At Least One April 27 Tornado Rated Rare EF-5

May 1 Update: A second tornado, in Alabama, has now been rated EF-5.

April 30 Update: See here for an update on the tornado records being broken.

Original post:
The National Weather Service announced today that at least one of the tornadoes in the major outbreak of April 27 was given a preliminary rating of EF-5, the first one at the maximum intensity in nearly half a century in Mississippi. Damage assessment of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama storm is still ongoing.

AFTER A REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE PHOTOS TAKEN DURING THURSDAY/S GROUND
SURVEY AND CONSULTATION WITH NATIONAL EXPERTS...THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS UPGRADED THE SMITHVILLE TORNADO
RATING TO EF-5 DAMAGE. THIS IS THE HIGHEST RATING FOR TORNADO
DAMAGE AND THE FIRST EF-5 OR F-5 IN MISSISSIPPI SINCE THE
CANDLESTICK PARK TORNADO NEAR JACKSON ON MARCH 3RD 1966.

* COUNTY/COUNTIES: MONROE

* LOCATION/TIME OF EVENT: SMITHVILLE AT 344 PM EDT  

* BEGINNING POINT: 34.0517, -88.4236

* ENDING POINT: 34.0731, -88.3814

* RATING: EF-5

* ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 205 MPH

* PATH LENGTH: 2.82 MILES

* MAXIMUM WIDTH: 1/2 MILE

* FATALITIES: 14

* INJURIES: 40

* SUMMARY OF DAMAGES: 18 HOMES DESTROYED...2 BUSINESSES /POST
  OFFICE AND POLICE STATION/ DESTROYED...8 HOMES WITH MAJOR
  DAMAGE...7 BUSINESSES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE...44 HOMES WITH MINOR
  DAMAGE...AND WATER SYSTEM DESTROYED. MOST TREES EITHER SNAPPED
  OR TWISTED AND DEBARKED. MOST THE HOMES DESTROYED WERE WELL
  BUILT...TWO STORIES...LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD AND BOLTED DOWN TO
  THEIR FOUNDATIONS. AN 1965 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK PARKED IN FRONT
  ONE OF THE DESTROYED HOMES HAS NOT BEEN FOUND. ALL APPLIANCES
  AND PLUMBING FIXTURES IN THE MOST EXTREME DAMAGE PATH SHREDDED
  OR MISSING.