Hancock County officials & forecasters investigating possible tornado strike

Officials began investigating a possible tornado strike in Hancock County Friday afternoon after the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning as a powerful storm swept through the Mississippi Coast.

By 3 p.m., forecasters were still determining if a tornado hit near Pearlington but said the threat from severe weather had mostly passed.

The NWS said at 1:51 p.m. it had “received a report of damage from a possible tornado” around the Pearl River at the CSX railroad tracks near Pearlington.

Radar indicated rotation Friday afternoon but the NWS had not confirmed the tornado as of 2:30 p.m., NWS New Orleans meteorologist David Schlotzhauer said.

Initial reports suggested CSX equipment on the rail line sustained damage, Schlotzhauer said.

The storm appeared to knock out signals and damage trees where the CSX rail line crosses the Pearl River into Louisiana, NWS New Orleans meteorologist Tyler Stanfield said.

Hancock County emergency manager Brian Adam said Friday afternoon officials were searching for possible damage to the CSX equipment but that Hancock County officials do not have access to the rail line bridge. Surrounding areas seemed unharmed as of 3 p.m., he said.

Both meteorologists said the NWS had received no other damage reports in Hancock County.

The tornado warning expired at 2 p.m. Forecasters said the storm could still produce damaging wind gusts, penny sized hail and heavy rain but that the threat had mostly moved offshore.

A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Diamondhead until 2:30 p.m. The NWS asked residents to remain sheltered until the storm passes.

The storm was heading in the direction of Bay St. Louis about 1:50 p.m., the NWS said.

By 2:30 p.m., the NWS said the storm was moving east toward Harrison and Jackson counties.