Tornado Warning Issued for Small Portion of Lauderdale County, Mississippi Friday May 22 but Will Not Expand Into West Alabama as Radar Shows No Evidence of Rotation
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI — A tornado warning has been issued for a very small portion of Lauderdale County, Mississippi on Friday, May 22, 2026, but forecasters are providing important reassurance: the warning will not be extended into West Alabama and radar data shows no evidence of rotation with this storm as of 8:39 to 8:41 AM CDT.
What Radar Is Showing Right Now
Birmingham radar data captured at 8:41 AM CDT on the reflectivity scan shows a strong storm cell tracking through the Lauderdale County area, with intense reflectivity values visible across the warned zone. However, the velocity scan from 8:39 AM CDT tells the more important story. The dual-polarization velocity data is showing no tight rotational couplet, which is what meteorologists look for when confirming tornado development. The absence of this signature means the tornado threat with this specific storm appears limited.
Warning Will Not Expand Into West Alabama
Forecasters monitoring this storm have confirmed that the tornado warning will not be extended into West Alabama. Communities near the Mississippi-Alabama border in the West Alabama corridor, including areas near Lisman, Butler, and Myrtlewood, should be aware of the storm but are not under an active tornado warning at this time.
Areas Within the Current Warning Zone
The active warning covers a small area within Lauderdale County, Mississippi, in the vicinity of communities including:
- Toomsuba and Cuba, Mississippi
- York and Livingston area
- Meridian Station corridor
Stay Alert But Know the Facts
While this particular storm does not currently show rotation, the broader severe weather threat across Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky remains active through the afternoon hours. Residents across the region should keep weather alerts active and continue monitoring conditions as the day progresses, even as this specific warning remains limited in scope.
Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for live radar updates and tornado warning coverage across the Southeast through Friday afternoon.
