Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, July 12, 2002

Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, July 12, 2002
Start: 2002-07-12T12:53
End: 2002-07-12T23:21
Location: Mississippi

July 12, 2002 · NWS JAN · 16 events in 11 counties and zones

15 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: 0
Property damage: $37,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 16

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 12, 2:45 AM CST, 10 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 2:45 AM CST, 10 hours 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
345 AM CDT FRI JUL 12 2002

MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE RAIN CHANCES THROUGH THE
WEEKEND ASSOCIATED WITH APPROACHING UPPER LOW THAT SETTLES INTO THE
OZARKS TODAY AND NEAR THE ARKLATEX ON SATURDAY BEFORE DRIFTING WWD
ON SUNDAY INTO OKLAHOMA.

FORECAST BOILS DOWN TO 4 PRIMARY FACTORS - A JUICY AIRMASS WITH
WIDESPREAD 2-2.2 PRECIPITABLE WATER...DIURNAL HEATING TO GET
OUTFLOW BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS GOING...A NWD MOVING SEA BREEZE...AND
APPROACHING UPPER LOW THAT WILL FURTHER DESTABILIZE THINGS FROM THE
NW. IN ADDITION...A MID LEVEL VORT CENTER IN THE CENTRAL GULF BEGINS
LIFTING TOWARD THE FL BIG BEND TODAY AND INTO SERN GA SATURDAY. ON
THE SURFACE...A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM MO INTO THE TN VALLEY
SHOULD SAG SWD TODAY. THE 06Z MESO-ETA HOLDS BEST THETA-E AIR ALONG
THE MS RIVER THIS AFTERNOON NOSING EWD INTO CENTRAL MS THIS EVENING.
THE AVN ESSENTIALLY KEEPS A W-E THETA E RIDGE ALONG THE HIGHWAY 84
REGION OF SRN MS. WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE...POPS WILL BE ABOVE
NORMAL AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD HOLD AT OR BELOW CLIMATOLOGY FOR THE
NEXT FEW DAYS.

FIRST ROUND OF CONVECTION THIS MORNING CROSSING THE UPPER DELTA INTO
NERN MS ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE. THIS ACTIVITY
SHOULD SERVE TO SET UP TODAYS INITIAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ROUGHLY
ALONG HIGHWAY 82. THEN LATER TODAY...NUMEROUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES
WILL BE AVAILABLE TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND SEA BREEZE TO
PRODUCE AT LEAST 1 TO 2 INCH 24-HOUR RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH BOTH
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS.

IN THE EXTENDED...A STALLED FRONT HANGS UP ON THE NRN FRINGES OF
FORECAST AREA BY SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE FINALLY PULLING BACK N ON
MONDAY.  UPPER RIDGING THEN QUICKLY REBUILDS FROM THE EAST OVER THE
FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY WHICH SHOULD DISSIPATE
SURFACE FRONT. TREND FOR MINIMAL DIURNAL POPS LOOKS GOOD BY THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AND NO CHANGES IN THE EXTENDED ARE PLANNED.

JAN  91/72 89/73 87 75645
MEI  90/72 90/73 87 75645

.JAN...
AR...NONE.
LA...NONE.
MS...NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 12, 10:21 AM CST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1121 AM CDT FRI JUL 12 2002

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

0230 PM    SUNRISE                   MS   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/02   LEAKE                          E.O.C REPORTED TREES
                                          BLOWN DOWN.

0400 PM    PULASKI                   MS   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/02   SCOTT                          S.O. REPORTED NUMEROUS
                                          TREES DOWN.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Leflore

When: July 12, 12:53 PM CST
Where: Leflore County, 1 mi S of Greenwood
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.500, -90.183

Several trees were blown down across the area.

Flash Flood, Sunflower

When: July 12, 1:00 PM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where: Sunflower County, Drew
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.602, -90.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous streets were flooded in the city.

Thunderstorm Wind, Leflore

When: July 12, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Leflore County, Greenwood
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.517, -90.183

Thunderstorm Wind, Leake

When: July 12, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Leake County, Sunrise
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 32.767, -89.433

Several trees were blown down in the community.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oktibbeha

When: July 12, 2:20 PM CST
Where: Oktibbeha County, Maben
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.550, -89.083

A few trees were blown down in the community.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: July 12, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Pulaski
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.267, -89.600

Several trees were blown down in the community.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rankin

When: July 12, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Rankin County, Brandon
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 32.267, -89.983

A few trees were blown down in the city.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rankin

When: July 12, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Rankin County, Brandon
Property damage: $7,000
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 32.267, -89.983

Several trees were blown down in the city. One tree fell on a house, resulting in minor damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rankin

When: July 12, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Rankin County, Brandon
Property damage: $18,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 32.267, -89.983

Thunderstorm winds in the area resulted in roof and some structural damage to a building.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marion

When: July 12, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Marion County, Morgantown
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.317, -89.933

A few trees were blown down near the intersection of State Road 587 and State Road 44.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marion

When: July 12, 5:05 PM CST
Where: Marion County, 10 mi NE of Columbia
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.350, -89.717

Several trees were blown down on State Road 44, especially near the Marion/Lamar County line.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When: July 12, 6:20 PM CST
Where: Jasper County, Stringer
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.867, -89.267

Numerous trees were blown down in the southwestern Jasper County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jones

When: July 12, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Jones County, Soso
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 31.750, -89.267

Numerous trees were blown down between Laurel and Soso, along State Road 28.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: July 12, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County, 10 mi SE of Lorman
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.717, -90.933

A few trees were blown down in the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jones

When: July 12, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Jones County, 3 mi NW of Soso
Property damage: $500
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 31.783, -89.300

Several large limbs were blown down in the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: July 12, 11:21 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 6 mi SW of Madison
Property damage: $500
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 32.400, -90.167

Several large limbs were blown down near the intersection of Catlett Road and State Road 22.

What these are

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.
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 Mississippi in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Mississippi, July 2002

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: 5309267, 5309268, 5309269, 5309270, 5309271, 5309272, 5309273, 5309274, 5309332, 5309333, 5309334, 5309335, 5309336, 5309337, 5309338, 5309339.