417:
428:. Dozens died as their homes were shredded, and cars were mangled with some never located. The city hall, local bank, post office, and more were also destroyed. Despite significant warning given by the National Weather Service, the community was predominantly low-income, and structures were poorly constructed, leading to increased fatalities. The tornado then crossed through 4th Street into the heart of downtown Inverness, where more businesses were destroyed, including several important government buildings and economic sources. Ground scouring and extreme tree debarking was observed throughout the town as well.
170:
470:"little hope in recovering". The area of Nitta Yuma. which was home to the Cameta Plantation now only contains a handful of structures, far from how it was before the tornado. The Inverness tornado tracked over 100 miles from Louisiana to Mississippi causing 48 deaths and over 500 injuries. A majority of the destruction occurred to low-income predominately African American residences and families, contributing to the impact. While official sources list the tornado as around 500-600 yards, re-analysis through
29:
300:
263:
908:
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In the direct aftermath of the tornado, multiple towns came together to assist in search and rescue, and quickly rebuilding of towns such as
Inverness began. Smaller towns however, such as Delta City suffered damage that to this day has not been recovered from, and was predicted by residents whom had
460:
The tornado entered
Moorhead, and while the size was significant, the strength of the tornado had drastically weakened. Homes near the western fringes of Moorhead saw minor roof damage and mobile homes were damaged or flipped. Poorly anchored structures suffered wall collapses as the tornado tracked
355:
was obliterated, killing a woman, and a plantation was damaged. The core of the tornado was now producing significant ground scouring to fields, and impacted trees were obliterated, and partially debarked. The tornado tracked another 10 miles to the northeast towards
Highway 61, destroying more
360:
was directly impacted as well as multiple shops, homes, and metal buildings nearby. Every structure near the highway was completely obliterated, with most of the plantation completely swept away and granulated by the strong winds. Trees were now severely debarked and reduced to stubs along the
393:, multiple farms, and large industrial buildings were also swept away or flattened. Debris from Delta City was significantly windrowed northeast into fields, and a large church near the edge of Delta City was flattened as well. Cars were lofted and mangled, and multiple people died.
448:
were significantly damaged or destroyed, and ground scouring and wind-rowing of debris was observed once again. The vortex began to weaken slightly as it maintained itself through open farmland and forest, snapping trees and damaging a couple of structures. After tracking near
274:
at 3:08 PM CDT. Tracking northeast, in minutes the tornado widened and strengthened. Trees along Cow Bayou Rd were snapped and destroyed, and the tornado had likely grown hundreds of yards wide. The tornado was most likely moving at over 50 mph as it approached
283:
on
Cornist Rd was completely destroyed, and multiple vehicles at the property were mangled. 11 residents, many of whom were children, were thrown into a nearby bayou and killed. As the tornado continued, a large church to the northeast was flattened, and a
311:, the powerful tornado continued to expand. Homes near Dawson Rd lost roofs and exterior walls, and one home was destroyed. The worst damage in Louisiana would occur near Pecan Rd, as multiple brick homes were severely damaged or destroyed, and several
435:
of
Inverness were damaged. Two churches lost roofing and walls, cars were tossed into trees, and farm equipment was mangled as the tornado finally exited Inverness. The tornado caused 19 deaths in Inverness, and hundreds of injuries.
195:. This divergence caused a significant lifting mechanism that storms could take advantage of, but surface-based shortwave meteorology was still very new, and subsequently, it was unknown how the system would behave further in the week.
319:, vehicles driving across the highway were caught in the circulation, and a home was partially destroyed. No one in Transylvania died, however several were significantly injured. From here the tornado crossed the
396:
More extreme damage was documented northeast of Delta City. Trees were debarked in swaths and ground scouring was observed in fields. A two-story home was completely flattened as the tornado entered
461:
through town, but damage remained minimal. Despite the weakening, multiple lives were lost in
Moorhead. Exiting Moorhead, the tornado rapidly weakened, and quickly dissipated just outside the town.
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As the tornado entered the town of
Inverness, complete devastation began. Virtually the entire town was obliterated, including extreme damage to the local elementary school and the town's
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Multiple days before the event, upper-level analysis displayed conditions that were "close to ideal" for a significant tornado outbreak. A large upper-level
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at 4:10 PM CDT. Dozens of homes were swept and granulated from their foundations. Numerous locations, including a large school, multiple stores, the local
237:
released a severe weather outlook. The outlook stated that "a few severe thunderstorms were expected" during the afternoon across eastern Texas to western
381:
was now in the direct path. Clusters of farmsteads and homes were destroyed southwest of Delta City, before the tornado would make a direct impact on the
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335:. Further into Mississippi, the tornado's wind field reached a width of 2,000 yards, snapping trees and destroying or damaging dozens of rural homes in
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241:. Again at 9:00AM CDT, a severe weather outlook was released further establishing the possibility of severe thunderstorms around Texas, Louisiana,
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extended southward over east Texas. Temperatures across the region rose to 60-70 F, with signs of significant instability and dew points.
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400:. In Washington County, scattered damage was inflicted on any residence or farmstead in the general path. Far western portions of the
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manifested in intense strips of ground scouring around the main vortex. More homes were swept away as the tornado continued across
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was crumpled to the ground before the vortex tracked through miles of forest, impacting multiple small farms and homes north of
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was lofted over 1,000 yards from its location, and trees were again debarked and turned to stubs. The small community of
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situated across the
Rockies, with a substantial eastward motion toward the Great Plains, leading to significant
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540:. Geophysical Monograph Series. Vol. 79. Washington, D. C.: American Geophysical Union. pp. 467–474.
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from the south flattening swaths of trees, and witnesses described it as looking like "a thousand hells." A
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homes, most of which were trailers or manufactured homes. As the tornado crossed
Highway 61, the large
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339:. More miles of forest were shredded as the tornado continued, passing 3 miles to the west of
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National
Weather Service; Saltsman, E. J. (February 1971). Written at Jackson, Mississippi.
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594:"Mississippi Delta tornadoes of February 21, 1971; a report to the Administrator"
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highway as well. At least 3 people were killed here, and evidence of intense
331:. Five homes along the highway were completely destroyed, including a large
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893:(2). Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce: 15–8.
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868:(Technical report). Natural Disaster Survey Report. Rockville, Maryland:
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were damaged as the tornado now threatened the heavily populated town of
242:
126:
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 21, 1971, a deadly and long-tracked
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near the Mississippi Delta region; signs that would normally indicate a
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the same day. The tornado is most notable for tracking directly through
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149:, destroying over 90% of the town. The tornado is the first and only
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173:
Surface weather analysis over the Gulf Coastal Plain by 12:00 UTC.
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Aerial imagery showing extreme damage to downtown Inverness, MS
902:
154:
538:
The Tornado: Its Structure, Dynamics, Prediction, and Hazards
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484:
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
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were shifted off their foundations. Northeast towards
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The tornado touched down roughly 3 miles southeast of
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534:"A 110-year perspective of significant tornadoes"
862:Mississippi Delta Tornadoes of February 21, 1971
720:. Jackson, MS. February 23, 1971. pp. 1–14.
444:Exiting Inverness, spaced out residences along
736:National Centers for Environmental Information
690:National Centers for Environmental Information
664:National Centers for Environmental Information
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8:
517:
21:
1367:1971 natural disasters in the United States
474:has found upwards of 2,000 yards in width.
202:failed to indicate either a well-developed
65:Feb 21, 1971, 5:10 pm. CDT (UTC−05:00)
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976:
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33:Aerial of Inverness, MS after the tornado.
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20:
1387:February 1971 events in the United States
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303:F5 damage to the center of Delta City, MS
266:Significant damage to a home in Delhi, LA
16:1971 tornado across the Mississippi Delta
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179:Tornado outbreak of February 21–22, 1971
118:Tornado outbreak of February 21–22, 1971
732:"Storm Events Database - Event Details"
686:"Storm Events Database - Event Details"
660:"Storm Events Database - Event Details"
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139:1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak
943:1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak
774:
763:
959:2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado
758:Mississippi Farm Bureau News Feb 1971
635:. Environmental Films. p. 1121.
457:became situated in the direct path.
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870:United States Department of Commerce
794:"A Town's Luck Ends as Tornado Hits"
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214:outbreak. At the time, an amorphous
431:Past downtown, larger homes in the
198:On February 21, 1971, a procedural
714:"Cleanup Underway in Delta City".
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950:Deadliest F5 tornadoes on Record
906:
632:Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991
453:for multiple miles, the town of
792:Reed, Roy (February 22, 1971).
157:tornado to impact the state of
141:, and second deadliest behind
1:
1316:Hackleburg–Phil Campbell 2011
874:A Report to the Administrator
532:Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993a).
347:-Sharkey County border. Near
307:Approaching the community of
49:Feb 21, 1971, 3:08 p.m.
598:repository.library.noaa.gov
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999:F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes
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1140:Hansell-Charles City 1968
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883:"Special Weather Summary"
830:"It Happened one Sunday…"
629:Grazulis, T. P. (1993b).
113:
82:
26:
1377:Tornadoes in Mississippi
518:NOAA & Saltsman 1971
286:steel transmission tower
200:surface weather analysis
885:. Mississippi section.
369:and further into rural
218:extended eastward from
165:Meteorological synopsis
915:This section is empty.
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147:Inverness, Mississippi
40:Meteorological history
22:1971 Inverness tornado
465:Impact and casualties
433:"white" neighborhoods
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1286:Lawrence County 1998
440:Moorhead–Dissipation
233:By 3:00 AM CDT, the
191:over the prefrontal
1362:1971 in Mississippi
1075:Ruskin Heights 1957
887:Climatological Data
872:. July 1971. 71-2,
23:
1100:Wichita Falls 1964
802:. pp. 1, 26.
546:10.1029/gm079p0467
502:Multiple sources:
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313:manufactured homes
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295:Transylvania–Isola
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143:a later F4 tornado
73:1 hour, 25 minutes
1382:Tornadoes of 1971
1349:
1348:
1311:Philadelphia 2011
1291:Bridge Creek 1999
1170:Valley Mills 1973
1135:Wheelersburg 1968
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956:Succeeded by
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828:Stowers, Mark H.
773:Missing or empty
642:978-1-879362-03-1
398:Washington County
358:Cameta Plantation
321:Mississippi River
226:, and a relating
204:low-pressure area
135:Mississippi Delta
124:
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1306:Parkersburg 2008
1190:Sayler Park 1974
1185:Brandenburg 1974
1070:Hudsonville 1956
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309:Transylvania, LA
208:frontal boundary
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1256:Plainfield 1990
1226:Birmingham 1977
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253:Tornado summary
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222:to portions of
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93:Overall effects
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1372:F5 tornadoes
1336:El Reno 2011
1276:Jarrell 1997
1261:Andover 1991
1251:Goessel 1990
1246:Hesston 1990
1160:Waverly 1971
1159:
1155:Lubbock 1970
1145:Oelwein 1968
1130:Palluel 1967
1125:Belmond 1966
1115:Jackson 1966
1110:Gregory 1965
1010:Woldegk 1764
949:
926:January 2024
923:
919:adding to it
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839:. Retrieved
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520:, p. 15
508:, p. 81
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391:funeral home
375:storage tank
363:sub-vortices
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290:Waverly, LA.
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115:Part of the
86:Fujita scale
83:
18:
1331:Joplin 2011
1231:Messer 1982
1221:Jordan 1976
1175:Depauw 1974
1120:Topeka 1966
1095:Prague 1960
1090:Colfax 1958
841:January 12,
813:February 2,
742:January 12,
696:January 12,
670:January 12,
603:January 12,
561:January 12,
446:Mound Bayou
387:post office
353:mobile home
343:across the
224:Mississippi
193:warm sector
1356:Categories
1341:Moore 2013
1241:Niles 1985
1211:Spiro 1976
1180:Xenia 1974
1150:Tracy 1968
1080:Fargo 1957
1065:Udall 1955
1050:Anita 1953
1045:Flint 1953
1025:Bowen 1876
854:References
738:. 10048635
692:. 10048633
666:. 10048631
426:cotton gin
379:Delta City
373:. A large
367:Deer Creek
349:Highway 14
333:plantation
325:Fitler, MS
317:Highway 65
277:Highway 80
228:cold front
220:East Texas
216:warm front
189:divergence
98:Fatalities
78:F5 tornado
62:Dissipated
1301:Elie 2007
1206:Guin 1974
1035:Waco 1953
808:119221898
766:cite news
512:NOAA 1971
451:Highway 3
412:Inverness
406:Inverness
345:Issaquena
329:Highway 1
281:farmstead
272:Delhi, LA
258:Formation
247:Tennessee
159:Louisiana
55:UTC−05:00
804:ProQuest
478:See also
455:Moorhead
243:Arkansas
106:Injuries
70:Duration
383:village
239:Alabama
131:tornado
84:on the
961:(2011)
945:(1966)
806:
639:
552:
185:trough
46:Formed
866:(PDF)
490:Notes
235:NSSFC
843:2024
815:2022
779:help
744:2024
698:2024
672:2024
637:ISBN
605:2024
563:2024
550:ISBN
389:and
351:, a
1200:2nd
1196:1st
921:.
542:doi
155:EF5
109:510
51:CDT
1358::
1198:,
891:76
889:.
832:.
796:.
770::
768:}}
764:{{
734:.
706:^
688:.
662:.
651:^
613:^
596:.
571:^
548:.
536:.
408:.
161:.
151:F5
128:F5
101:48
1202:)
991:e
984:t
977:v
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876:.
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53:(
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