Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 143, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 1997, 10:00 PM CDT for Clay County, Lowndes County, Mississippi. It was in force for 45 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
- May 2, 1997, 10:00 PM CDT (03:00 UTC)
- Expired
- May 2, 1997, 10:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 45 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Clay County, MS, Lowndes County, MS
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:04 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 10:20 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Columbus, MS |
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, 6:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 175 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1924 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 894 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 55 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 170 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 279 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.0
- Supercell composite
- 11.1
The text
The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.
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
Local storm report, May 2, 6:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TENNESSEE
606 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0115 PM HELENA AR NON TSTM WIND
05/02/97 PHILLIPS *** 1 DEAD ***
LOCALIZED 60 PLUS MPH
NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE
IN HELENA AND WEST HELENA.
LARGE AWNING BLEW ON A
CAR...WITH ONE FATALITY.
THREE SCHOOLS DAMAGED.
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN.
0300 PM BELMONT MS OTHER
05/02/97 TISHOMINGO FUNERAL HOME SET ON FIRE BY
LIGHTNING.
0300 PM BURNSVILLE MS OTHER
05/02/97 TISHOMINGO CHURCH SET ON FIRE BY
LIGHTNING. REPORTED BY
POLICE.
0308 PM TUPELO MS 0.75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 LEE DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
EMA.
0340 PM PHEBA MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CLAY DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0340 PM MARIETTA MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 PRENTISS TREES DOWN....SMALL HAIL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0340 PM BELMONT MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 ITAWAMBA LARGE LIMBS DOWN OVER MOST
OF THE COUNTY. REPORTED BY
EMA
0340 PM AMORY MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 MONROE LARGE LIMBS DOWN. REPORTED
BY AMORY PD.
0345 PM ABERDEEN MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 MONROE NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY ABERDEEN PD.
0350 PM 3 NW MORO AR 1.00 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 LEE DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0400 PM FRIENDSHIP MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 ITAWAMBA SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS
DOWN...FOUR INCHES IN
DIAMETER AND BIGGER.
REPORTED BY HAM.Local storm report, May 2, 6:09 PM CDT, 3 hours 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TENNESSEE
606 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0115 PM HELENA AR NON TSTM WIND
05/02/97 PHILLIPS *** 1 DEAD ***
LOCALIZED 60 PLUS MPH
NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE
IN HELENA AND WEST HELENA.
LARGE AWNING BLEW ON A
CAR...WITH ONE FATALITY.
THREE SCHOOLS DAMAGED.
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN.
0300 PM BELMONT MS OTHER
05/02/97 TISHOMINGO FUNERAL HOME SET ON FIRE BY
LIGHTNING.
0300 PM BURNSVILLE MS OTHER
05/02/97 TISHOMINGO CHURCH SET ON FIRE BY
LIGHTNING. REPORTED BY
POLICE.
0308 PM TUPELO MS 0.75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 LEE DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
EMA.
0340 PM PHEBA MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CLAY DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0340 PM MARIETTA MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 PRENTISS TREES DOWN....SMALL HAIL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0340 PM BELMONT MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 ITAWAMBA LARGE LIMBS DOWN OVER MOST
OF THE COUNTY. REPORTED BY
EMA
0340 PM AMORY MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 MONROE LARGE LIMBS DOWN. REPORTED
BY AMORY PD.
0345 PM ABERDEEN MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 MONROE NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY ABERDEEN PD.
0350 PM 3 NW MORO AR 1.00 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 LEE DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0400 PM FRIENDSHIP MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 ITAWAMBA SEVERAL LARGE LIMBS
DOWN...FOUR INCHES IN
DIAMETER AND BIGGER.
REPORTED BY HAM.Special weather statement, May 2, 7:28 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
MSZ023-024-030-031-030045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 728 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997 ...MORE VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS HEADED FOR CLAY .. CHICKASAW .. AND MONROE COUNTIES... INTENSE .. DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN APPROACH THE SOUTHWEST PART OF CLAY COUNTY BY 800 PM THIS EVENING. IF THE STORMS RETAIN THEIR STRENGTH .. DAMAGING WEATHER WILL AGAIN BE A THREAT ACROSS CLAY .. CHICKASAW .. AND MONROE COUNTIES BETWEEN ABOUT 800 PM AND 930 PM. AT 725 PM .. THE STORMS WERE OVER WESTERN CHOCTAW COUNTY AND WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 2, 7:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
MSZ023-024-030-031-030045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 728 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997 ...MORE VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS HEADED FOR CLAY .. CHICKASAW .. AND MONROE COUNTIES... INTENSE .. DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN APPROACH THE SOUTHWEST PART OF CLAY COUNTY BY 800 PM THIS EVENING. IF THE STORMS RETAIN THEIR STRENGTH .. DAMAGING WEATHER WILL AGAIN BE A THREAT ACROSS CLAY .. CHICKASAW .. AND MONROE COUNTIES BETWEENz ABOUT 800 PM AND 930 PM. AT 725 PM .. THE STORMS WERE OVER WESTERN CHOCTAW COUNTY AND WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
Local storm report, May 2, 8:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TENNESSEE
818 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0550 PM 2 S WOODLAND MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CHICKASAW NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
MS STATE UNIVERSITY
SPOTTERS.
0600 PM VARDAMAN MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CALHOUN NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY EMA.
0610 PM MONTPELIER MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CLAY NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY EMA.
0610 PM WOODLAND MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CHICKASAW TREES DOWN. WIND DAMAGE TO
HOUSES. MOBILE HOMES
DAMAGED. TREE ON VEHICLE.
0610 PM 12 E HOUSTON MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CHICKASAW NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
CENTRAL DISPATCH.
0615 PM WOODLAND MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CHICKASAW NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
EMA.
0620 PM EGYPT MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CHICKASAW TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
CENTRAL DISPATCH.
0630 PM ABERDEEN MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 MONROE LARGE TREE LIMBS BLOWN
DOWN. CAR BLOWN OFF ROAD.Local storm report, May 2, 8:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TENNESSEE
818 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0550 PM 2 S WOODLAND MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CHICKASAW NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
MS STATE UNIVERSITY
SPOTTERS.
0600 PM VARDAMAN MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CALHOUN NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY EMA.
0610 PM MONTPELIER MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CLAY NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
REPORTED BY EMA.
0610 PM WOODLAND MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CHICKASAW TREES DOWN. WIND DAMAGE TO
HOUSES. MOBILE HOMES
DAMAGED. TREE ON VEHICLE.
0610 PM 12 E HOUSTON MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CHICKASAW NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
CENTRAL DISPATCH.
0615 PM WOODLAND MS 0.88 INCH HAIL
05/02/97 CHICKASAW NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
EMA.
0620 PM EGYPT MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 CHICKASAW TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
CENTRAL DISPATCH.
0630 PM ABERDEEN MS WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97 MONROE LARGE TREE LIMBS BLOWN
DOWN. CAR BLOWN OFF ROAD.The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 7:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Clay | 50 min |
| May 2, 8:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Clay | 31 min |
| May 2, 8:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Lowndes | 35 min |
| May 2, 8:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Monroe | 33 min |
| May 2, 9:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Yalobusha | 33 min |
| May 2, 10:08 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Lowndes | 32 min |
| May 2, 10:59 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Calhoun, Yalobusha | 7 hr |
| May 2, 10:59 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Chickasaw, Lee | 7 hr |
| May 2, 11:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Clay | 45 min |
| May 3, 12:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Chickasaw, Monroe | 35 min |
| May 3, 12:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Clay, Lowndes, Monroe | 30 min |
| May 2, 9:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Obion, Weakley | 36 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Mississippi, 1997Every 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.