Union University/N.Jackson Tornado an EF-4

6:40pm – NWS survey team made its determination as to the intensity of tornado that struck Union University and North Jackson Tuesday Night.  Based on the damage survey the team determined that the storm was an EF-4 on an EF scale of 0-5.  An explanation of how the determination is made is found here. The offical public statement released by the NWS is below:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
605 PM CST WED FEB 6 2008

…MADISON COUNTY STORM DAMAGE ASSESSMENT SURVEY RESULTS…
…EF4 DAMAGE RATING AT UNION UNIVERSITY IN JACKSON TENNESSEE…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A GROUND SURVEY OF UNION
UNIVERSITY IN JACKSON, TENNESSEE. IN ADDITION…THE TEAM REVIEWED
AERIAL SURVEY FOOTAGE CONDUCTED BY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.

BASED ON THESE SURVEYS THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCLUDED
THERE WERE THREE TORNADO SEGMENTS IN MADISON COUNTY. THE FIRST
SEGMENT WAS EF3 DAMAGE WITH WINDS OF 150 MPH. THIS TORNADO WAS UP
TO 200 YARDS WIDE AND 5 MILES IN LENGTH. NUMEROUS HOMES…A CHURCH
AND AN INTERSTATE 40 REST AREA WERE DAMAGED. EIGHT SEMI TRACTOR
TRAILERS WERE BLOWN OFF INTERSTATE 40 DURING THE TORNADO/S PASSAGE.

THE SECOND SEGMENT CAUSED TREMENDOUS DAMAGE AT UNION UNIVERSITY
AND BUILDINGS NEAR THE U.S. HIGHWAY 45 BYPASS. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE RATED THIS TORNADO SEGMENT AS EF4 DAMAGE WITH
WINDS OF 170 MPH. THE PATH WAS UP TO 125 YARDS WIDE AND 2 1/2 MILES
LONG.

A THIRD SEGMENT IMPACTED AREAS NORTHEAST OF JACKSON. NUMEROUS
HOMES AND A FIRE STATION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED. THIS TORNADO
RECEIVED AN EF3 RATING WITH WINDS TO 145 MPH. IT ALSO WAS UP TO
100 YARDS WIDE AND 2 MILES LONG.

Hit Again!

8:15 am – It has become all too surreal to be on 97.7 FM with Stevie Ray Hemann relaying the tornado reports.  In the broadcasting business it is called “wall-to-wall” coverage.  You leave regular programming and give undivided attention to the severe weather threat.  A supercell thunderstorm with a tornado had done significant damage in South Memphis through East Memphis and was leaving the city headed NE.  A pronounced “hook echo” signature was evident on the cell.  This would be the location of the tornado.  It wasn’t difficult to track.  It never got lost in the thunderstorm.  It was an appendage on the south side of the supercell. 

Communicating this information on the radio the storm was consistent in its path.  It would generally travel along the I-40 corridor.  The hook return stayed south of I-40 until it was 9 miles due west of downtown Jackson.  At 6:50pm it took a jog to the left and went across I-40 and into Union University.  Below is the image for the StormLab Doppler Radar that I utilize in my severe weather coverage.  The image time is 6:59pm:

THWT is my location near North Park.  The hook is the lower right side of the echo. Above the “hook” the white pixiated area is where the large hail was being detected by radar.