Tennessee, 1996

Flooding in Tennessee, May 9 to 23, 1996

May 9 to 23, 1996 · NWS MEG · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

The Mississippi River went above flood stage for about two weeks during the month of May. In Lauderdale county, eight families had to be evacuated.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
$200,000
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

The Mississippi River went above flood stage for about two weeks during the month of May. In Lake county, the flood waters reached up to about two dozen homes and forced three families to evacuate.In Lauderdale county, eight families had to be evacuated. Several highways and many secondary roads near the river were closed. Overall, between 95,000 and 100,000 acres of farmland were flooded with nearly 30,000 acres of the farmland with crops planted in them.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Lake

When
May 9, 6:00 PM CST to May 23, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Coordinates
36.335, -89.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Dyer

When
May 9, 6:00 PM CST to May 23, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Dyer forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Coordinates
36.059, -89.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lauderdale

When
May 9, 6:00 PM CST to May 23, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Lauderdale forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Coordinates
35.761, -89.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Tipton

When
May 9, 6:00 PM CST to May 23, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Tipton forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
$50,000
Coordinates
35.497, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, May 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5555930, 5555931, 5555932, 5555933.