Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Memphis, TN

June 9, 1994Shelby County, Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Jun 9, 1994, 1:00 PM CDT for Shelby County, Tennessee. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jun 9, 1994, 1:00 PM CDT (18:00 UTC)
Expired
Jun 9, 1994, 1:30 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Shelby County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 9, 1:10 PM CDTTornado F1Memphis, TNA tornado started near the National Weather Service Forecast Office and continued across the extreme eastern part of Memphis. A nearby apartment complex had considerable roof damage. A two-story house and barn each lost their top floor. A few houses had som

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.

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 40 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1994-06-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3980 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1994-06-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
3980 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
756 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 091800
TORMEM
TNC157-091830-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
100 PM CDT THU JUN 9 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  130 PM CDT
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN WEST TENNESSEE
 
   ...SHELBY COUNTY
 
AT 12:58PM MEMPHIS POLICE REPORTED A TORNADO AT SOUTH PARKWAY AND I-240
IN SOUTH MEMPHIS MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE STORM ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS REPORT WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHEAST MEMPHIS BY 1:30PM.
 
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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 9, 10:16 AM CDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
TNZ048-049-050-051-052-053-088-089-090-091-092-091715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1016 AM CDT THU JUN 9 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...

STRONG .. POSSIBLY DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
PARTS OF SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE ALONG WITH SECTIONS OF ARKANSAS AND
MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AIR THAT COVERED SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE WAS ALREADY HIGHLY UNSTABLE THIS
MORNING AND A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL ADD ANOTHER ELEMENT TO A
MIXTURE THAT FAVORS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STORMS MAY PACK
DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND HAIL DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ADDITIONALLY .. THE STORMS WILL BE FAIRLY SLOW MOVING SO HEAVY RAIN WILL
REMAIN A DISTINCT THREAT.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE
AREA THAT IS THREATENED BY SEVERE STORMS LATER TODAY.
YOU SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.  KEEP A PLAN OF ACTION IN MIND IN CASE SEVERE STORMS MOVE
YOUR WAY .. THAT WAY YOU CAN REACT QUICKLY TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 10:21 AM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
TNZ048-049-050-051-052-053-088-089-090-091-092-091715-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1016 AM CDT THU JUN 9 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...

STRONG .. POSSIBLY DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
PARTS OF SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE ALONG WITH SECTIONS OF ARKANSAS AND
MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AIR THAT COVERED SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE WAS ALREADY HIGHLY UNSTABLE THIS
MORNING AND A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL ADD ANOTHER ELEMENT TO A
MIXTURE THAT FAVORS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STORMS MAY PACK
DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND HAIL DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ADDITIONALLY .. THE STORMS WILL BE FAIRLY SLOW MOVING SO HEAVY RAIN WILL
REMAIN A DISTINCT THREAT.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE
AREA THAT IS THREATENED BY SEVERE STORMS LATER TODAY.
YOU SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.  KEEP A PLAN OF nACTION IN MIND IN CASE SEVERE STORMS MOVE
YOUR WAY .. THAT WAY YOU CAN REACT QUICKLY TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 11:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
TNZ088-ARZ009-018-026-027-028-035-036-048-049-058-091700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1102 AM CDT THU JUN 9 1994

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...

AT 1055 AM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THE LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THAT RAKED MUCH OF WEST AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS WITH HIGH
WIND .. HEAVY RAIN .. AND OCCASIONALLY HAIL WOULD REACH NORTHEAST
ARKANSAS AROUND NOON.

AT 1055 AM THE LINE OF STORMS STRETCHED FROM NEAR HARRISON TO ACROSS
LITTLE ROCK TO NEAR PINE BLUFF.  RACING EAST AT 40 MPH ... THE
THUNDERSTORM LINE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PARTS OF CRAIGHEAD .. POINSETT
.. CROSS .. ST FRANCIS .. AND LEE COUNTIES AROUND NOON TODAY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND AND BLINDING RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORMS AND
THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL AS WELL.  YOU SHOULD STAY ABREAST
OF LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION SHOULD
THREATENING WEATHER HEAD YOUR WAY.  MOVE INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AS
THUNDERSTORMS PASS OVER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Jun 9, 11:02 AM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
TNZ088-ARZ009-018-026-027-028-035-036-048-049-058-091700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1102 AM CDT THU JUN 9 1994

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...

AT 1055 AM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THE LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THAT RAKED MUCH OF WEST AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS WITH HIGH
WIND .. HEAVY RAIN .. AND OCCASIONALLY HAIL WOULD REACH NORTHEAST
ARKANSAS AROUND NOON.

AT 1055 AM THE LINE OF STORMS STRETCHED FROM NEAR HARRISON TO ACROSS
LITTLE ROCK TO NEAR PINE BLUFF.  RACING EAST AT 40 MPH ... THE
THUNDERSTORM LINE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PARTS OF CRAIGHEAD .. POINSETT
.. CROSS .. ST FRANCIS .. AND LEE COUNTIES AROUND NOON TODAY.

STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND AND BLINDING RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORMS AND
THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL AS WELL.  YOU SHOULD STAY ABREAST
OF LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION SHOULD
THREATENING WEATHER HEAD YOUR WAY.  MOVE INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AS
THUNDERSTORMS PASS OVER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 9, 12:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGShelby56 min
Jun 9, 1:12 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGFayette33 min
Jun 9, 1:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLauderdale, Tipton60 min
Jun 9, 1:41 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGFayette34 min
Jun 9, 1:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardeman61 min
Jun 9, 2:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHaywood59 min
Jun 9, 2:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChester, Madison57 min
Jun 9, 2:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMcNairy57 min
Jun 9, 2:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrockett38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

Sources

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.