05/09/2026
Purvis, MS tornado rated high end EF-2. Here is the info and pics. First couple pics are of the storm just a couple minutes before the tornado first touched down:
Coal Town - Purvis Tornado...
Rating: EF2
Estimated Peak Wind: 135 mph
Path Length /statute/: 13.4 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 600 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 4
Start Date: 5/6/2026
Start Time: 6:51 PM CDT
Start Location: 10 WSW Purvis / Lamar County / MS
Start Lat/Lon: 31.1171 / -89.591
End Date: 5/6/2026
End Time: 7:13 PM CDT
End Location: 3 NNE Purvis / Lamar County / MS
End Lat/Lon: 31.1767 / -89.3794
Survey Summary:
This tornado began near or just west of the intersections of Tatum Salt Dome Road and R Thompson Road where it produced damage to trees crossing Tatum Salt Dome Road with a narrow swath of damage produced just north of R Thompson Rd. The tornado moved eastward through the Half Moon Creek lower wooded areas before crossing Beach Road, retaining a consolidated core that could be observed transecting the roadway twice as the tornado track roughly paralleled the roadway. The tornado produced mostly vegetative damage until it approached western Purvis in the Boggy Hollow areas where outbuildings were damaged or destroyed and trees were blown onto homes. A mobile home was blown off of its blocks just north of Purvis-to-Columbia Road, which the tornado approximately moved along as it traveled east-northeast. The tornado intensified to its maximum intensity, producing damage that suggests maximum winds were at least 135 mph as several residences had roofs removed as well as some exterior walls blown inward near Coal Town Road and Highway 589. Significant damage was also observed along Central Industrial Row where several metal building system (MBS) warehouse and commercial buildings had walls and internal structures including pillars/columns and roofing purlins destroyed. Numerous other facilities suffered substantial loss of roofing materials including the Lamar County Multi-Purpose Center. The tornado continued eastward downing numerous trees and causing widespread damage to roofs and outbuildings before dissipating just east of US Highway 11.
