Olive Branch tornado upgraded to EF-2 intensity

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
113 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009

...ADDITIONAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE SURVEY DETERMINES AN EF2 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN OLIVE BRANCH MISSISSIPPI ON THURSDAY 30 JULY 2009...

THIS IS AN UPGRADE FROM THE EF1 STATUS THAT WAS INITIALLY DETERMINED.

THE TOUCHDOWN STARTED AT 500 PM CDT FOUR TENTHS OF A MILE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 305 AND COLLEGE ROAD... BETWEEN OLIVE BRANCH AND LEWISBURG. THE TORNADO HAD A NON CONTINUOUS TRACK TO THE NORTHEAST FOR 5.8 MILES... ENDING ONE THIRD OF A MILE EAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF CENTER HILL ROAD AND KNIGHTSBRIDGE ROAD. IT IS ESTIMATED THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF A MILE... WHILE THE MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE 115 MPH.

THERE ARE SEVERAL SUBDIVISION IN SOUTHEAST OLIVE BRANCH THAT WERE HARDEST HIT... WITH NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN... SOME WHICH HAVE FALLEN ON HOUSES. AT LEAST ONE HOME SUSTAINED EF2 DAMAGE... NUMEROUS OTHERS WITH HIGH END EF1 DAMAGE. NUMEROUS HOMES HAVE SUBSTANTIAL ROOF OR SHINGLE DAMAGE AS WELL. THE DESOTO COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS NO INJURIES.

THE TORNADO FORMED IN A WARM... UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT OF SURFACE LOW PRESSURE... SUPPORTED BY AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.

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