This day in history: Vicksburg tornado of 1953

VICKSBURG, Miss. – On Dec. 5, 1953, an F5 tornado developed over the Yazoo River in Warren County and entered Vicksburg. It remains the fifth-deadliest tornado to affect the state and one of only four F5s.

The tornado destroyed the city’s electrical services, started fires and completely destroyed buildings across several city blocks. 937 buildings were reported to have been damaged or destroyed and left nearly 1300 people homeless.

The tornado broke the city’s gas line, which remained out of service after repairs. Residents were forced to go without cooked food even as temperatures dropped to 31 degrees.

The Associated Press reported the tornado struck the city three separate times. 38 people were killed.

In total, 421 tornadoes were reported. The string of storms claimed 523 lives and caused $596.1 million in damage.