Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 146, NWS Memphis, TN

May 3, 1997Clay County, Lowndes County, Monroe County, Mississippi

NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1997, 12:55 AM CDT for Clay County, Lowndes County, Monroe County, Mississippi. It was in force for 30 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 3, 1997, 12:55 AM CDT (05:55 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 1997, 1:25 AM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Clay County, MS, Lowndes County, MS, Monroe County, MS

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 33 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:52 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 2, 6:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr
May 3, 12:00 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.9 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1997-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1924 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1997-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 170 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEM 030556 RRA
SVRMEM
MSC025-087-095-030625-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1255 AM CDT SAT MAY 3 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS TN HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 125 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI

   ...SOUTHEASTERN CLAY COUNTY
   ...NORTHERN LOWNDES COUNTY
   ...SOUTHERN MONROE COUNTY
 
AT 1250 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS FROM NEAR ABERDEEN TO CEDAR BLUFF.
THIS LINE OF STORMS IS MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH AND WILL AFFECT WEST
POINT BY 110 AM..NEW HAMILTON AND CALEDONIA BY 120 AM.

TREES AND A FEW POWER LINES WERE REPORTED DOWN AT 1235 AM IN
ABERDEEN.

.A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE
ALEJRT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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, 7:28 PM CDT, 5 hours 27 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, 5 hours 26 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, 4 hours 37 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, 4 hours 34 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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay50 min
May 2, 8:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGClay31 min
May 2, 8:40 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLowndes35 min
May 2, 8:47 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGMonroe33 min
May 2, 9:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGYalobusha33 min
May 2, 10:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay, Lowndes45 min
May 2, 10:08 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLowndes32 min
May 2, 10:59 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCalhoun, Yalobusha7 hr
May 2, 10:59 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGChickasaw, Lee7 hr
May 2, 11:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay45 min
May 3, 12:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChickasaw, Monroe35 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.