|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default. The tornado spotted travelling near the town of Philadelphia, Mississippi | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 27, 2011, 2:30 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Dissipated | April 27, 2011, 3:00 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| EF5 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 205 mph (330 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Injuries | 8 |
| Damage | $1.1 million (2011 USD) |
| Areas affected | Neshoba, Kemper, Winston, and Noxubee counties in Mississippi |
Part of the 2011 Super Outbreak and Tornadoes of 2011 | |
The 2011 Philadelphia, Mississippi Tornado was a violent EF5 tornado that touched down in eastern Mississippi on the afternoon of April 27, 2011. Part of the historic 2011 Super Outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak on record, this was the first of four EF5 tornadoes to touch down that day and the first such storm in Mississippi since the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado. While on the ground for 30 minutes, it traveled along a 28.28-mile (45.51 km) path through four counties, leaving behind three deaths, eight injuries, and $1.1 million in damage.
The supercell thunderstorm that produced this tornado formed around 1:00 p.m. CDT south of Jackson, Mississippi. Traveling briskly to the northeast, it became severe within 25 minutes and potentially tornadic by 1:36 p.m. CDT. A tornado finally touched down at 2:30 p.m. CDT just east of the Philadelphia Municipal Airport. It quickly intensified and began producing EF5 damage by 2:38 p.m. CDT; extreme ground scouring, up to .5 metres (1.6 ft) deep in places, occurred in northeastern Neshoba County. After crossing into Kemper County, the tornado obliterated a mobile home, killing all three inside. It reached EF5 strength a second time near the Kemper–Winston county line where extreme ground scouring again took place and pavement was scoured from roads. Extensive tree damage took place elsewhere along the track and it ultimately dissipated at 3:00 p.m. CDT about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Mashulaville.