Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 32, NWS Memphis, TN

June 26, 1994Benton County, Mississippi

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Jun 26, 1994, 8:14 PM CDT for Benton County, Mississippi. It was in force for 46 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 26, 1994, 8:14 PM CDT (01:14 UTC)
Expired
Jun 26, 1994, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Benton County, MS

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 70 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 00:00Z on 1994-06-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3309 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 00:00Z on 1994-06-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 28 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
3309 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1426 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
4.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 270115
TORMEM
MSC009-270200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
814 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CDT
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
 
   ...BENTON COUNTY
 
AT 814 PM CDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO ASSOCIATED WITH
AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM OVER HARDEMAN COUNTY TENNESSEE. THIS STORM WILL
BE MOVING INTO BENTON COUNTY MISSISSIPPI NEAR MICHIGAN CITY AND LAMAR.
 
PERSONS IN BENTON COUNTY NEED TO TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 
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 26, 3:32 PM CDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
TNZ001-002-003-004-019-020-021-022-048-049-050-052-088-262130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
332 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...

THUNDERSTORMS STARTED BUILDING OVER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
TENNESSEE AGAIN AROUND 315 PM AND THREATEN TO BECOME BOTH
WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON.

AT 325 PM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IN MEMPHIS WAS INDICATING THUNDERSTORMS
GROWING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA FROM NEAR PARIS TENNESSEE WESTWARD THROUGH
THE DYERSBURG AREA TO NEAR TIPTONVILLE AND RIDGELY IN EXTREME NORTHWEST
TENNESSEE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL BRING
STRONG WIND GUSTS TO NORTHWEST TENNESSEE AS THEY MOVE THROUGH.  THE
STRONGER STORMS MAY BRING HAIL AS WELL.

VERY UNSTABLE AIR COVERS WEST TENNESSEE AND EAST ARKASAS THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, WINDS THROUGH A DEEP LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR
EXPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM GROWTH.  THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING MAY BECOME ESPECIALLY SEVERE WITH DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR UPDATES ON THE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 3:34 PM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
TNZ001-002-003-004-019-020-021-022-048-049-050-052-088-262130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
332 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...

THUNDERSTORMS STARTED BUILDING OVER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
TENNESSEE AGAIN AROUND 315 PM AND THREATEN TO BECOME BOTH
WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON.

AT 325 PM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR IN MEMPHIS WAS INDICATING THUNDERSTORMS
GROWING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA FROM NEAR PARIS TENNESSEE WESTWARD THROUGH
THE DYERSBURG AREA TO NEAR TIPTONVILLE AND RIDGELY IN EXTREME NORTHWEST
TENNESSEE.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL BRING
STRONG WIND GUSTS TO NORTHWEST TENNESSEE AS THEY MOVE THROUGH.  THE
STRONGER STORMS MAY BRING HAIL AS WELL.

VERY UNSTABLE AIR COVERS WEST TENNESSEE AND EAST ARKASAS THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, WINDS THROUGH A DEEP LAYER OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR
E'XPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM GROWTH.  THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING MAY BECOME ESPECIALLY SEVERE WITH DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND LARGE
DAMAGING HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR UPDATES ON THE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 6:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-270115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
613 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 477 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1100 PM CDT...

AT 600 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE. ALTHOUGH
THERE WAS CURRENTLY NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN NORTH
MISSISSIPPI...THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MILES AN
HOUR...WHICH WOULD PUT THEM IN EXTREME NORTH MISSISSIPPI BETWEEN 800 AND
830 PM CDT.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS WEATHER
SITUATION.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 26, 6:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-270115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
613 PM CDT SUN JUN 26 1994

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 477 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1100 PM CDT...

AT 600 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE. ALTHOUGH
THERE WAS CURRENTLY NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN NORTH
MISSISSIPPI...THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MILES AN
HOUR...WHICH WOULD PUT THEM IN EXTREME NORTH MISSISSIPPI BETWEEN 800 AND
830 PM CDT.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS WEATHER
SITUATION.

NNNN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 26, 8:24 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGTippah36 min
Jun 26, 8:34 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGAlcorn41 min
Jun 26, 9:03 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGPrentiss, Tippah42 min
Jun 26, 9:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMarshall51 min
Jun 26, 9:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGBenton47 min
Jun 26, 9:52 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Prentiss, Union38 min
Jun 26, 10:07 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGItawamba53 min
Jun 26, 10:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMarshall45 min
Jun 26, 10:26 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee34 min
Jun 26, 10:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGBenton58 min
Jun 26, 10:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGUnion37 min
Jun 26, 11:01 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGItawamba, Monroe29 min
Jun 26, 11:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMarshall68 min
Jun 26, 11:43 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGChickasaw, Lafayette, Pontotoc32 min
Jun 27, 12:04 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGMonroe41 min
Jun 27, 12:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChickasaw, Pontotoc41 min
Jun 27, 12:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLafayette41 min
Jun 27, 1:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChickasaw, Clay, Lowndes, Monroe58 min
Jun 27, 1:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLafayette, Pontotoc58 min
Jun 27, 1:45 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGLowndes30 min
Jun 27, 2:14 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGClay31 min
Jun 27, 2:34 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGOktibbeha26 min
Jun 27, 4:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGOktibbeha65 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.