Deadly tornado strikes Mississippi during Southern severe weather outbreak

A severe weather outbreak in the Southeast produced several tornadoes in Louisiana and Mississippi on Tuesday. One tornado in Columbia, Mississippi resulted in the deaths of at least two people. Columbia, which is situated between the larger cities of Hattiesburg and state capital Jackson, suffered significant damage from the tornado, which was estimated by one storm chaser to be about an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Other cities including New Orleans, Birmingham and Atlanta also took hits from the strong storms. There was also flooding along the Gulf Coast, particularly in the Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida areas as well as other portions of Mississippi. This event came just two days before Christmas, a rare time for thunderstorm and tornadic activity in much of the country.