Tornado sirens and safety: What Kennett residents need to know after EF-2 storm

The tornado that struck Kennett in the early morning hours Saturday was defined as an EF-2, Kennett Fire Dept. Chief Lance Davis said Tuesday.

"The National Weather Service out of Memphis came in Sunday, mid-day" Davis said. "They did a preliminary assessment and noted it as an EF-2."

Although Kennett was spared a tornadic armageddon like the tremendously horrible events that unfolded at Poplar Bluff and counties to the north and west of Dunklin, some limited damage was reported, Davis said.

"We had some damage," the chief said. "I don't want to take that lightly because there were a lot of homes that were damaged.

"But we were very fortunate not to have any loss of life, like some of our other communities around us," he continued. "There are still people in Piedmont, last that I heard, that were still missing. Loss of life there and at Poplar Bluff and different places. So Kennett was VERY fortunate that it wasn't any worse than what it was."

The chief emphasized that although injuries were few, some homes in town definitely were affected structurally.

"A rough estimate was about 12 homes that had trees in them," Davis said. "Several power lines were down, and power poles.

"I don't know how many," he added. "But a bunch. There were several businesses damaged; several buildings had roof damage."

Davis noted that he received some phone calls from Kennett residents who told him they did not hear sirens that warned the community about the incoming storms and the associated tornadic activity.

"Those are outdoor sirens," the chief said. "They're not meant to be heard indoors.

"Folks need to have ways to receive their warnings in their house," he added. "Whether it be a weather radio, apps on their phones or televisions or something like that. Those sirens are outdoor sirens, and that's what they're meant for. People outside."

Kennett Fire Dept. Marshal Dennis Hamlett noted hearing the sirens "depends on where you're at," in town.

"And how the wind is blowing," Hamlett added. "We had people tell us that even here close to downtown, the wind wasn't blowing."

Kennett Code Enforcement Officer Victor Mode agreed.

"Six blocks from our office here, the wind didn't get over 30 miles an hour," Mode noted. "My brother lives on North Street.

"He said, absolutely, when he heard the sirens going off, they actually had no wind, whatsoever," Mode continued. "It was blowing 100 miles an hour at my house."

"And I don't live that far from Victor," Davis said. "And at my house, the winds never got over 39 miles an hour. That was the strongest wind that I recorded at home."

National Weather Service at Memphis Lead Meteorologist Caroline Adcock confirmed the chief's information regarding the tornado being classified as an EF-2.

"We found damage consistent with winds up to 120 miles per hour," Adcock said. "The total path length, the activity started southwest of Kennett.

"Kind of just west of Highway 412," she noted. "Then it went through several portions of Kennett and eventually moved into Pemiscot County. It lifted just north of Bragg City."

The tornado's path was just less than 20 miles, Adcock explained.

"It was 19.83 miles total," the meteorologist said. "So it was on the ground for a decent period of time."

Adcock said the next few days will be slightly windy, but with the possibility of substantial gusts.

"You guys will have winds 20 to 25 miles per hour," she said. "With gusts up to 30 miles per hour.

"Wednesday will be a little bit gustier, though," she continued. "You should see sustained winds of 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour."

Adcock noted rain might be on its way.

"There is a chance of rain on Wednesday night," she said. "But we're just expecting rain.

"Not thunderstorms or anything like that," the meteorologist added. "Your temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday, we're still expecting warm conditions. Your highs will be in the mid-70s Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, it is going to cool down, though. Hence, a chance of showers on Wednesday night. Your high on Thursday looks like it will be 55 degrees."