9 Counties, Central MS — 32

lornajarrettblanchard January 23, 1969

–32 Bryant. “Story Early January…” The ArkLaMiss Observer (NWS), Winter/20072008.
–32 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1103.
–32 NOAA Nat. Cen. For Environmental Info. Storm Events Database. 1-23-1969 MS Tornado.
–11 Copiah County 06:25 F4
–12 Simpson County 06:40 F4
— 9 Smith County 07:25 F4
–~31 Delta Democrat-Times, Greenville, MS. “At Least 31 Die as Tornado…” Jan 23, 1969, 1.

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “MS JAN 23, 1969 0525 32k 241inj 1200y 105m F4 JEFFERSON/ COPIAH/SIMPSON/RANKIN/SMITH/SCOTT [counties].¬ This massive tornado passed through portions of six counties, but, with the exception of Hazelhurst, the funnel struck only small rural communities. The tornado’s first damage was the destruction of a vacant house 6m SE of Fayette. Moving NE, the funnel cut a half-mile-wide swath across the south side of Hazelhurst, killing 11 people, injuring 140 others, and destroying or damaging 175 homes. Damage there was about $900,000. In Simpson County, two people were killed as their home was leveled south of Harrisville. A school bus was carried and rolled a quarter of a mile. Further on, 10 people died as four farm homes were leveled, and 14 students were injured when a school bus was overturned. In the SE corner of Rankin County, several homes were leveled and cars and pickup trucks were thrown and rolled up to 400 yards, but no people were killed. In NW Smith County, the tornado destroyed the Sardis community, 6m N of White Oak. Six people were killed in one home, and two in another. About 2,500,000 board feet of timber were destroyed in the Bienville National Forest. In Scott County, the tornado leveled more forest and damaged a few homes before lifting.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1993, p. 1103.)

Newspaper

Jan 23: “HAZLEHUKST, Miss. (UPI)- Deadly tornadoes cut through the heart of southern Mississippi’s gently rolling hill country at sunrise today, tossing homes and cars about like playthings and killing at least 31 persons. Countless others were missing. Rescuers dug frantically through settlements destroyed in the terror of the dawn in search of more victims.

“The Mississippi highway patrol said there were 10 known dead in Hazlehurst in Copiah county where 30 to 35 homes were damaged and about 20 demolished; another 14 were reported dead in neighboring Simpson county; and seven more persons, four members of the same family, were killed when their house in White Oak in east Mississippi was destroyed.

“The hospital in Hazlehurst treated 115 persons and transferred others to neighboring hospitals. The hospital in Mendenhall, the Simpson county seat, also reported it was sending casualties to nearby hospitals….

“The U.S. Weather Bureau at Jackson—30 miles to the north— said the tornado cut a gigantic gap more than a mile long and a half mile wide through Hazlehurst, then rose into the sky and was traced by radar into adjoining Simpson county where it struck the Harrisville-St. John’s-Mendenhall area.

“The Simpson county sheriff’s office said “the little community (of St. John’s) was destroyed, killing five persons.” Another “five or six” were killed in Harrisville, the spokesman said. Near St. John’s, a school bus was overturned by the violent winds, injuring a number of students, but killing none….

“After passing through Simpson County it was tracked by the Weather Bureau into Kemper County where radar echoes showed it probably spawned at least two more twisters. Later in the morning, more than an hour after the first tornado hit Hazlehurst, the highway patrol said a tornado struck in Smith County in east Mississippi, near the community of White Oak. A home was demolished and its four occupants killed.” (Delta Democrat-Times, Greenville, MS. “At Least 31 Die as Tornado…” Jan 23, 1969, p. 1.)

Sources

Bryant. “Story Early January…” The ArkLaMiss Observer (NWS), Winter/2007-2008. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/newsletter/newsletter_winter07_08.pdf

Delta Democrat-Times, Greenville, MS. “At Least 31 Die as Tornado Strikes Central Mississippi.” Jan 23, 1969. Accessed 3-19-2022 at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=57167224&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=0

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

NOAA National Centers For Environmental Information. Storm Events Database. 1-23-1969 MS Tornado. Accessed 3-29-2022 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=01&beginDate_dd=23&beginDate_yyyy=1969&endDate_mm=01&endDate_dd=23&endDate_yyyy=1969&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=28%2CMISSISSIPPI