Tornado Warning 9, NWS Memphis, TN

Issued

May 22, 1988, 4:42 PM CDT (21:42 UTC)

Expired

May 22, 1988, 5:30 PM CDT

In force

48 min

Issued by

NWS Memphis, TN

Area

Whole counties

Counties DeSoto County, MS, Shelby County, TN

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 222144
TORMEM
MSC033-TNC157-222230-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
442 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
          ...DESOTO
IN WEST TENNESSEE
          ...SHELBY
 
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED NEAR WALLS MISSISSIPPI AND DETECTED BY RADAR IN
DESOTO COUNTY. THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING NORTH AT 25 MILES AN HOUR AND
WILL BE MOVING INTO SHELBY COUNTY SHORTLY. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE COVER.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

In the hours before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
310 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 1988

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 159 IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI...

AT 300 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS
WITH EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THE
STRONGEST ACTIVITY WAS 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WATER VALLEY IN YALOBUSHA
COUNTY AND 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRENADA IN GRENADA COUNTY OF NORTHERN
MISSISSIPPI.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE LARGE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED.

PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI NEED TO BE WEATHER ALERT AND TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION WHEN THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
405 PM CDT SUN MAY 22 1988

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 159 IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI...

AT 400 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED
SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI.
THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY WAS 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OXFORD IN  LAFAYETTE
COUNTY  AND 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW ALBANEY IN UNION COUNTY OF
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE LARGE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED.

PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST M6ISSISSIPPI NEED TO BE WEATHER ALERT AND TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION WHEN THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1988Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.