House damage, power outages to over 4000 homes as tornado warned storms hit Tippah County
TIPPAH COUNTY, Miss. — A tornado-warned storm moved through Tippah County Sunday night, knocking down at least four utility poles in the western part of the county, damaging at least one house, and leaving nearly 4,000 customers without power as dangerous weather swept across the area. The storm also brought down power lines on Highway 4, making the road impassable for a time.
The National Weather Service had warned earlier Sunday that severe storms were expected across the Mid-South, including North Mississippi, with damaging winds as the primary threat and the potential for brief tornadoes and hail. NWS Memphis said the region was under an Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe weather, with wind gusts outside of thunderstorms expected to top 40 mph and storm winds potentially exceeding 75 mph in the strongest cells.
Tippah County was under a Tornado Watch until 11 p.m. Sunday, and later Sunday evening the county was also placed under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, as the line of storms pushed east across northeast Mississippi. NWS forecast products for Tippah County showed warnings and advisories in effect Sunday night, including the tornado watch and wind advisory.
As the storm came through, reports from western Tippah County indicated multiple power poles were snapped or pushed down, with lines across Highway 4 blocking travel. In addition to the infrastructure damage, at least one home in the county reportedly sustained damage from the tornado-warned storm.
Power outages quickly mounted. PowerOutage.us showed more than 4,000 customers without electricity in Tippah County Sunday night, making it the hardest-hit county in Mississippi at that time. The outage tracker reported roughly 29.7% of customers in the county were without service, with Tippah EPA accounting for the vast majority of the outages.
Sunday’s storm threat came as North Mississippi is still dealing with weakened trees and broken limbs left behind from earlier storms and winter weather, raising additional concerns as tornado season ramps up. Even outside of tornadoes, strong straight-line winds can bring down damaged branches and already-stressed trees, creating added danger for drivers, utility crews and anyone outdoors. NWS Memphis also warned that gusty non-thunderstorm winds would continue behind the front into Monday morning.
Residents are urged to stay away from downed power lines, avoid roadways blocked by storm damage, and use caution overnight as crews work to assess damage and restore service.
