On the night of March 24, 2023, a large, extremely fast-moving, and intense EF3 tornado tracked across Chickasaw, Monroe, and Itawamba Counties in Mississippi, most notably striking the city of Amory. It was one of four EF3+ tornadoes in a large tornado outbreak in late March, including the 2023 Rolling Fork tornado. The tornado was on the ground for 31 minutes, traveled , had an average forward windspeed of , and caused 2 fatalities as well as 55 injuries. The tornado also caused $80.045 million worth of damages.
The tornado was produced by a long-track supercell that had formed that had formed around 7:57 p.m. along the Louisiana-Mississippi border and traveled northeast spawning two tornadoes, a high-end EF4 tornado that devastated Rolling Fork, Mississippi and a high-end EF3 tornado that struck near the city of Winona, before entering Chickasaw County. At 10.38 p.m. the tornado would touch down southwest of Egypt immediately causing EF1 damage as it crossed U.S. Route 45, before intensifying to EF2 intensity on Egypt Road. Now at EF3 intensity, the tornado would enter Tranquil and produced EF3 damage. Shortly after this, the tornado passed near New Wren where a tornado emergency would be issued for the community as well as Amory. Now at peak intensity, the tornado would enter Amory. Numerous buildings would be damaged, however no deaths occurred within city limits. After this, the tornado would continue to weaken to EF2 intensity as it approached Flinn and Smithville, producing EF0–EF1 damage before dissipating northeast of Turon at 11:09 p.m.
Meteorological synopsis
Setup & forecast On March 18, an upper-level trough was situated across the Western United States. As time progressed, the trough began to progress to the east. By March 20, forecasters at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center were calling attention to "some potential for discrete storms" in Mississippi on March 24 ahead of the cold front, their severity contingent on prior destabilization of the atmosphere.
On March 22, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a level 3/5 enhanced risk of severe weather across portions of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi for supercell thunderstorms capable of large hail, damaging winds, and strong tornadoes (EF2+ on the Enhanced Fujita scale). The enhanced risk was expanded northward the following day, and the original outlined area was upgraded to a level 4/5 moderate risk.On March 24, water vapor imagery showed a potent mid-level trough. Strong mid-level winds between the trough and strong high-pressure area across the Southeastern United States were displaying in models as well. Meanwhile, a quickly deepening low-pressure area was expected to drag a warm front northward, leading to a broad, unstable air mass to its south. Although some reduction in moisture was expected across Mississippi due to drier air aloft and warm surface temperatures into the 80s Fahrenheit, continued advection of moist air from the Gulf of Mexico seemed supportive of dewpoints in the upper 60s and lower 70's across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, by the evening hours. Thus, mixed-layer convective available potential energy was expected to rise into the 1,500–2,000 J/kg range. Forecasters initially thought that strong forcing of ascent across Arkansas would lead to an organized squall line capable of both tornadoes and damaging winds, whereas more discrete supercells would be possible farther south, particularly along north–south oriented confluence bands in the open warm sector. The tornado threat relied on the amount of wind shear in the lower levels, which would aid in sustaining supercells.
Supercell formation & storm development
A tornado watch was issued at 5:15 p.m. for portions of eastern Arkansas, northeastern Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee. The watch mentioned the possibility of several strong to intense tornadoes with persistent supercells. Clusters of storms evolved along the confluence bands in conjunction with improving wind shear profiles. However, given their displacement from the surface low and better forcing, there was some uncertainty as to whether they would become better organized. A strengthening low-level jet and surface moisture increased confidence in the maturation of these cells, but tornadic development had not yet begun in the area as of 00:00 UTC.
At their 01:00 UTC outlook, the SPC lowered the probability of tornadoes to a 10% (significant) tornado area, thus downgrading the moderate risk to an enhanced risk. The SPC cited weaker than expected instability in the area, with increased confidence in only limited buoyancy developing. However, the same update noted that "a couple of longer-track supercells" and "a few strong tornadoes" remained possible.
As the update was being issued, a strong supercell evolved near the Louisiana-Mississippi border. By 7:57 p.m., a strong velocity couplet formed at the base of the supercell, which then produced what would become a long-tracked, violent EF4 tornado, and at 8:04 p.m., as the storm approached the town of Rolling Fork, a tornado emergency was placed. This tornado would be rated EF4 with maximum winds estimated at . After the Rolling Fork tornado had dissipated, the supercell would continue northeast, soon being embedded within a line segment of storms. Despite this, the supercell continued tornadic activity, producing a high-end EF3 tornado near Winona. After this, the supercell continued east as it soon reached the Chickasaw-Monroe County line.
Tornado summary
Formation near Egypt and New Wren At 10:38 p.m., the tornado touched down south of County Road 173, quickly moving west and uprooting several trees at EF0–EF1 intensity. The tornado then impacted a row of homes on County Road 179, where several trees were uprooted nearby at EF1 intensity. The tornado continued towards U.S. Route 45A buckling road signs and snapping large tree branches. The tornado began to intensify east of Egypt when two outbuildings were completely destroyed at high-end EF2 intensity, furthermore tree trunks were snapped at mid-range EF2 intensity. On Egypt Road, the tornado weakened slightly, however high-end EF1 damage was inflicted to multiple homes that lost roof shingles. The tornado re-intensified along White Rock Road were homes lost their roof shingles at EF1 intensity, and power poles were damaged at EF2 intensity. Furthermore, EF2 tree damage continued to occur. The tornado continued to race east, where a mobile home would be completely destroyed at mid-range EF2 intensity along Herndon Lane, injuring several members of the Herndon family and killing two, which were the only fatalities attributed to the tornado. Additional EF2 damage also occurred to another home. Tree trunks were also snapped before the tornado continued northeast.
The tornado soon impacted a row of homes along McAllister Road, removing the roofs of a manufactured home at high-end EF1 intensity, before completely destroying four mobile homes at high-end EF2 intensity, as well as removing portions of roofs from other homes. The tornado then entered Tranquil, continuing to intensify further when along Whatley Road, a mobile home was destroyed, tree trunks were snapped, and portions of roofs were removed off of homes at low-mid range EF2 intensity. At this location, the tornado also reached low-end EF3 intensity where a home had most of its outer wall's collapse. Along Little Coontail Road, another row of homes was impacted as wooden poles and trees were snapped at low-end EF2 intensity, before a mobile home was completely destroyed at EF3 intensity and causing the walls of two homes to collapse at EF3 intensity. After this, the tornado weakened slightly to EF2 intensity as it continued towards Lake Monroe near New Wren.
Peak intensity in Amory Around this time, a tornado emergency would be issued for New Wren and Amory. Along Coontail Road, multiple trees would be uprooted at EF2 intensity as the tornado continued eastward. More trees would be uprooted at EF2 intensity along Cotton Ginn Road as the tornado entered Amory. Along Mississippi Highway 278 West, wooden power poles and trees would be snapped at EF2 intensity. As the tornado entered downtown, more power poles and trees would be snapped along I and H Avenue. Along F Avenue, the Saint James Methodist Church was directly hit, losing significant portions of its roofing at EF2 intensity. Along D Avenue, a row of mobile homes was impacted, two of which were completely destroyed, and another two were severely damaged at high-end EF2 intensity. Along Wren Street and May Avenue, a mobile home would be completely destroyed at EF2 intensity, multiple other buildings in the area sustained damage, including the West Amory Church of Christ, which suffered its entire roof collapsing at EF2 intensity. Along A Avenue, 2 more buildings would be damaged at EF2 intensity before the tornado intensified.
Now at peak intensity, the tornado impacted a row of two buildings along 110th Street North, one of which had its X-bracing resisting system destroyed at low-end EF3 intensity, and the other was completely destroyed at mid-range EF3 intensity, with maximum winds estimated at the location to be around . A cell tower at this location also collapsed at low-end EF3 intensity. The tornado continued at peak intensity along Martin Luther King Boulevard, where a large warehouse was severely damaged at EF3 intensity. Another warehouse at the same location was also completely destroyed. Along 104th Street North, a third building would be destroyed at EF3 intensity. Along Waterway Drive, a vehicle was hurled 60 yards off of the road at EF2 intensity, another home also saw most of its exterior walls collapse at EF3 intensity here. Along Drill Street, a metal building had its roof buckle at EF2 intensity. A strip mall nearby also saw its roof collapse at EF2 intensity. The tornado's last point of EF3 intensity occurred along 10th Avenue North, where a metal building saw its frames collapse at low-end EF3 intensity. A fast-food restaurant also had its roof collapse at EF2 intensity.
The tornado weakened as it crossed Cowden Drive, however a strip mall would still suffer its entire roof collapsing at EF2 intensity. Scattered points of EF0–EF1 damage also occurred on multiple streets within the city, mostly notably when a mobile home was lifted off of its foundation at high-end EF1 intensity along 10th Avenue North. The tornado re-intensified as it impacted the Mississippi National Guard building in Amory, as wooden power poles would be snapped at EF2 intensity, the buildings entire roof would also be lifted, as windows were also blown out, both at EF2 intensity. At this same time, the tornado impacted the Amory High School, where the athletics facility suffered severe damage, with the roof also being destroyed at high-end EF2 intensity. Trees were also snapped along a golf course at EF2 intensity. Low-end EF2 damage also occurred to trees along Robert Hill Road, a home would also suffer most of its roof collapsing at EF2 intensity, before the tornado left city limits and weakened.
'Dear, Jesus, please help them' See also: List of notable media in the field of meteorology During live coverage of WTVA News, the tornado would rapidly continue to intensify at mid-range EF3 intensity. This would be noticed by WTVA Chief Meteorologist Matt Laubhan who noticed a large tornado debris signature on radar. Realizing the tornado was heading into downtown Amory, he would begin to pray on live television. He would state "Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen." just seconds before the tornado entered city limits. Laubhan would later state during multiple news interviews, such as those from CNN, that his prayer was not deliberately intended and that he was overwhelmed.
Flinn to Turon and dissipation