Published: December 17, 2008 10:11 am      

Instead of snow, rain floods county; Tornadoes touch down in Attala, Holmes

Residents in Attala and Holmes County might have been wishing for snow last week but all they got was rain and tornadic activity.

According to measurements taken at the Attala County Fire Department, just over six inches of rain fell in Kosciusko from Dec. 9-11.

“It would have been something” if the six inches had been snow instead of rain, Danny Townsend, Attala County Emergency Management director, said.

Thanks to a tornado on Dec. 9, some Attala County residents on Attala County Road 4106 near Sallis had some damages.

The National Weather Service in Jackson classified the tornado as a EF1 (the lowest tornado rating). Maximum winds were 100 miles per hour and the length of the path was 2.5 miles.

According to the NWS, several homes suffered minor to moderate roof damage, and a number of trees were snapped and uprooted along the path.

A couple of mobile homes had roof and siding damage and had the skirting blown out.

Powerlines were downed at several locations along the path.

Townsend said there was nothing unusual with the flooding of some Attala County roads due to the heavy rain showers.

He added that a culvert malfunction washed out the road on Attala County Road 5015.

In Holmes and Yazoo Counties, a EF2 tornado was spotted near Tinsley and ending at Brozville.

Maximum winds were up to 115 miles per hours and the path was 29 miles.

The NWS reported the following: Once the tornado got through Yazoo County it weakened somewhat as it crossed into Holmes County, before reintensifying again at Ebenezer Coxburg Road. Here is where the tornado reached its maximum intensity, with several homes and a church suffering significant roof damage along with swaths of trees being splintered or snapped.

Winds here were estimated to be 115 mph, at the low end of EF2.

The tornado then weakened again before dissipating just to the northwest of the Brozville community.