As we drove to Memphis yesterday afternoon, we passed through the damage at Olive Branch about 15 minutes after the tornado struck…
It is a reminder that in addition to the widespread wind damage that a bow echo can produce, there can be significant spin up tornadoes along the leading edge of the bow.
NOUS44 KMEG 130426
PNSMEG
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-131031-
DAMAGE SURVEY TEMPLATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1126 PM CDT FRI JUN 12 2009
…PRELIMINARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE SURVEY DETERMINES AN
EF2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN OLIVE BRANCH MISSISSIPPI THIS
AFTERNOON…
THE TOUCHDOWN STARTED AT 458 PM CDT AT THE TRUCK WEIGHING SCALES ON
HIGHWAY 78…ONE MILE SOUTHEAST OF GOODMAN ROAD…WHICH IS HIGHWAY
302. THE TORNADO HAD A NON CONTINUOUS TRACK TO THE EAST..NORTHEAST
FOR 2.9 MILES…ENDING A FEW HUNDRED YARDS EAST OF HACKS CROSS
ROAD…ABOUT A HALF OF A MILE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 302. IT IS ESTIMATED
THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS ABOUT 75 YARDS…WHILE THE MAXIMUM ESTIMATED
WINDS WERE 120 MPH.
THERE IS WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS OLIVE BRANCH…WITH NUMEROUS TREES
AND POWER LINES DOWN…SOME WHICH HAVE FALLEN ON HOUSES. AT LEAST
THREE HOMES SUSTAINED EF2 DAMAGE. NUMEROUS HOMES HAVE SUBSTANTIAL
ROOF OR SHINGLE DAMAGE. THE DESOTO COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS
ONE MINOR INJURY IN OLIVE BRANCH.
THE TORNADO FORMED ON THE LEADING EDGE OF A BOW ECHO WHICH PRODUCED
60 TO 80 MILE AN HOUR STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF
THE MIDSOUTH.
$$
