Flash Flooding and Hail in Mississippi, May 16 to 17, 2003

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Mississippi, May 16 to 17, 2003
Start: 2003-05-16T12:00
End: 2003-05-17T11:30
Location: Mississippi

May 16 to 17, 2003 · NWS MEG · 16 events in 12 counties and zones

8 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: $137,000
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 9:40 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 9:40 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1040 AM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003

15Z SFC ANALYSIS PLACES A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING FROM N ARK THRU
THE BOOTHEEL AND THRU EXTREME NW TN. A LINE OF ELEVATED CONVECTION
HAS BEEN MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL ARK INTO W TN AND N MS. THIS LINE IS
ASSOCIATED W/ AN UPPER SHRTWV EXTENDING FROM A CLOSED LOW OVER SW
OK. THIS LINE IS WORTH WATCHING AS IT MOVES EWRD AND PERHAPS BECOMES
MORE SFC BASED. PRIMARY HAIL THREAT WOULD BE LARGE HAIL...WITH
PERHAPS SOME LOCALIZED WIND DAMAGE. ONCE THE LINE MOVES
THRU...EXPECT SOME OCCASIONAL SHRA/TS ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD NOT BE
SEVERE. THE REAL SVR THREAT IS TONIGHT WHEN A W/E BNDRY SURGES NWRD.
BOTH THE 06Z AND 12Z MESOETA INDICATES STRONG HELICITY OVER ARK
EXTENDING INTO EXTREME WESTERN TN AND NW MS. THESE STORMS WOULD BE
ASSOCIATED W/ THE CONVECTION BREAKING OUT NEAR THE SHREVEPORT AREA.
NO MAJOR CHANGES TO CURRENT FCST ANTICIPATED. MAY BEEFEN WORDING FOR
TONIGHT.

COORD W/ SPC...THANKS.

.MEG...NONE.

VALLE

Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 11:03 AM CST, 57 minutes before

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-171000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1203 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTH
MISSISSIPPI...WEST TENNESSEE AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT SOUTH AND WEST
OF LINE FROM HARRISBURG TO COVINGTON TO SOMERVILLE TO PITTSBORO.
ELSEWHERE...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. DURING
THE EVENING HOURS UPPER LEVEL WINDS WILL INCREASE AND ANOTHER
BOUNDARY WILL MOVE NORTH INTO THE MID SOUTH. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE
FOR SOME STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. THERE IS A THREAT FOR TORNADIC
DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN
THE MODERATE RISK AREA. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL
BE BETWEEN 6 PM AND 3 AM TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE SATURDAY WITH MAINLY LARGE HAIL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR
WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MEG.

VALLE

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 9:33 AM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1033 AM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003

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

0930 AM    WIDENER                   AR   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/16/03   ST. FRANCIS                    REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Prentiss

When: May 16, 12:00 PM CST to 1:30 PM CST
Where: Prentiss County, Booneville
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.618, -88.520 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads were flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tunica

When: May 16, 9:15 PM CST to 9:20 PM CST
Where: Tunica County, Tunica
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.683, -90.383

Some power lines and small tree limbs were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tunica

When: May 16, 9:30 PM CST to 9:35 PM CST
Where: Tunica County, Robinsonsville
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.817, -90.317

A few power lines were knocked down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tunica

When: May 16, 10:30 PM CST to 10:35 PM CST
Where: Tunica County, Tunica
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.683, -90.383

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

Hail, Tate

When: May 16, 10:30 PM CST to 10:35 PM CST
Where: Tate County, 7 mi E of Senatobia
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Property damage: $50
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.617, -89.833

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When: May 16, 10:35 PM CST to 10:40 PM CST
Where: Marshall County, Mt Pleasant
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.950, -89.517

Several trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 16, 10:45 PM CST to 10:50 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Ashland
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 34.833, -89.167

Some trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Coahoma

When: May 17, 1:25 AM CST to 1:30 AM CST
Where: Coahoma County, Lula
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.450, -90.483

A grain bin was blown out. Several homes and businesses were damaged. Several trees, power lines and power poles were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Quitman

When: May 17, 1:45 AM CST to 1:50 AM CST
Where: Quitman County, Sledge
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.433, -90.217

One house was damaged.

Flash Flood, Coahoma

When: May 17, 3:30 AM CST to 5:00 AM CST
Where: Coahoma County, Clarksdale
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.229, -90.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several homes were flooded.

Flash Flood, Union

When: May 17, 4:30 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Union County, Macedonia
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.491, -89.004 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

One house was flooded.

Flash Flood, Quitman

When: May 17, 5:30 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Quitman County, Marks
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.251, -90.289 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Some fifty homes were damaged by flooding.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tallahatchie

When: May 17, 5:45 AM CST to 5:50 AM CST
Where: Tallahatchie County, Charleston
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.000, -90.050

A four foot tall brick wall was blown down. One tree was split apart.

Hail, Alcorn

When: May 17, 5:56 AM CST to 6:05 AM CST
Where: Alcorn County, Corinth
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $10
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.933, -88.517

Flash Flood, De Soto

When: May 17, 7:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: De Soto County, Olive Branch
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.875, -89.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A few roads were flooded.

Flash Flood, Panola

When: May 17, 10:30 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Panola County, Batesville
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.364, -89.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A section of Interstate 55 along with several other roads were flooded.

What these are

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.
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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Mississippi in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Mississippi, May 2003

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: 5356917, 5356816, 5356817, 5356818, 5356819, 5356915, 5356916, 5357171, 5357173, 5357172, 5356914, 5357170, 5356918, 5356820, 5356821, 5356913.