Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 217, NWS Jackson, MS

May 2, 1997Leflore County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 1997, 4:03 PM CDT for Leflore County, Mississippi. It was in force for 57 min. 2 reports 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: May 2, 1997, 4:03 PM CDT (21:03 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 1997, 5:00 PM CDT
In force: 57 min
Issued by: NWS Jackson, MS
Area: Whole counties

County Leflore County, MS

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 2, 4:10 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Greenwood, MS	A construction trailer and a storage shed were blown over.
May 2, 4:40 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Greenwood, MS	Numerous trees were blown down and some buildings were damaged.

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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 2, 12:15 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 138 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 750 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -166 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 543 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 256 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 345 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 4.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KJAN 022105 RRA
SVRJAN
MSC083-022200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
403 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
 
   ...LEFLORE COUNTY
 
AT 403 PM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED TWO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ONE NEAR
GREENWOOD AND THE OTHER ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ITTA BENA. BOTH
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
 
DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.  REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN
CALM BUT BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
<
65

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, May 2, 3:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

MSZ001>082-030400-

MISSISSIPPI THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
300 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY ALONG
AND EAST OF A IUKA TO WINONA TO YAZOO CITY TO A LAUREL LINE. THERE IS
A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST OF THAT LINE. A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IN THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW TO CONTINUE THE
THREAT OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER
WILL TAKE THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES.

STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY AND
EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ARE URGED TO STAND BY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.

Special weather statement, May 2, 3:04 PM CDT, 59 minutes before

MSZ001>082-030400-

MISSISSIPPI THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
300 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY ALONG
AND EAST OF A IUKA TO WINONA TO YAZOO CITY TO A LAUREL LINE. THERE IS
A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST OF THAT LINE. A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT IN THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW TO CONTINUE THE
THREAT OF WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT. THE SEVERE WEATHER
WILL TAKE THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES.

STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY AND
EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ARE URGED TO STAND BY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.

Local storm report, May 2, 3:41 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MISSISSIPPI
341 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1158 AM    GREENVILLE                MS   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WASHINGTON                     PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 1
                                          MILE SOUTH OF GREENVILLE
                                          ON HIGHWAY 1

1235 AM    RULEVILLE                 MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   SUNFLOWER                      DIME SIZE HAIL AT
                                          RULEVILLE CITY HALL

0233 PM    VAIDEN                    MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CARROLL                        DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          VAIDEN
<
0320 PM    TOMNOLEN                  MS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        REPORTED BY TRUCKER TO
                                          SHERIFF

0325 PM    KILMICHAEL                MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MONTGOMERY                     NUMBER OF TREES BLOWN DOWN
                                          ON HIGHWAYS 413...US 82...
                                          AND HIGHWAY 17

0325 PM    EUPORA                    MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        NUMBER OF TREES DOWN IN
                                          COUNTY... ACROSS US 82 AND
                                          NATCHEZ TRACE

Local storm report, May 2, 3:41 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME AT RULEVILLE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MISSISSIPPI
341 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1158 AM    GREENVILLE                MS   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WASHINGTON                     PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 1
                                          MILE SOUTH OF GREENVILLE
                                          ON HIGHWAY 1

1235 PM    RULEVILLE                 MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   SUNFLOWER                      DIME SIZE HAIL AT
                                          RULEVILLE CITY HALL

0233 PM    VAIDEN                    MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CARROLL                        DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          VAIDEN
<
0320 PM    TOMNOLEN                  MS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        REPORTED BY TRUCKER TO
                                          SHERIFF

0325 PM    KILMICHAEL                MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MONTGOMERY                     NUMBER OF TREES BLOWN DOWN
                                          ON HIGHWAYS 413...US 82...
                                          AND HIGHWAY 17

0325 PM    EUPORA                    MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        NUMBER OF TREES DOWN IN
                                          COUNTY... ACROSS US 82 AND
                                          NATCHEZ TRACE

Local storm report, May 2, 3:45 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MISSISSIPPI
341 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1158 AM    GREENVILLE                MS   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WASHINGTON                     PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 1
                                          MILE SOUTH OF GREENVILLE
                                          ON HIGHWAY 1

1235 AM    RULEVILLE                 MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   SUNFLOWER                      DIME SIZE HAIL AT
                                          RULEVILLE CITY HALL

0233 PM    VAIDEN                    MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CARROLL                        DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          VAIDEN
<
0320 PM    TOMNOLEN                  MS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        REPORTED BY TRUCKER TO
                                          SHERIFF

0325 PM    KILMICHAEL                MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MONTGOMERY                     NUMBER OF TREES BLOWN DOWN
                                          ON HIGHWAYS 413...US 82...
                                          AND HIGHWAY 17

0325 PM    EUPORA                    MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        NUMBER OF TREES DOWN IN
                                          COUNTY... ACROSS US 82 AND
                                          NATCHEZ TRACE

Local storm report, May 2, 3:46 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME AT RULEVILLE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MISSISSIPPI
341 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1158 AM    GREENVILLE                MS   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WASHINGTON                     PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 1
                                          MILE SOUTH OF GREENVILLE
                                          ON HIGHWAY 1

1235 PM    RULEVILLE                 MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   SUNFLOWER                      DIME SIZE HAIL AT
                                          RULEVILLE CITY HALL

0233 PM    VAIDEN                    MS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CARROLL                        DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          VAIDEN
<
0320 PM    TOMNOLEN                  MS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        REPORTED BY TRUCKER TO
                                          SHERIFF

0325 PM    KILMICHAEL                MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MONTGOMERY                     NUMBER OF TREES BLOWN DOWN
                                          ON HIGHWAYS 413...US 82...
                                          AND HIGHWAY 17

0325 PM    EUPORA                    MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   WEBSTER                        NUMBER OF TREES DOWN IN
                                          COUNTY... ACROSS US 82 AND
                                          NATCHEZ TRACE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 2, 11:48 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Bolivar	42 min
May 2, 12:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Sunflower	39 min
May 2, 1:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Holmes	54 min
May 2, 2:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Carroll	55 min
May 2, 2:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Montgomery	49 min
May 2, 2:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Webster	47 min
May 2, 2:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Choctaw	52 min
May 2, 3:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Oktibbeha	42 min
May 2, 3:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Sunflower	33 min
May 2, 4:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Leflore	42 min
May 2, 4:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Carroll, Grenada	56 min
May 2, 4:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Montgomery	52 min
May 2, 5:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Issaquena, Sharkey	63 min
May 2, 5:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Washington	41 min
May 2, 5:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Webster	53 min
May 2, 5:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Humphreys	65 min
May 2, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Washington	52 min
May 2, 6:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Holmes	64 min
May 2, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Issaquena, Sharkey	46 min
May 2, 6:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Attala, Carroll, Montgomery	58 min
May 2, 6:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Humphreys	46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Mississippi, 1997 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.