Lauderdale County escapes serious weather damage
By Staff
FLOODING Rain accumulation was a problem in Meridian and Lauderdale County Saturday afternoon, causing intersections like this one at Eighth Street and 29th Avenue to flood. A tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service, but no touch-downs were reported. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
Oct. 14, 2001
No major damage was reported in Lauderdale County Saturday afternoon, although heavy rain, high winds and some hail were reported during a brief tornado warning.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Lauderdale County at 3:03 p.m. The warning was lifted at about 4 p.m.
Jim Stefkovich, meteorologist in charge, said dime-sized hail was reported about 3 miles south of Meridian during the tornado warning. He said his office received reports of damage in various locations across the southern two-thirds of the state as a line of storms moved east.
Clarence Butler, director of the Lauderdale Emergency Management Agency, said no funnel clouds touched down and no property damage was reported. Butler said some trees were reported down on Paulding and Old Eighth Street roads. Minor flooding was reported on county roads.
County workers put cones out on roadways to warn drivers of high water. Butler said most of the water had receded by 5:30 p.m.
The Meridian Police Department and deputies from Lauderdale, Clarke, Neshoba, Newton and Wayne counties also reported only limited problems a few limbs and trees down and some flooding.
A Mississippi Power spokesman reported a few widely scattered outages.
Steve Gillespie is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3233, or e-mail him at sgillespie@themeridianstar.com.