived at the office right as the tornado struck the town and did not have time to activate the sirens manually. Despite that, the residents of Eagle Bend might not have heard the sirens regardless since the closest one to the town was 4 miles (6.4 km) away. Warren county lacked the money available to construct a tornado siren near the Eagle Bend area. Warren county officials were working on a grant to purchase weather radios to distribute to residents. In Holmes County, at least one tornado siren failed to sound, with residents in Durant recounting that they had not heard the siren go off in over a year. Officials in Durant applied for a grant to replace the old siren, but it was rejected.^[45]

In July 2010, a pre-mitigation assessment team (PMAT) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published a report on the April 23–24 tornado outbreak, specifically on the Yazoo City tornado, observing and assessing the structural damage left behind and the performance of the storm shelters along the tornado's track. Nine residential storm shelters were observed by PMAT, six of those were occupied during the tornado, and two out of the nine storm shelters had visible damage. The survey noted that storm shelters were limited in the central parts of the state, with the majority of them being located in the northern and southern portions of the state. According to the Ebenezer Fire Department, the storm shelter in the community, one of two for Holmes County, were not used as residents were afraid to use it and hunkered down in the Fire Department building. The storm shelters contained flaws that made them untrustworthy for residents, including inconsistent use of anchors, lack of lighting, and difficulty in locking the door. The presence and location of the storm shelters were also unknown to the locals and officials.^[1]

Governor of Mississippi, Haley Barbour, declared a state of emergency for the areas impacted by the tornado across seven counties. Spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Greg Flynn, claimed that the death toll for the tornado could have been higher if not for the vigil warning by the National Weather Service and improved response systems imposed after Hurricane Katrina.^[46] Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, declared a state of emergency for Madison Parish, with him expected to meet with the sheriff and other officials in the parish.^[47] Barbour visited parts of Yazoo County that were devastated and was interviewed by the Associated Press, stating parts of the county that were struck experienced "utter obliteration", with the destruction reminding him of Katrina. Later he recounted, "The effects of these storms have left many Mississippians with destroyed businesses and without homes", with Barbour ordering state flags to be flown at half-staff beginning Tuesday, April 27, to Friday, April 30 during the mourning period.^[48][40]

On April 29, President Barack Obama declared a federal disaster for Mississippi, allocating federal aid to support state and local recovery efforts to the areas affected by the tornado, opening federal funding to people in several counties, including Attala, Choctaw, Holmes, Warren, and Yazoo Counties. Federal funding was also available for state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in Yazoo and Choctaw counties to use for debris removal and for the state to use for 72 hours to choose emergency protective measures. The declaration also noted that FEMA was continuing with damage surveying in other areas, with the expectations that more counties and additional forms of assistance were likely after the surveying was completed.^[49]

Rescuers initially struggled to enter Yazoo County due to geographical challenges, with the county being located on a more difficult and hilly terrain that runs along this section of the Mississippi Delta, with some rescuers resorting to off-road vehicles to reach victims, according to the governor spokesperson. Helicopters were overhead to assess the damage as rapid response teams searched for victims. American Medical Response continued their operations in other parts of Mississippi, dispatching ambulances to affected areas, with injuries ranged from minor to severe, according to an American Medical Response spokesman. The Rankin County Emergency Management Agency dispatched a bus that was converted to a multi-patient ambulance.^[50] American Medical Response of Central Mississippi established a triage center in Yazoo City, with the spokesperson for American Medical Response reporting that patients had to be brought out on four-wheelers due to debris from trees and structures making travel difficult.^[46][51] 11 ambulances were provided to the city, one person with severe injuries were airlifted to a hospital in Jackson, and four people were transported by ambulance to different hospitals.^[50][52] 80 Mississippi National Guard soldiers were dispatched, with an additional 40 Highway Patrol officers deployed across areas affected by the tornado, with state troopers and other law enforcement officers joining to help.^[53] The state setup a command post along Highway 49 in Yazoo City, with a rapid-response team from Hattiesburg being activated by the state, consisting of 25 members that were capable of search and rescue operations.^[25]

State officials established at the Mississippi State Fair to receive donated bottled water and imperishable food for the relief effort. 14 deputy fire marshals were deployed to disaster zones over the weekend to watch out for looters, though there was only minor cases of looting in Holmes County.^[43] In Hinds County, the sheriff department set up a semi-truck to accept imperishable food, water bottles, clothing, beds and other essentials to assist in the relief efforts for tornado victims. The sheriff department also announced they've sent out two dozen deputies and 100 inmates to help clear debris in Yazoo County in response to the tornado.^[40][26] On April 26, Firefighters from Columbus Fire Department's Task Force Two team dispatched the search and rescue team to Yazoo and Choctaw counties, with approximately 15 people assigned to the mission, determining the damage inflicted to residences and assisting in accounting for all residents in the area.^[54] MEMA offered housing to the victims who lost their homes, using cottages that were originally built for the victims of Katrina and the cottages were available for victims eligible to acquire a cottage in all the disaster-declared counties.^[55]

An emergency volunteer response center was established in Yazoo City by the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (MCVS) to evaluate the damage, with other volunteer response centers being established in Holmes and Choctaw counties as MCVS staff members expanded volunteer coordination operations into the aforementioned counties and Attala County. MCVS partnered with several faith-based and non-profit charity organizations to assist in the disaster response efforts and gaining access into MCVS′ network national service partners. MCVS registered volunteers and accepted request for assistance from residents prior to volunteers being allowed in disaster zones. Between April 24 to May 25 in Yazoo County, 1,067 volunteers were registered and deployed, 163 volunteers were registered and deployed in Holmes County, and 278 volunteers were registered and deployed in Choctaw and Attala counties, with thousands of volunteer hours completed.^[56]

Emergency assistance was available for eligible farmers and producers through the Farm Service Agency, with the state executive director stating that the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides funding to affected farmers and producers, assisting in the effort of removing debris from farm fields and restoring fencing, with cost-share assistance of up to 75% of the cost of the approved practices. Multiple Farm Service Agency offices were given clearance to implement the program, including in Yazoo, Attala, Choctaw, Holmes, and Oktibbeha.^[57] The Mississippi Department of Mental Health and Warren Yazoo Mental Health Service collaborated to organize a stress management seminar at the Yazoo County High School, where several mental health professionals were gathered to help tornado victims and first responders cope from the trauma resulting from the tornado and the aftermath, though no victims or first responders came to the mental health seminar despite the advertisement for the event.^[58]

Over the next couple of days, rescue efforts spread into the rural areas of Mississippi as the federal government and American Red Cross dispatched rescue teams to the disaster zone, with tarps, meals, and water being distributed to victims as officials requested for volunteers to help coordinate efforts in debris removal, the L.T. Community Center in Yazoo City was opened for victims needing shelter, with the American Red Cross providing meals at the shelter.^[59][44] By April 28, Old Benton Road was cleared of debris, with the owner of a local construction company, Paul Parker, reporting that dozens of homes were being rebuilt, though he also stated the workload was overwhelming and was concerned about the storms forecasted next week.^[60] Soon, volunteers were allowed in disaster areas as search and rescue operations were concluded and debris were cleared from roads.^[56]

The Salvation Army arrived in Yazoo City, serving 4,500 hot meals for residents impacted by the tornado, providing meals in mobile feeding units alongside the American Red Cross and at the front entrance of Ribeye's Steakhouse, with the organization distributing 200 blue tarps to several homes in Yazoo and Holmes counties.^[61][59][60] The Delta unit of AmeriCorps' National Civilian Community Corps were dispatched to Yazoo City to aid in the relief efforts, with the regional director surveying and assessing the damage in the city, with preparation for the mission beginning at the organization's campus in Vicksburg.^[62] God's Pit Crew, a Virginia disaster response group, launched a mass distribution of goods to victims in Yazoo and several other counties affected by the tornado, distributing 300,000 lb (140,000 kg) of essentials, including water, tarps, and imperishable foods, over the span of five days, with other distribution centers established in addition.^[56] The Central Mississippi chapter opened a shelter with supplies as well as emergency response vehicles, and other places opened up as shelters.^[63]

Local volunteer group, Operation Ukraine, and other volunteers traveled to Yazoo City, with a truck loaded with supplies and essentials, including six pallets of bottled water and first-aid supplies, to the Broadway Church of Christ, serving as the official distribution site of the disaster area, with the volunteer group promising another delivery of supplies along with 150 food boxes. Building supplies store, New Home Building Stores in Columbus, assisted Operation Ukraine by purchasing roofing plastic and supplies to cover roofs of homes damaged by the tornado.^[64] The Yazoo City Church of Christ administered 184,000 water bottles over the span of a couple of days. Another church from Jackson, and churches from other states, including Arkansas and Kentucky, arrived to aid in the recovery effort.^[65] Housing Assistance Council provided $10,000 in loan to the Esther Stewart Buford Foundation for the purchase of new construction equipment. The foundation provided emergency shelter, clothing, and essential supplies to victims of the tornado, with state, county, and local officials joining in the effort to help residents.^[66] Houston Astros player Roy Oswalt traveled several hours to Weir to check up on his parents, whose home was partially destroyed by the tornado. Oswalt spent the weekend using heavy machinery to clear debris from his parents' and neighbors' homes.^[67]

The Lutheran Episcopal Service in Mississippi (LESM) immediately began assisting in the relief efforts. The Director of Disaster Preparedness and Response with LESM have stated that the coordinated effort helped organized the ability to place volunteers where they were needed. Mississippi Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster was also holding conference calls with other member organizations to collaborate and coordinate response efforts, with LESM sending an assessment and emergency clean up team to tornado damaged areas to assist with debris removal. St. Mary's Episcopal Church started a relief effort in Holmes County, serving meals in the Ebenezer area to victims and relief workers.^[68] The Lutheran Disaster Response issued a $10,000 emergency grant to LESM to use in the earlier days of the relief effort, with further funding and non-financial resources possible as the full scope of the disaster became clearer.^[69]

Approximately 20 students volunteers from the National Association for the Prevention of Starvation arrived in Yazoo City, traveling from Oakwood University in Huntsville overnight, using chainsaws to cut through fallen trees and hauling debris off.^[70] A Lowe's store in Madison received customers from Yazoo and Holmes counties to purchase essentials, including generators and lumber items. An ACE Hardware store in Yazoo City remained operational to assist customers, with first responders and customers receiving tarp, generators, batteries, chain saws, and duct tape, leading to a significant depletion in stock for the store, though the store manager stated that trucks from Mobile were bringing fresh supplies to the store. In Holmes County, the hardware store Lexington Home Center experienced high demand for supplies like plywood, roofing shingles, windows, and pipes, leading to most of the items being sold out.^[43]

In Louisiana, several southern Baptist churches in the area around the Willow Bayou Baptist Church rallied to help. The Transylvania Baptist Church brought fixings to the William Bayou Church and provided dinner to local residents, rescue workers, and other guests who showed up, with plans to use William Bayou Church as a disaster relief area. The American Red Cross assisted in providing essential including water and comfort kits. The Madison Parish Sheriff's Department provided gasoline to generators that were given to local residents. Auto parts stores Western Auto and Aaron's Rental donated a few deep-freezers for donated food to be stored until needed.^[71]

The State Director for Mississippi's Rural Development visited Yazoo City an hour after the tornado tore through, joined by the Mayor of Yazoo City, MacArthur Straughter, with the Director assembling full-court press and using resources at USDA Rural Development to aid the damaged areas and the affected residents, with staff members from USDA's Multi-Family Housing Program coordinating a rapid response to open up vacant units for affected families.^[41]

After the tornado, a majority of the spilled materials at the Complex Chemical plant were pumped into temporary tanks for disposal. Contractors were hired and heavy equipment was rented for debris removal across the site. Complex rented out trailers as temporary office spaces, multiple large containers were also brought in as temporary warehouses to store raw materials and products as production was outsourced to several areas. Key areas of the plant, like the blending and distillation units, were powered by one of the 13 large generators rented out by Complex. By June 14, all Complex plant's 11 processing units were operating at 90% capacity and productivity, though debris was still present on the plant. Afterwards, a larger office building separate from the plant was constructed, along with the construction of one large warehouse, a new electrical system, and a large steel enclosure to protect the distillation and oil blending units, which was rebuilt to include a truck loading area.^[18]

At Eagle Lake, residents planning to rebuild their destroyed homes had to abide by the new construction guidelines implemented in Warren County's flood ordinance, requiring homes to be on stilts that were 18 in (46 cm) off the ground. The addition of the stricter guidelines occurred after FEMA confronted counties that did not have the National Flood Insurance Program policies in their laws, said counties were applied to Special Flood Hazard Areas, areas designated by FEMA to be in a high-risk for flooding inundations by 100-year flooding events or ones that have a chance of occurring every given year. 41 residents in Eagle Bend have received housing, and a disaster recovery center was established at the Eagle Lake Volunteer Fire Department to assist with unemployment and small businesses. Along Highway 465, a debris collection site opened up next to a cotton gin business that was expected to stay there until June 30.^[72]

Three months after the tornado, almost 69.1 million tons of debris were removed across five counties, according to the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and new power lines were installed. The emergency management director for Choctaw County stated that the locals have become fearful of severe weather after the tornado and that 15 families were staying in FEMA trailer homes set up at a recreational vehicle park in the county, with many others moving into FEMA cottage homes.^[73]

Contractors installed new power poles and volunteers helped with home repairs. MEMA reported that FEMA granted close to $3.3 million in individual assistance, and 849 residents applied for aid. The Small Business Association made $2.4 million in loans, mostly for home repairs. 22 members of the Saint Pius X youth ministry disaster relief team assisted in rebuilding homes in Yazoo City.^[73]

State Director for Mississippi's Rural Development program and other officials from the USDA, with the assistance of local municipal and community leaders, helped rebuild a home that was significantly damaged by the tornado, as part of National Homeownership Month, a month designated in June by the USDA, with the event also highlighting the Self-Help Housing program, which assisted in people and families to acquire homes by building it themselves.^[74]

On June 17, 15 congregations based in St. Louis spent ten days to collectively raise $9,000 to Yazoo County Red Cross, with several churches in the area participating in the local initiative.^[75]

A year after the tornado, 90% of the damaged homes in Yazoo City was repaired and rebuilt, with many businesses like the Ribeye Steakhouse and Just My Style spa repaired and reopened soon after the tornado.^[6][73] On November 21, 2011, the Hillcrest Baptist Church successfully rebuilt, with the church holding a dedication ceremony for the church's revival. The church was rebuilt debt-free due to donations, with the estimated cost of reconstruction being $1.5 million.^[76]

In March 2017, ambers from a house fire landed in a wooded area near the home, sparking a fast-moving wildfire that scorched 121 acres (49 ha) of forest, with firefighters from multiple agencies extinguishing the fire in 14 hours. Piles of uncleared timber debris from the tornado aided in fueling the fire, with the debris and rough terrain slowing efforts to put out the flames.^[77]

On November 29, seven months after the EF4 tornado, another significant EF2 tornado struck downtown Yazoo City, with estimated wind speeds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Several buildings were damaged, with most of them being unroofed and one having parts of their exterior walls collapse. Then the tornado peaked in the downtown area, with buildings having their windows blown out and a siding from a building torn off. Afterwards, the tornado tore off roofs from homes and businesses, snapped power poles, and several trees were uprooted before the tornado dissipated few miles northeast of Yazoo City. No casualties were reported, and the tornado caused $1.1 million in damage.^[80] Governor Haley Barbour and Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant assessed the damage in Yazoo City, with Bryant reporting that 24 businesses were damaged by the tornado, but noting that officials were still quantifying the damage, with him stating, "I think what you've got here is storm fatigue. It's very frightening to people."^[81]

• Weather of 2010
• List of tornado emergencies
• List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes (2010–2019)
• List of deadliest tornadoes in the Americas