March 2023 Tornado Forest Damage Assessment

In response to the tornadoes in Mississippi on March 24, 2023, the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) conducted flight surveys on March 27 to estimate the damage to forestlands in our state. The areas affected totaled approximately 8,796 acres, of which 5,259 were forested acres on non-industrial private forest lands. The potential economic impact on private forested acres is estimated at $8,029,934 using the average quarterly prices from Silvastat 360 for each product class.

This estimate was conducted using GIS (NLCD layer) along with Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data for each county and locations collected from aerial reconnaissance of MFC aircraft. This report is designed to show the estimated impact these storms had on our private, non-industrial forest lands. It does not include trees or forests in urban areas, sparsely forested areas, non-forested areas, or on state/federal-owned lands where trees may still have been damaged. This estimate would likely change over time as these areas may or may not see further timber damage from insects, diseases, and other stressors. Also, please remember that this estimate will represent an average of damage per acre. An individual landowner must make a site assessment to determine their affected forestland.

Landowners seeking advice or programs to assist with recovery can contact their local MFC forester here.