1984 — April 21, MS (15-16) & TN Tornadoes esp. Water Valley and Philipp, MS –15-16

–15-16  Blanchard tally based on State and locality breakouts below.[1]

—     16  NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 24.

—     15  Assoc. Press. “Cleanup Begins from Twister.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, 1.[2]

—     15  Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

—     15  NWS. Twenty-four Deadliest Tornadoes in Mississippi 1950-2005. Jackson, MS WFO.

 

Mississippi            (15-16)

 

Leflore County:         (  2)

–2  Leflore County. Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

–2  Schlater. F3 1600-1835 North MS F3. NCDC. Storm Data, 26/4, April 1984, p. 43.

–2  Schlater. AP. “Cleanup Begins From Twisters.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, 1.[3]

 

Tallahatchie County: ( 5)

–5  Philipp. AP. “Cleanup Begins From Twisters.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, p. 1.[4]

–5  Philipp. Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

–5  Philipp. 16:30 F3 North MS tornado. NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 43.

 

Union County:           (  1)

–1  ~Pinedale, 18:50 North MS F3; mobile home. NCDC. Storm Data, 26/4, April 1984, p. 43.

–1  AP. “Cleanup Begins From Twisters.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, p. 1.[5]

 

Yalobusha County:   (7-8)

–7  Water Valley. AP. “Cleanup Begins…Twisters.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, 1.[6]

–7  Water Valley. Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.[7]

–8  Water Valley. 17:30 North MS F3. NCDC. Storm Data, 26/4, April 1984, pp. 24 and 43.

–1  James Grocery store.

–3  Houses.

–2  Mobile home.

–1  Car.

–1  Outside.

–7  Water Valley. UPI (Cathy Lewandowski). “Tornadoes, thunderstorms move east.” 5-9-1984.[8]

 

Tennessee                   (1?)

— 1  Memphis. Margaret Mitchell.[9]

 

Narrative Information

Mississippi

 

Grazulis: “MS APR 21, 1984 1600 15k 76inj 125y 91m F3. LEFLORE/ TALLAHATCHIE/YALOBUSHA/ LAFAYETTE/ UNION — Moved NE from 3m W of Schlater, Philipp, Water Valley, Yocona, Pinedale, to SW of New Albany. In Leflore County, the tornado hit 26 homes and four trailers, killing two people. In Tallahatchie County, 21 homes were hit, with five deaths in a single small home at Philipp. A break in the tornado damage path, and the start of a new event in the family, was probably in SW Yalobusha County. By the time it reached Water Valley, the tornado was an intense, multiple- vortex event. Seven people died there; three in homes, one in a grocery store, two in a trailer, and one in a car. Sixty-five people were injured, with a total of 186 homes either damaged or destroyed in the county. One person died in a trailer near Pinedale, Union County.” (Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes, 1993, p. 1255.)

 

NCDC: “Tornadoes in North Mississippi & Southwest Tennessee on April 21, 1984. On April 21st, strong thunderstorms spawned 7 tornadoes in northern Mississippi and southwest Tennessee. On the 7 tornadoes, 2 were F3, 1 was F2, and the remaining 4 were F1. The longest tornado (110 miles) killed 16 people in Mississippi, 8 of which died when it struck and severely damaged the town of Water Valley.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 24.)

 

NCDC on Tippah County F1 tornado at 15:02 CST: “A tornado touched down briefly just east of Ripley damaging two houses and a mobile home. Numerous trees were up-rooted. The same thunderstorm produced egg-size hail east of Corinth.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 43.)

 

NCDC on North Mississippi F3 tornado, 16:00-18:35 CST: “At 4 PM a powerful tornado touched down in western Leflore County about three miles west of Schlater. The tornado moved to the northeast at about 45 MPH. The tornado destroyed or damaged 26 houses and four mobile homes. It killed two people and injured four in the county.

 

“At 1630CST the tornado crossed into Tallahatchie County and struck the town of Philipp killing five people and injuring two others who lived in a small house by the Tallahatchie river. The tornado destroyed or damaged 21 homes and 3 mobile homes. It remained on the ground as it crossed Tallahatchie County.

 

“At 1705CST the tornado, now very weak, crossed into Yalobusha County. At 1715CST it began to intensify again and was a very powerful multi-vortex tornado as it struck Water Valley at 1730CST. Eight people were killed in Water Valley, one in a grocery store, three in houses, two in a mobile home, one in a car and one person was caught in the open. Sixty-five people were injured. In the county the tornado damaged or destroyed 186 homes, 13 mobile homes and 18 businesses.

 

“At 1740CST the tornado crossed into Lafayette County and then struck the community of Yocona where three people were injured. In the county 11 houses and three mobile homes were damaged or destroyed.

 

“The tornado then moved into Union County at 1805CST and struck a mobile home killing one person near Pinedale. A total of five houses and two mobile homes were damaged or destroyed in Union County. The tornado then lifted briefly for the first time, but set down again as it crossed the northern part of New Albany at 1830CST damaging three businesses and a church. Shortly after the tornado lifted again and funnel clouds were reported northeast of New Albany. At 1900CST funnel clouds were reported at Ripley and later in Corinth.

 

“Lafayette, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha and Leflore Counties were declared Federal Disaster Areas.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 43.)

 

NCDC on Lafayette County 16:10 CST F1: “A tornado touched down briefly in a wooded area in northeast Lafayette County. Only timber damage was found.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 43.)

 

NCDC on Burnsville, Tishomingo County 18:20 CST F1: “A weak tornado touched down briefly in Burnsville destroying a car wash and damaging a furniture store and an apartment building.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 43.)

 

Tennessee

 

NCDC on Memphis, Shelby County, 17:10 CST F3: “A tornado touched down just southeast of the intersection of Old Coleman Rd. and Egypt-Central Rd. in north Memphis. It traveled east-northeast at about 40 miles an hour. As it crossed Egypt-Central Rd., the tornado damaged a stable and overturned and destroyed a mobile home. A person in the mobile home taking a shower at the time was injured. A person at the stable was also injured but her injuries were minor. The tornado travelled over open country a short distance before entering the Northwood Glen subdivision. The Red Cross reported that 83 homes were damaged, 5 were listed as destroyed with 14 suffering heavy damage. From the subdivision, the tornado continued across open country crossing Singleton Parkway. A number of buildings, homes and barns, were damaged in and around the intersection of Austin Pay Hwy, Old Brownsville Road, and Bolan-Huse Road. After crossing Austin Peay Hwy, the tornado apparently dissipated as it moved into the Loosahatchie bottoms. The location of the third injury was not known, but injury was reported as minor (treated and released).” (NCDC. Storm Data, 26/4, April 1984, p. 56.)

 

NCDC on Hickory Valley, Hardeman County 20:00 CST F1: “A tornado damaged several houses and outbuildings and downed trees and power lines in southwest part of Hardeman County, about 10 miles southwest of Bolivar on Highway 18. Buildings on three different farms were reported damaged.” (NCDC. Storm Data, 26/4, April 1984, p. 56.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press, Water Valley, Miss. “Cleanup Begins From Twisters.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, p. 1. Accessed 2-7-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/mississippi/laurel/laurel-leader-call/1984/04-23?tag

 

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993.

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, 68 pages. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 2-54-2017 at: https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-21A44507-C8CF-4A6F-A311-2F24AC48AB85.pdf

 

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Jackson, MS. Twenty-four Deadliest Tornadoes in Mississippi 1950-2005. Jackson, MS:  NWS WFO, NOAA, January 18, 2006 update. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/TorStats/24DeadliestTors.php

 

United Press International (Cathy Lewandowski). “Tornadoes, thunderstorms move east.” 5-9-1984. Accessed 2-7-2017 at: http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/05/09/Tornadoes-thunderstorms-move-east/7341452923200/

 

 

[1] The range is due to Water Valley range of seven (Grazulis, AP & UPI) and NCDC at eight. We can find no substantiation for reference to one death in Memphis, TN, thus this AP-noted death in one article is not included.

[2] This AP story differs from the NCDC in that in notes 7 rather than 8 Water Valley deaths and lists one for Tenn.

[3] Victims identified as Alice McIntush, 50, and Edward King, 80.

[4] Ricky Boclair, 7, Shinita Boclair, 6, Tuborus Boclair, 6-mo., James Earl Howard, 12, and Obie Howard, 61.

[5] Victim identified as James Self, 35.

[6] Six victims identified as Lucille Turner, Jennie Tolbert, Jim Allen, Aileen Black, Levi Benson, and Ruby Burden, 64. AP also notes that Water Valley was the “Hardest hit” locale, and that it was a town of 4,500 people.

[7] The difference between the NCDC and Grazulis figures (Grazulis also notes the type of place where deaths occurred), is that the NCDC notes “one person was caught in the open” and Grazulis does not.

[8] Notice that this was written more than two weeks afterwards when another set of storms went through the area. “Residents of Water Valley, Miss., still cleaning up from an April 21 tornado that killed seven people and caused $21 million in damage, armed themselves with brooms and buckets to clear their basements and shops of mud from 5 inches of rain that fell Monday night [May 7].”

[9] Associated Press. “Cleanup Begins From Twisters.” Laurel Leader-Call, MS, 4-23-1984, p. 1. Can not substantiate, however, thus not including in the tally.