Daytime heating combined with abundant tropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Claudette produced showers and thunderstorms over the Mid-South in the late afternoon and evening hours of August 18th, 2009. Some of the storms produced locally heavy rainfall which caused flash flooding.
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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 abundant tropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Claudette produced showers and thunderstorms over the Mid-South in the late afternoon and evening hours of August 18th, 2009. Some of the storms produced locally heavy rainfall which caused 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 18, 2:43 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 343 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 .DISCUSSION... SCATTERED DIURNAL THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE MIDSOUTH... IN A WEAKLY CAPPED TROPICAL AIRMASS. A FEW STRONG STORMS WERE NOTED OVER NORTHEAST AR...IN A LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY AXIS AND IN PROXIMITY TO A MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE LIFTING INTO SOUTHWEST MO. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO GRADUALLY DISSIPATE WITH THE LOSS OF SURFACE HEATING THIS EVENING. CANNOT RULE OUT A ISOLATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM BEYOND MIDEVENING... BUT WILL HOLD POPS BELOW 20 PERCENT BEYOND MIDEVENING. EXPECT ADDITIONAL ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY...PEAKING IN COVERAGE DURING THE AFTERNOON. AN UNSEASONABLY DEEP UPPER LEVEL LONGWAVE TROF WILL DROP INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION ON THURSDAY... CARVED OUT BY AN UPPER LEVEL JET DIVING FROM SOUTHWEST CANADA INTO THE LOWER/MID MS RIVER VALLEY. THIS WILL HELP DRIVE A STRONG SURFACE COLD FRONT INTO THE MIDSOUTH THURSDAY EVENING. NAM12 MODEL PROGS CAPES AT OR BELOW 1000 J/KG AHEAD OF THE SURFACE FRONT...BUT THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FORCING FOR A FEW SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH THURSDAY EVENING. FRIDAY SHOULD SEE STORMS PUSH OFF TO THE SOUTH...REPLACED BY CLEARING SKIES AND MODIFIED CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE. HAVE REFRAINED FROM UNDERCUTTING GFS MEX MOS TEMPS TOO MUCH AT THIS EARLY STAGE... BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE MODEL IS HEDGING ITS BETS A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO CLIMATOLOGY FOR TEMPS AND DEWPOINTS. IN ANY CASE...THE UPCOMING WEEKEND WILL BE COOLER...LESS HUMID AND FREE OF RAIN. PWB && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PERSIST FOR MUCH OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEGUN TO DEVELOP OVER THE FORECAST AREA AND MAY AFFECT THE TAF SITES ESPECIALLY KMEM AND KTUP. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND MAINLY FROM THE SOUTH. ARS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 73 89 75 90 / 20 40 20 40 MKL 70 88 72 89 / 20 50 20 50 JBR 72 90 73 88 / 30 40 20 40 TUP 72 87 72 88 / 20 60 20 50 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 423 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 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>092-192330- 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- 423 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR THROUGH 9 PM CDT MAINLY NORTHWEST OF A HELENA ARKANSAS TO MEMPHIS TO PARSONS TENNESSEE LINE. THE MAIN HAZARD IS FLASH FLOODING AS 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL OR LOCALLY MORE CAN BE EXPECTED. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 60 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN A FEW LOCATIONS NORTH OF A HELENA ARKANSAS TO MEMPHIS TO PARSONS TENNESSEE LINE THROUGH 9 PM CDT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY. MBS/PWB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 217 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ008-017-181945- RANDOLPH AR-LAWRENCE AR- 217 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHWESTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... WESTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF DALTON TO 32 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RAVENDEN AT 218 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE AND NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED. PEOPLE IN LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 327 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ009-018-182100- CLAY AR-GREENE AR- 327 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTH CENTRAL CLAY COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHEASTERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFE AT 327 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 5 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 GREENE COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR MARMADUKE AND RECTOR...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 335 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ018-026-MOZ113-182100- CRAIGHEAD AR-GREENE AR-DUNKLIN MO- 335 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHEASTERN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN DUNKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BROOKLAND AT 335 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 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 CRAIGHEAD...DUNKLIN AND GREENE COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BROOKLAND AND PARAGOULD...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:57 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding along Highway 412 in downtown Paragould.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding in Marmaduke. Several roads were flooded as a result.
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: 192942, 192944.