The Rolling Fork MS tornado of March 24 has been rated EF4 with peak winds of 170 mph. The tornado was on the ground continuously for 59.4 miles and was 3/4 of a mile wide. The tornado occurred from 7.57 pm until 9:08 pm CDT, so it was nearly to completely dark during the time it was on the ground.

Path of the Rolling Fork Tornado

The tornado moved from SW to NE as many tornadoes do. It had an average forward speed of 50.2 mph. Sixteen fatalities occurred from this tornado. The death toll would have been higher except for the fact that this is the 2nd least-populated county in Mississippi, with roughly 3,800 residents county-wide.

Summary of the National Weather Service Storm Survey
A portion of the National Weather Service Storm Summary

For probably 20 years, I have supported a charity in Rolling Fork MS. If you would like to help with the recovery, I would suggest sending a tax-deductible donation to:

Mississippi Christian Family Services, INC., 117 Delta Street, P.O. Box 487, Rolling Fork MS 39159-0487

WOOD TV8 did a story on a couple that has just returned to West Michigan after volunteering in for MCFS for a month.

I learned about Mississippi Christian Family Services from the VanderArks – my next door neighbors. Ev. was a truck driver and he used to haul supplies collected in West Michigan down to Rolling Fork. The tornado passed a couple blocks from the MCFS buildings. Here’s their website.