NWS rates Yazoo, MS tornado a devastating EF-4; Tornado struck SC Sunday; Videos plus forecast

Since Thursday, 132 tornadoes have been reported across the U.S. This is 58% of 2010's total tornado reports. A total of 12 deaths occurred from this past weekend's tornado outbreak. 10 in Mississippi and 2 in Alabama. NWS confirms Yazoo, MS tornado EF4 with winds up to 170mph, 1.75 mile max width, on the ground for 97 miles with 10 confirmed casualties 54 tornadoes across 7 states Saturday left 10 dead and several injured. This is by far the biggest and deadliest outbreak of the 2010 season. 32 tornadoes Friday becomes the second biggest single day tornado outbreak this year. Wednesday's oil rig explosion will likely go down as the deadliest oil industry disaster in the Gulf of Mexico since 1976. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory releases new sun images. Wednesday was the 43rd Anniversary of the 1967 Oak Lawn Tornado. Space shuttle Discovery safely lands at Kennedy Space Center this morning. Severe Weather Reports: Tornado that struck the Madison Parish Port in Louisiana is closed due to 500,000 to 1 Million gallons of chemical hazards leaking. Durant, MS: Tornado blew multiple cars off I-55. As many as Reports of 30 homes destroyed in Eagle Bend, MS. Numerous buildings have been leveled at Hwy 16 on southside of Yazoo City. Hermitage, AR: Strong winds blow roof of a building into the street. Structural damage to a church in Meehan, MS.

In this Saturday, April 24, 2010 photo, corrugated metal from an equipment shed is twisted around a large tree after a tornado hit rural Satartia, Miss.,southwest of Yazoo City. Rescuers spread out Sunday to scour neighborhoods of splintered homes and twisted debris in Mississippi, a day after a devastating tornado sliced through the state and killed 10 people, including three children. Crews organized at first daylight to resume search and rescue operations, said James Jackson, a deputy state fire marshal. (AP Photo/The Clarion-Ledger, Vickie D. King)

On Sunday, the National Weather Service rated the destructive tornado that killed 10 people and damaged nearly 600 homes in Yazoo, MS as an EF-4.

An EF-4 is the second highest tornado rating based of damage. They estimated winds to be around 170 mph, the width of the tornado to be 1.75 miles wide with a damage path of 97 miles.

The tornado had the strength of an EF-3 during most of of its time on the ground.

These ratings are preliminary and could change as the NWS are prepared to go out and take more surveys of the damage. Below is a video of the Yazoo, MS tornado.

GOES-13 10.7 µm IR images and METAR surface reports

A comparison of “before” (15 April) and “after” (25 April) 250-meter resolution MODIS true color images (above) and false color images (below), from the SSEC MODIS Today site, the subtle signature of a portion of the tornado damage path can be seen.

The same storm system responsible of the terrible tornado outbreak Saturday, produced several more on Sunday. The most notable was in South Carolina. No reports on any deaths, but there were several reports of damage and a few injuries. Below are incredible close up videos of the South Carolina tornado.

As we start the work week, things will be fairly calm. Here in Chicago, clouds will linger especially during the morning hours today from an exiting storm system. Lake winds today and tomorrow will keep temperatures in the 50s. Inland temperatures could reach the low 60s. A gradual warm up will take place by midweek. Wednesday highs will reach the 60s. Thursday daytime highs will make it into the 70s. Clouds and storms will keep temperatures a bit cooler on Friday with highs ranging from the mid 60s to the lower 70s.

Related: Mississippi tornado outbreak kills 10; Same storm system to bring periods of rain into Chicago today

Sources: NOAA, WRAL