Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, May 5, 1999

Name: Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, May 5, 1999
Start: 1999-05-05T00:11
End: 1999-05-05T22:00
Location: Tennessee

May 5, 1999 · NWS MEG · 33 events in 15 counties and zones

19 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 3 flood, 2 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $1.8 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 33

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.

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 27 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 3 flood, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Shelby

When: May 5, 12:11 AM CST to 12:20 AM CST
Where: Shelby County, Memphis
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 35.130, -90.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: May 5, 12:15 AM CST to 12:30 AM CST
Where: Shelby County, Countywide
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.220, -89.900

Many trees were blown down across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When: May 5, 12:45 AM CST to 12:50 AM CST
Where: Fayette County, Somerville
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 35.250, -89.350

Several trees were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardeman

When: May 5, 1:10 AM CST to 1:20 AM CST
Where: Hardeman County, Bolivar
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.270, -89.000

Some trees were blown down.

Hail, Shelby

When: May 5, 3:20 PM CST to 3:30 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Millington
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $60
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.350, -89.900

Hail, Tipton

When: May 5, 3:40 PM CST to 3:45 PM CST
Where: Tipton County, Atoka
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $100
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.430, -89.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Lauderdale

When: May 5, 3:45 PM CST to 3:50 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale County, Ashport
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.770, -89.800

A few trees were knocked down along Route 19.

Flood, Shelby

When: May 5, 3:50 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Millington
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.184, -89.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A few streets suffered minor street flooding.

Hail, Haywood

When: May 5, 4:15 PM CST to 4:20 PM CST
Where: Haywood County, Brownsville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.600, -89.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Haywood

When: May 5, 4:15 PM CST to 4:20 PM CST
Where: Haywood County, Brownsville
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.600, -89.270

Several trees were blown down.

Hail, Shelby

When: May 5, 4:30 PM CST to 4:35 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Memphis Intl Arpt to 2 mi of Memphis Intl Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.050, -89.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Crockett

When: May 5, 4:30 PM CST to 4:35 PM CST
Where: Crockett County, Bells
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.720, -89.080

Some trees were knocked down.

Hail, Gibson

When: May 5, 4:35 PM CST to 4:40 PM CST
Where: Gibson County, Humboldt
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $8,000
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA
Coordinates: 35.820, -88.920

Hail, Gibson

When: May 5, 5:20 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where: Gibson County, Milan
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.920, -88.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Fayette

When: May 5, 5:20 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where: Fayette County, Piperton
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 35.050, -89.630

Some large trees were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: May 5, 5:30 PM CST to 5:45 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Memphis to 5 mi of Germantown
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.080, -89.950

A gas station had its awning blown down on top of a car. One house lost part of its siding. Several trees were knocked down.

Hail, Henderson

When: May 5, 5:50 PM CST to 5:55 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Lexington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.650, -88.400

Flood, Shelby

When: May 5, 5:50 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Germantown
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.184, -89.896 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several streets were flooded in Germantown and Bartlett with as much as 12 inches of water on the road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Shelby

When: May 5, 6:00 PM CST to 6:05 PM CST
Where: Shelby County, Germantown
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.080, -89.820

A few trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 5, 6:25 PM CST to 6:40 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Lexington
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.650, -88.400

Over 300 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in and around the city of Lexington. Some trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardeman

When: May 5, 6:25 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where: Hardeman County, Cloverport
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.400, -89.020

Several trees were knocked down with some of the trees falling on some cars.

Thunderstorm Wind, McNairy

When: May 5, 6:45 PM CST to 6:50 PM CST
Where: McNairy County, Ramer
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.070, -88.630

Some structures were damaged. A few trees and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chester

When: May 5, 6:45 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where: Chester County, Henderson
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.430, -88.670

Nearly forty houses and mobile homes were damaged. Some trees and power lines were knocked down.,

Flash Flood, Dyer

When: May 5, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: Dyer County, Dyersburg
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.059, -89.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Three homes were evacuated becuase of flooding.

Flood, McNairy

When: May 5, 7:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where: McNairy County, Selmer
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.175, -88.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several streets were flooded. Some driveway culverts were washed out.

Flash Flood, Carroll

When: May 5, 7:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Carroll County, Mc Kenzie
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.973, -88.450 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two businesses were flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardin

When: May 5, 7:00 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where: Hardin County, Crump to Savannah
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.220, -88.320

Over fifty homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Several trees and power lines were also knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 5, 7:05 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Lexington
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.650, -88.400

A few structures were damaged trapping people in two homes. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, McNairy

When: May 5, 7:10 PM CST to 7:15 PM CST
Where: McNairy County, Selmer
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.180, -88.600

More than 40 homes were damaged and a dozen mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Several trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hardeman

When: May 5, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Hardeman County, 2 mi S of Bolivar
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.230, -89.000

Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.

Hail, Henderson

When: May 5, 7:25 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Lexington
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.650, -88.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: May 5, 7:27 PM CST to 7:35 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Medon
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.470, -88.880

A large tree was knocked down on a road in Medon. A driver hit the downed tree with their car and was killed.

Thunderstorm Wind, McNairy

When: May 5, 7:55 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: McNairy County, Adamsville
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates: 35.230, -88.400

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, May 1999

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: 5697746, 5697857, 5697747, 5697858, 5697628, 5697629, 5697630, 5697631, 5697632, 5697859, 5697634, 5697860, 5697748, 5697633, 5697744, 5697730, 5697731, 5697732, 5697749, 5697733, 5697750, 5697734, 5697738, 5697735, 5697736, 5697745, 5697856, 5697737, 5697739, 5697740, 5697741, 5697742, 5697743.