March 1st Storm Damage Survey

...NWS Damage Survey For 03/01/17 Wind Event...

OVERVIEW...
A strong squall line moved east across the Mid-South during the
early morning hours, resulting in widespread wind damage across
portions of northeast Arkansas, west Tennessee, and the Missouri
Bootheel. The storm impacts were primarily wind-related with only
a few reports of marginally severe hail throughout the duration of
the event. Three teams surveyed damage on Thursday, March 2nd, to
determine wind speeds and if the damage was tornado- related.
Widespread damage resulted in some delays, and even cancellations,
for local schools and businesses.

SURVEY RESULTS...
Widespread wind damage occurred across northeast Arkansas and the
Missouri Bootheel beginning just after 3 AM CST. Numerous trees
and power lines were downed by wind speeds of 60-70 mph, with
localized gusts up to 80 mph. The first damage reports came in
from the Ravenden and Lynn areas in Lawrence County. Here, damage
to trees was fairly widespread and several outbuildings and homes
were damaged. One home in Ravenden lost a roof. The AWOS at Walnut
Ridge Regional Airport recorded a wind gust of 76 mph at 335 AM
CST. There were reports of large trees falling on homes, resulting
in significant damage. In Jonesboro, there were several
18-wheelers on Interstate 555 that were blown over due to strong
winds. Additional significant damage was observed in Mississippi
and Dunklin Counties. Damage to fences and outbuildings was
reported in Armorel and a roof was blown off of a four-plex
apartment in Hickman. In Osceola, the Community Center had its
roof removed

The line of storms remained very intense as it crossed the
Mississippi River into west Tennessee. Significant damage was
noted in the area around Dyersburg just before 5 AM CST. Numerous
trees were downed and a number of large utility poles were
snapped. Many roads were blocked by downed trees, hampering
clean-up activities. Some damage occurred to homes and businesses
across the area as well. A few structures had their roofs
removed. The survey to determine if the damage was caused by a
tornado was inconclusive. Straight- line winds were estimated up
to 60 mph over much of the area, with localized gusts near 80 mph.

Very strong winds persisted as the storms moved east toward the
Tennessee River Valley. The strong winds were confined to areas
north of Interstate 40 with the most widespread damage occurring
across Gibson County. The majority of the damage was to trees and
power lines, although a mobile home near Trenton lost a portion
of its roof. Another structure in Milan had its metal roof removed
and blown onto a neighbor's home. In Martin, numerous utility
poles were damaged, the city park scoreboard and lights were
knocked down, and two agricultural irrigation systems were
overturned. Numerous trees and power lines were down across
portions of Henry County, including the Paris area. Straight line
winds of 60-70 mph were estimated by a survey team, with peak wind
gusts up to 90 mph.

SUMMARY...
The survey to determine if damage was tornado related was
inconclusive. The National Weather Service will continue to
investigate damage reports in the coming days. At this time, no
tornadoes have been confirmed and the damage appears to have been
the result of straight line winds of 60-70 mph with peak gusts of
80-90 mph. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported
with these storms.

NOTE: Information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS
Storm Data.

Johnson