A tornado that damaged dozens of homes in Kentwood and has been categorized as an EF-4 storm that, at its peak, produced winds of 170 mph, according to a 听
The tornado first touched down at 12:19 p.m. just northeast of Kentwood, where it caused damage generally associated with wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph, or an EF-1 tornado, according to the NWS. Around when the twister tore through the area, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker said Saturday afternoon. No injuries were reported.听
But the tornado strengthened as it crossed into Walthall County, Mississippi, where EF-2 damage was recorded. Pockets of more intense EF-3 damage were also recorded all along the tornado's path through Walthall.听
A well-built house west of Tylertown that was ripped from its foundation and reduced to a pile of rubble suggests the tornado reached peak EF-4 strength there, according to the NWS.
Walthall County Sheriff Kyle Breland confirmed Saturday that two adults and one child were killed in the storm near Tylertown.听
The tornado traveled at least 35 miles and continued farther northeast, but the Jackson NWS office, which serves the area in the tornado's path in Mississippi, had not released its initial storm report by Monday evening.听
Tornadoes are classified through the Enhanced Fujita, or EF, scale, which rates storms on a scale of 0 to 5 based on recorded wind speeds and damage reports. An EF-4 rating is among the most severe, second only to EF-5, which is defined as a tornado with wind speeds of more than 200 mph.听
A second tornado that started up just east of the first peaked with wind speeds of 140 mph, earning it an EF-3 rating, according to the NWS. That twister first touched down in Tylertown at 1:26 p.m. and also continued northeast through Mississippi. No deaths were associated with the second tornado, NWS said.听
The NWS did not immediately release more information.听
