Daytime heating combined with a moist atmosphere helped to produce afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms across the Mid-South on August 10th, 2009. Some of the storms produced heavy rainfall which resulted in flash flooding.
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.
Daytime heating combined with a moist atmosphere helped to produce afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms across the Mid-South on August 10th, 2009. Some of the storms produced heavy rainfall which resulted in 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 Aug 10, 11:48 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1248 PM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 .UPDATE... .UPDATED FOR 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1050 AM CDT MON AUG 10 2009/ UPDATE... TODAY/S FORECAST IS IN GREAT SHAPE. MADE A FEW SMALL ADJUSTMENTS MAINLY TO SKY COVER. DISCUSSION... WILL MONITOR FOR POSSIBLE STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY NORTH OF A JONESBORO AR TO HUNTINGDON TN LINE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. OTHERWISE...HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL. AT 1045 AM CDT ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH AND FORECAST AREA...RAINFREE CONDITIONS WERE OCCURRING UNDER SUNNY SKIES. VERY WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS WERE OCCURRING WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE 82 TO 90 DEGREE RANGE AND DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S. A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. REST OF TODAY...NORTHERN AREAS MENTIONED ABOVE HAVE THE BEST SHOT FOR SHOWERS/STORMS WHICH MAY BE STRONG/SEVERE WHERE CAPPING IS WEAKEST...CURRENT MCS OVER SW MO MAY DROP SOUTHEAST AND AFFECT THESE AREAS...AND CLOSE TO AN OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT CURRENTLY IS LOCATED OVER SE MO. FOR NOW...KEPT 20 TO 40 PERCENT CHANCES IN THESE AREAS. BELIEVE THE MCS OVER SW MO WILL MAINLY MOVE EAST... BUT MAY DROP AN OUTFLOW INTO THESE AREAS AFTER 3 PM CDT...WHEN THESE AREAS HAVE THE BEST SHOT FOR RAIN. WITH THE AIR BEING MOIST... PW 1.6 TO 2 INCHES...AND VERY UNSTABLE...LIFTED INDICES -6 TO -11...DAMAGING WIND/MICROBURSTS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG WITH POSSIBLE LARGE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IF NOT MORE. THINK CURRENT HWO HANDLES THINGS WELL. ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA...INCLUDING AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-40...INCLUDING MEMPHIS...OXFORD...AND TUPELO...THINK MAINLY RAINFREE CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR WITH STRONGER LOW/MID LEVEL CAPPING. CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STORM THIS AFTERNOON WHICH COULD BE LOCALLY STRONG/SEVERE...BUT BELIEVE COVERAGE WILL REMAIN BELOW 15 PERCENT...SO DID NOT MENTION IN ZONES. HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY AS HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 70S WILL YIELD HEAT INDICES IN THE 100 TO 105 DEGREE RANGE...JUST BELOW HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA. PERSONS OUTDOORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SLOW DOWN AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER THIS AFTERNOON. MBS && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE TAF SITES WILL EXPERIENCE VFR CONDITIONS TODAY. SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOP WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER/NEAR KJBR THIS AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT EXPECT LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS AND VFR CONDITIONS OVER KJBR...KMKL...AND KMEM. SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT THAT KTUP COULD SEE TEMPO IFR CONDITIONS NEAR SUNRISE. LARGE AREA OF CONVECTION WILL LIKELY MOVE SOUTHEAST OUT OF SOUTHERN MISSOURI AFTER 10Z. WITH THAT MIND IM LEANING IN TEMPO THUNDERSTORMS FOR KJBR...KMKL...AND KMEM...WITH CIGS AROUND 3K. JAB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 93 75 90 73 / 10 30 70 30 MKL 92 70 86 70 / 20 40 60 30 JBR 93 71 86 70 / 20 50 60 20 TUP 93 74 93 71 / 10 10 70 50 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 435 AM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-111145- 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- 435 AM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS AREAS NORTH OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO HUNTINGDON TENNESSEE LINE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE MID SOUTH TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AN ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER EVENT WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS PERIOD AS A STRONGER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND INCREASING ATMOSPHERIC WINDS MAY ALLOW STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS SHOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT A FEW ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY ALSO DEVELOP. A THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO EXIST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS...AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. JLH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 155 PM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 ARZ008-009-101930- CLAY AR-RANDOLPH AR- 155 PM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHWESTERN CLAY COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHEASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED OVER SUCCESS AT 155 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 10 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 CLAY AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CORNING...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 226 PM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 ARZ008-009-102000- CLAY AR-RANDOLPH AR- 226 PM CDT MON AUG 10 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... WESTERN CLAY COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MAYNARD AT 226 PM CDT... MOVING EAST AT 15 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 CLAY AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CORNING AND POCAHONTAS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 144 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:49 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding in downtown Pocahontas. In addition, a few cars hydroplaned into roadside ditches. The motorists had to be rescued due to flood water filling up the ditches.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding in Rector. A few streets were flooded as a result.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding in and around Ravenden. Up to six inches of water covered the roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2009
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: 192933, 192992, 192935.