page_title: Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 2017
section_title: Hattiesburg – Petal, Mississippi
hierarchical_section_title: Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 2017 / Confirmed tornadoes / Hattiesburg – Petal, Mississippi
caption_attribution_description: English: Doppler radar scan of the EF3 tornado as it was striking Hattiesburg.
context_page_description: The tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 2017 was a prolific and deadly winter tornado outbreak that occurred across the Southeast United States. Lasting just under two days, the outbreak produced a total of 81 tornadoes, cementing its status as the second-largest January tornado outbreak and the third-largest winter tornado outbreak since 1950. Furthermore, it was the largest outbreak on record in Georgia with 42 tornadoes confirmed in the state. The most significant tornadoes were three EF3s that heavily damaged or destroyed portions of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Albany and Adel, Georgia. A total of 20 people were killed by tornadoes—mainly during the pre-dawn hours of the outbreak—making it the second-deadliest outbreak in January since 1950, behind the 1969 Hazlehurst, Mississippi tornado outbreak that killed 32 people. In the aftermath of the outbreak, relief organizations assisted in clean-up and aid distribution. Total economic losses from the event reached at least $1.3 billion.
  Non-tornadic impacts were also felt along the East Coast of the United States. Straight-line winds in Lake City, Florida killed one person when a tree fell on their home.
context_section_description: Early in the morning on January 21, a large tornado touched down northwest of Purvis in Lamar County, Mississippi, at 3:35 a.m. EST (08:35 UTC). The tornado initially caused EF1 damage, snapping and uprooting many trees and destroying small sheds. A house sustained minor roof damage and collapse of its carport, and a power pole was snapped as well. Further to the northeast, the tornado reached EF2 intensity as it ripped the roof off of a well-built brick home and destroyed outbuildings. As the tornado approached the Forrest County line, EF2 damage continued as another home had its roof torn off, a mobile home was completely destroyed, and a billboard pole was snapped. Other homes in this area sustained minor roof damage, and trees and power poles were downed. The tornado intensified to EF3 strength shortly after it crossed the Forrest County line and entered residential areas of southwestern Hattiesburg, where multiple well-constructed brick homes had roofs torn off and exterior walls collapsed, and an elderly woman was killed. The tornado continued producing EF3 damage as it crossed Veterans Memorial Drive, snapping metal power pylons and severely damaging two buildings at Living Word Church. Maintaining its strength, the tornado moved across U.S. Route 49 and through a residential area, damaging several homes and destroying the top floor of a church. The tornado then tore directly through the William Carey University campus, resulting in severe structural damage and tossing and damaging numerous vehicles in the parking lots. Multiple large, multi-story brick buildings had windows blown out, roofs ripped off, and top floor exterior walls collapsed. Light poles were downed at the ball field as well.
  Past William Carey University, the tornado weakened to EF2 strength as it moved through residential areas and a mobile home park to the southeast of downtown Hattiesburg. Many large trees were downed, some of which landed on and completely crushed sections of frame homes and mobile homes, resulting in three fatalities in this area. Several other frame homes had roofs and walls ripped off, a fire station was damaged, and a church lost large sections of its roof as well. The tornado then entered Petal, destroying large commercial sheds, damaging roofs and collapsing cinder block walls at several businesses, snapping many trees and power poles, and tearing large sections of roofing from homes. As the tornado impacted the eastern part of Petal, it restrengthened to EF3 intensity as multiple well-built frame homes were destroyed, some of which only had a few walls left standing. Other homes, a church, and a strip mall in this area were heavily damaged at EF2 strength as well. The tornado maintained EF3 strength as it continued to the northeast outside of Petal, toppling two metal truss towers to the ground. A brick frame home in this area was completely leveled after a nearby mobile home was thrown into it. Beyond this point, the tornado weakened back to EF2 strength as it approached the Perry County line, snapping and uprooting numerous large trees. After crossing into Perry County, the tornado damaged or destroyed several outbuildings and mobile homes, snapped and uprooted numerous trees, ripped the roof off of a frame home, and caused minor damage to several other homes near Runnelstown before dissipating. Damage intensity along this final portion of the path ranged from EF1 to EF2. Four people were killed by this tornado along its 31.3 mi (50.4 km) long path, and 57 others were injured.
  Hattiesburg and Petal had previously sustained major damage from an EF4 tornado that struck on February 10, 2013. However, damage from the 2017 tornado was more severe in Petal. Following the tornado, members of the Jackson Salvation Army were sent to Hattiesburg to provide assistance. Volunteers traveled from across the nation to assist with cleanup efforts, some of whom also provided assistance after the 2013 tornado.
caption: Doppler radar scan of the EF3 tornado as it was striking Hattiesburg.
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