How strong were the tornadoes in Gautier and Pascagoula? See path, wind speeds
The tornado that pounded parts of Gautier on Sunday has been categorized as an EF-1 with 95 mph winds, the National Weather Service said.
The agency’s damage report, released Tuesday, said the tornado stayed on the ground for 10 minutes and cut a 2.5-mile path through the city. It touched down at 9:27 a.m. on the south side of Highway 90, severely damaging Aztecas Restaurant & Cantina.
The tornado was one of two that tore through Jackson County on Sunday as severe weather thundered across the region. Another tornado that hit Pascagoula was categorized as an EF-0 with 85 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service.
No one in either city was injured.
Tornado paths
The tornado in Gautier spun northwest, causing minor home damage and tearing apart trees between the Northwood Hills area to Indian Point Road. It strengthened as it neared Martin Bluff Road, where it damaged the Glenmark Apartments and collapsed a wall at the Riverbend Condominiums.
A Mississippi Department of Transportation camera captured footage of the tornado as it approached Interstate 10 and dissipated by 9:37 a.m.
The tornado in Pascagoula began at 10:13 a.m. and spun for 1.7 miles before lifting seven minutes later. The National Weather Service said the twister touched down near Arlington Elementary School and moved northwest, damaging roofs. It uprooted trees and strengthened near Old Mobile Avenue. Then it turned north, crossed Highway 90 and lifted shortly thereafter.
Severe weather hit Mississippi and Louisiana
The National Weather Service rates a tornado’s severity on what’s called the EF, or Enhanced Fujita, scale. The classification assigns tornadoes a number between zero and six depending on the strength of its wind. Sunday’s tornadoes, for example, were less severe than the EF-2 twister with 130-mph winds that hit Moss Point in 2023.
The tornadoes were among several across the wider region that touched down during Sunday’s severe weather. The National Weather Service also confirmed two tornadoes in Louisiana: an EF-0 in southeast Livingston Parish and an EF-1 tornado in Hammond.
County and city leaders are asking residents in Gautier and Pascagoula to report damage from the severe weather. The American Red Cross is also helping some citizens who sustained the worst impacts.
