An outflow boundary from a large thunderstorm complex set off showers and thunderstorms over the Midsouth during the afternoon and evening hours of May 26, 2008. Some of the activity lingered into the morning hours of May 27th.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.
An outflow boundary from a large thunderstorm complex set off showers and thunderstorms over the Midsouth during the afternoon and evening hours of May 26, 2008. Some of the activity lingered into the morning hours of May 27th. The storms produced damaging winds, large hail, and flash flooding.
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 26, 8:29 AM CST, 3 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 929 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 .UPDATE... INCREASED RAIN CHANCES AND ADDED HEAVY RAINFALL MENTION FOR THE REST OF TODAY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. ALSO...LOWERED AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY IN THESE LOCATIONS. && .DISCUSSION... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40 TODAY. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS. ALSO...HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IS POSSIBLE AS WELL WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. AT 915 AM CDT...A WARM...MOIST...AND VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WAS OVER THE MIDSOUTH WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM NEAR 70 IN RAIN COOLED AREAS NEAR UNION CITY AND PARIS TN TO THE MID 80S AT MEMPHIS TN. DEWPOINTS WERE MAINLY IN THE 68 TO 75 DEGREE RANGE. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEAR A LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY CONVERGENCE LINE FROM UNION CITY TN TO RIPLEY TN. ADDITIONAL STORMS WERE MOVING INTO NE AR ALONG A DECAYING MCS AND OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. A COLD FRONT WAS SITUATED FROM NEAR KANSAS CITY MO TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN. REST OF TODAY...THE COMBINATION OF NEARBY OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM OLD MCS/S...ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...AND HIGH INSTABILITY WILL BRING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PARTS OF THE MIDSOUTH...PARTICULARLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. INCREASED RAIN CHANCES IN THESE AREAS. THINK HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT AS PRECIP ABLE WATER VALUES WILL EXCEED 1.8 INCHES...WHICH COULD CAUSE A QUICK 1 TO 3 INCHES IN HEAVIEST STORMS. THINK ANY FLOODING WOULD BE VERY ISOLATED...SO NO FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ANTICIPATED. AS FAR AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...A FEW STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH BEING THE MAIN HAZARD. THE AIR WILL BE VERY UNSTABLE...SBCAPES EXCEEDING 3500 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE MIDSOUTH. BASED ON MORNING SOUNDINGS... MICROBURST POTENTIAL IS VERY HIGH. WARM MID LEVELS SHOULD KEEP HAIL PRODUCTION LOW. OVERALL...THINK THERE WILL BE SOME SEVERE REPORTS...BUT SINCE THE STORM ORGANIZATION WILL NOT BE THE GREATEST WITH 0-6 KM SHEAR AROUND 25 KTS...WIDESPREAD SEVERE IS UNLIKELY. TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON WILL GET INTO THE UPPER 80S AND LOWER 90S OVER THE ENTIRE AREA. NOT CONFIDENCE OF MUCH SHOWER/STORM DEVELOPMENT SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 FARTHER FROM THE FRONT AND WHERE THE AIR SHOULD BE BETTER CAPPED. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 329 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT UPPER RIDGE OVER THE MID SOUTH SHOWING SIGNS OF BREAKING DOWN AS A SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY TRANSLATING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN MO. THE RESULT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NE AR AND THE NRN SECTIONS OF THE MO BOOTHEEL REGION. ANTICIPATE THAT THESE STORMS WILL MOVE EAST WITH THE LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORTWAVE. FOCUS WILL SHIFT WEST WHERE A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS EXTENDING FROM ST LOUIS TO OKLAHOMA CITY. THESE STORMS MAY SURVIVE THE TRIP EAST INTO THE MID SOUTH BY THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO CONCERNED WITH ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DUE TO STEEP LAPSE RATES AND UNCAPPED ATMOSPHERE. CHANCES FOR RAIN SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN SUNDAY/S. WEAKENING UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES CAUSING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TO PERSIST INTO TONIGHT...TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE TODAY AND AGAIN ON TUESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL SEEP INTO THE MID SOUTH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...HOWEVER TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO NEAR NORMAL AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 00Z ECMWF/GFS IN DECENT AGREEMENT OVERALL ACROSS THE MID SOUTH THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE ONLY EXCEPTION OF THE GFS BRINGING A TROPICAL SYSTEM UP FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA INTO THE GULF AT THE END OF THE PERIOD. OTHERWISE...SHOWER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AND END THURSDAY MORNING AS HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS TO THE MID SOUTH. ADDED LOW END CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NEXT WEEKEND AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE MID SOUTH AND POTENTIALLY STALLS OUT TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 91 73 88 72 / 50 30 50 40 MKL 89 71 84 67 / 50 30 70 40 JBR 87 72 87 69 / 70 40 60 40 TUP 89 70 86 69 / 30 20 60 30 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. && MBS/AC/CJC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 935 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-271645- ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA- CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER- FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY- ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON- MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT- PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY- ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA- UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 935 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES MAY OCCUR IN SOME LOCATIONS THROUGH 10 PM CDT ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH...PARTICULARLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. THIS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. STRONG TO PERHAPS A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 10 PM CDT ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH...PARTICULARLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40. DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH ALONG WITH HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH ON TUESDAY. ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL ALLOW THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY LOCALLY BE REQUIRED TODAY ACROSS PARTS OF THE MIDSOUTH. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED TUESDAY AS WELL. MBS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1052 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 TNZ004-021-052-054-261645- CARROLL TN-HENRY TN-HENDERSON TN-MADISON TN- 1052 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHERN HENRY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... NORTHERN HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 4 MILES WEST OF SPRINGVILLE TO 3 MILES WEST OF SPRING CREEK AT 1052 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN CARROLL...HENDERSON...HENRY AND MADISON COUNTIES... INCLUDING THE CITIES OF HUNTINGDON...MCKENZIE AND PARIS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 AM CDT. KNS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1204 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 MSZ005-006-009-TNZ091-092-261800- ALCORN MS-TISHOMINGO MS-PRENTISS MS-HARDIN TN-MCNAIRY TN- 1204 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... ALCORN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... PRENTISS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... TISHOMINGO COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... SOUTHERN HARDIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHEASTERN MCNAIRY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM WENASOGA TO 8 MILES WEST OF WHEELER AT 1204 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN ALCORN...HARDIN...MCNAIRY...PRENTISS AND TISHOMINGO COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF BOONEVILLE...CORINTH...IUKA AND SELMER...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CDT. KNS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1224 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 TNZ021-054-055-261815- DECATUR TN-CARROLL TN-HENDERSON TN- 1224 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHERN DECATUR COUNTY IN TENNESSEE... SOUTHERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 4 MILES EAST OF MIDDLE FORK TO 5 MILES SOUTH OF LEXINGTON AT 1224 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CARROLL...DECATUR AND HENDERSON COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF LEXINGTON...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 PM CDT. KNS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1232 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 TNZ049-050-261815- HAYWOOD TN-TIPTON TN- 1232 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... EASTERN TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 16 MILES WEST OF BROWNSVILLE AT 1232 PM CDT... MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THIS STORM IS NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE AND NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED. PEOPLE IN HAYWOOD AND TIPTON COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF BROWNSVILLE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1237 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 TNZ003-020-021-261830- CARROLL TN-GIBSON TN-WEAKLEY TN- 1237 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... WESTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... GIBSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... WEAKLEY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TRENTON AT 1237 PM CDT... MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THIS STORM IS NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE AND NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED. PEOPLE IN CARROLL...GIBSON AND WEAKLEY COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF HUMBOLDT...MARTIN...MCKENZIE...MILAN AND TRENTON...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY..
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1253 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 TNZ049-088-261845- SHELBY TN-TIPTON TN- 1253 PM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHEASTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... EASTERN TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF MILLINGTON AT 1253 PM CDT... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN SHELBY AND TIPTON COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF COVINGTON AND MILLINGTON...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 PM CDT. KNS
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:54 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 7 flash flood, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds blew trees down on Telecom Drive outside of Milan.
Straight line winds blew trees and power lines down across Decatur County.
Straight line winds blew trees down on Highway 18 near Medon.
Straight line winds blew trees down on Parkburg Lane.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding in and around Parsons. Several roads were closed as a result.
Straight line winds blew five large trees down near mile marker 54 on Interstate 40.
Straight line winds blew trees and power lines down across Brownsville. A few trees were reported down on Highway 76. In addition, trees were reported down near Haywood High School. Trees were also knocked down on numerous houses. One man was injured when a tree fell on his house. A roof was blown off the Dynametal building.
Winds were measured to be sustained at 60 to 65 mph with gusts to 80 mph. The measurement was made with a portable weather station outside of Mercer.
Straight line winds blew trees down on Highway 223 in Denmark.
Winds were measured at 62 mph with a portable weather station in Downtown Jackson.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding on many roads near Parsons including McKenzie Road, Bible Hill Road, Old Perryville Road, Highway 412, Davis Mill Road and Tomlin Chapel Road. A total of 22 roads were closed from the flooding. Six roads were damaged. One person fell into the water when a road collapse. However the person was rescued and not injured.
Heavy rain produced water up to bumpers of cars on many streets in Savannah and just to the west of Savannah.
Heavy rain closed 15 roads due to flash flooding in Lexington and across the rest of Henderson County.
Portions of Olive Hill Road were impassable due to flooding.
Some roads in the Morris Chapel area were impassable due to flooding.
Many roads in and near Savannah flooded due to heavy rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, May 2008
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: 110872, 110873, 110874, 110875, 110866, 110876, 110878, 110895, 110896, 110898, 110899, 110902, 110900, 110903, 110904, 110906, 110907, 110908, 110910.