the tornado moved northeastward at an average speed of , bypassing the small community of Waverly. Along and northeast of U.S. Route 80, the tornado completely leveled a number of small homes at F5 intensity, though the homes may not have been well constructed. About east of Delhi, on a farmstead in Joes Bayou, it killed 10 people in a family of 12, five of whose bodies were thrown into nearby swamps and not located for weeks. Three other homes, a rural church, and half a dozen large, overhead power lines were destroyed nearby. In all, the tornado destroyed as many as seven homes in the Delhi–Waverly area. After devastating Joes Bayou, the tornado mostly traversed unpopulated, forested country for the remainder of its path in Louisiana. As it continued northeastward, however, the tornado struck the Melbourne settlement on Pecan Road, a short distance south of Transylvania, near Alsatia. At Melbourne the tornado destroyed a pair of mobile homes and seven homes. 13 other mobile homes, 11 outbuildings, and a mature pecan grove were severely damaged as well. Vehicles and agricultural implements were tossed about, but only minor injuries occurred. In all, the tornado killed 11 people and injured 18 others in Louisiana, though some sources do not list the eleventh fatality. After striking Melbourne, the tornado crossed the Mississippi River and entered Mississippi. In 1984 and 1993 tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis assessed the tornado as having caused F4 damage in Louisiana, but in 2001 revised this to accept the official F5 rating. Once in Mississippi, the tornado passed near Mayersville in Issaquena County. As it did so, it began to slowly weaken in intensity. It either began to restrengthen or dissipated and reformed as a new tornado in Sharkey County. This possible new tornado went on to produce F4 damage and retained intensity until dissipation. The tornado killed two people near Cameta and destroyed a cotton gin near Nitta Yuma. The tornado then devastated Delta City, killing seven people and destroying the entire community. The tornado continued northeastward, claiming two additional lives west of Isola. Afterward, it entered the town of Inverness as a large tornado, destroying an estimated 80–90% of the community, killing 21 people, and injuring 200 more. In town the tornado destroyed 125–153 homes, along with 40 other structures. 52 homes were badly damaged as well, 61 businesses were destroyed or damaged, and 30 outbuildings