 Official track of the Candlestick Park tornado through central Mississippi | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 3–4, 1966 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | ≥4 |
| Maximum rating | F5 tornado |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 58 fatalities, 521 injuries |
| Damage | $75.552 million (1966USD) $732 million (2024 USD)[1] |
| Areas affected | Southeastern United States |
A series of at least four tornadoes hit theSoutheastern United States during March 3-4, 1966. The worst event was a violent and long-livedF5 tornado, dubbed theCandlestick Park tornado after the name of a recently openedJackson, Mississippi shopping center that was leveled by the storm.[2] The storm would bring catastrophic damage inMississippi andAlabama along a 202.5-mile (325.9 km) track. The outbreak killed 58, injured 521, and caused $75.552 million in damage.
On Thursday, March 3, 1966, theatmosphere overMississippi was ripe for a violent tornado. In the upper-levels of thetroposphere, a fairly strongjet stream, with winds estimated at 140 to 150 miles per hour (230 to 240 km/h), oriented itself northeastward over the state, providing strongdiffluence. A large mid-leveltrough, centered nearSioux Falls, South Dakota, was the overall system that produced the tornado. It featured lowmillibar heights roughly four times below the standard mean. Additionally, an unusually strong mid-level jet stream with 105 mph (169 km/h) winds provided additional energy to the storm system. The final factor in the development of the Candlestick Park storm was a subtle wind shift near the surface. At the higher levels, winds flowed from the southwest to the northeast in relation to the jet stream; however, closer to the surface, the inflow from thelow pressure system over South Dakota resulted in a south to north flow, allowing for rotation within storms.[3]
In the hours prior to the tornado forming,convective available potential energy (CAPE) values of over 1,500 J/kg were present, indicating moderateinstability. However, dry air at higher levels created acapping inversion, limiting the number of thunderstorms that could develop. Later on, awarm front moved pastJackson, Mississippi, allowing more moist air into the region and increasinglapse rates. While this cap served to prevent a widespreadtornado outbreak, it did allow for the formation of a few discrete strong storms.[4] With this, a supercell thunderstorm developed overLouisiana and produced three tornadoes, including the large F5 tornado that moved throughMississippi andAlabama.[5]
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start coord. | Date | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max. width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | N ofNewellton | Tensas | LA | 32°02′N91°12′W / 32.03°N 91.20°W /32.03; -91.20 (Newellton (March 3, F1)) | Mar. 3 | 21:00–? | 1 mile (1.6 km) | 233 yards (213 m) | A tornado accompanied by heavy rain touched down nearLA 888 and moved north-northeastward, destroying a barn and a home while damaging another barn and another home. Power lines and poles were damaged and the back glass was blown out of anautomobile as well. One person was injured and damage was estimated at $2,500.[7][8] |
| F5 | S ofLearned, MS toJackson, MS toGeiger, AL to NE ofTuscaloosa, AL | Hinds (MS),Rankin (MS),Scott (MS),Leake (MS),Neshoba (MS),Kemper (MS),Pickens (AL),Tuscaloosa (AL) | MS,AL | 32°11′N90°33′W / 32.18°N 90.55°W /32.18; -90.55 (Learned (March 3, F5)) | Mar. 3 | 22:00–01:45 | 202.5 miles (325.9 km) | 900 yards (820 m) | 58 deaths –See section on this tornado – 518 people were injured and damage was estimated at $75 million.[7][9] |
| F1 | Gardendale | Jefferson | AL | 33°39′N86°49′W / 33.65°N 86.82°W /33.65; -86.82 (Gardendale (March 3, F1)) | Mar. 3 | 02:00–? | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | 10 yards (9.1 m) | Brief but destructive tornado obliterated a brick home, injuring the two residents. Seven other homes were damaged as well. Losses total $25,000.[7][10] |
| F1 | NE ofClarkton | Bladen | NC | 34°30′N78°38′W / 34.50°N 78.63°W /34.50; -78.63 (Clarkton (March 4, F1)) | Mar. 4 | 14:00–? | 0.3 miles (0.48 km) | 50 yards (46 m) | A weak but damaging tornado tore the roof off of a knitting mill and damaged the roof of a warehouse. Several parkedautomobiles were damaged as well. A roaring sound was heard as this tornado, which was accompanied by heavy rain, passed by. Damages totaled $25,000.[7][11] |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | March 3, 1966, 4:00 p.m.CST |
| Dissipated | March 3, 1966, 7:45 p.m.CST (UTC−04:00) |
| Duration | 3 hours and 45 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on theFujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 261–318 mph (420–512 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 58 |
| Injuries | 518 |
| Damage | $75.5 million (1966USD) $732 million (2024 USD) |
| Areas affected | Hinds,Rankin,Scott,Leake,Neshoba,Kemper counties inMississippi andPickens,Tuscaloosa counties inAlabama |
This violent F5 tornado, which may have been atornado family, first touched down south ofLearned, Mississippi around 4:00 p.m.CST. Tracking generally to the northeast, the tornado moved through mostly rural areas south ofRaymond though several barns and a few homes were heavily damaged. The tornado also toppled the 1,900-foot (580 m) broadcast tower for Jackson television stationWLBT. Around 4:30 p.m. CST, the storm struck the southern limits of Jackson as an F4 or F5 tornado and mostly leveled the Candlestick Park shopping center. Cinder-blocks from the structure were scattered for long distances.[12] A number of homes and businesses were also destroyed in this area. Eyewitness reported pavement scouring, and that a few cars were tossed upwards of one-half mile (0.80 km) by the tornado. Many homes and businesses in the area were completely destroyed by the tornado, including a glass factory that was severely mangled. A brick Baptist church was destroyed with such force that it seemingly "exploded".[13]
Once it moved through Jackson, the storm crossed thePearl River and enteredRankin County. In Rankin County, the tornado's progress became unclear as it passed through mostly rural areas and an industrial complex. Currently, it is believed to have continued a nearly straight northeastward track through the entire county. However, reports from locals indicate that the tornado turned slightly more northward.[5]
Near the Leesburg community, the tornado reached its maximum strength of F5, where multiple homes were swept away, large swaths of trees were leveled, pavement was scoured, and chicken houses were obliterated. Similar damage took place as the system moved intoScott County, though specifics are scarce for this portion of the storm's history. Crossing intoLeake County alongMS 35, the tornado took a more northeasterly track, passing near the communities ofMadden andSalem. InNeshoba County, the storm began to weaken and may have lifted several times as it moved through both the Neshoba andKemper counties. Despite this, about a dozen more homes were destroyed before the tornado crossed into Alabama. After crossing the border, significant damage continued throughPickens andTuscaloosa Counties before the tornado finally dissipated near the city ofTuscaloosa around 7:45 p.m. CST. During the storm's three-hour-and-forty-five-minute existence, it traveled roughly 202.5 mi (325.9 km), one of the longest paths ever recorded.[7][5][9]
| County | County total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinds | 19 | ||
| Leake | 6 | ||
| Neshoba | 1 | ||
| Pickens (AL) | 1 | ||
| Rankin | 5 | ||
| Scott | 26 | ||
| Total | 58 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
Throughout Mississippi, damage from the tornado amounted to $75 million (1966USD) ($727 million (2024 USD)). The most severe damage took place at the Candlestick Park shopping center in southern Jackson where 12 people were killed. Much of the building was leveled and only one wall remained standing.[14]
Prior to the Candlestick Park tornado, there had only been one other F5 (the other occurring on December 5, 1953) to touch down in Mississippi.[15] The next storm of this intensity would not take place untilApril 27, 2011, when twoEF5 tornadoes touched down near the towns ofPhiladelphia andSmithville.[16] Overall, the tornado ranks as the second-deadliest and longest-tracked in the state's history, having killed 57-58 and traveled 202.5 mi (325.9 km); however, excluding outside portions of the track, it ranks third.[15] In general, it is also regarded as one of the most devastating tornadoes to ever strike Mississippi.[17]
In the decades following the tornado, reassessments on the history of the storm have been made; most notably the Jackson, Mississippi branch of theNational Weather Service and meteorologistThomas P. Grazulis both indicate that there were two separate tornadoes. Based on reports from residents who experienced the tornado, a second one formed as the original dissipated, a common occurrence in cyclingsupercell thunderstorms. Though there is agreement on this feature, the results have not been implemented into theNational Climatic Data Center's severe weather database, thus it is still officially considered one tornado.[5] According to the study by Grazulis, the tornado dissipated over Leake County and a second tornado, estimated at F2 strength, touched down in Pickens County, Alabama.[18]
On the 50th anniversary of the tornado, the National Weather Service in Jackson published a section on the tornado titled "If the Tornado Happened Today," briefly detailing the scale of damage in relation to new development just to the east of Jackson in the communities ofPearl andFlowood. Given exactly the same path that took place in 1966, the loss of life would be considerably higher. Striking atrush hour, numerous vehicles would be in the path of the tornado as it crossedInterstates 20 and55 as well asUS 80 andMS 25. Despite vastly improved warning systems, the population density of Jackson's eastern suburbs would lean towards a higher likelihood of fatalities.[5]
32°11′N90°35′W / 32.18°N 90.58°W /32.18; -90.58