April 18 Mississippi Tornado Outbreak Ties State’s One-Day Record

The National Weather Service is now confirming 44 tornadoes in Mississippi from the April 18 outbreak, tying the record for a single event.

Forecasters say they also confirmed that many tornadoes in Mississippi during Hurricane Rita in September 2005.

Surveyors on Monday confirmed one more tornado near Pulaski in Scott County. That twister had estimated top winds of 90 mph (145 kph) with a track almost 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long.

The one-day total exceeds Mississippi’s annual average of 43 tornadoes during the years 1991 through 2010.

The Weather Service says no additional surveys are planned, meaning 44 could be the final count. Three people died in the April 18 storms and state officials plan to seek federal disaster aid.

Mississippi has seen 76 tornadoes so far in 2019.