A stationary front was located across the Mid-South during the evening hours of July 12th, 2009. A mesoscale convective complex developed along the front and moved into the area during the late evening hours.
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.
A stationary front was located across the Mid-South during the evening hours of July 12th, 2009. A mesoscale convective complex developed along the front and moved into the area during the late evening hours. Showers and thunderstorms from the complex affected the Mid-South through the morning hours of July 13th, 2009. Some of the storms became severe and produced damaging winds 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 Jul 12, 3:29 AM CST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 429 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 .DISCUSSION... A MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM (MCS) MOVED THROUGH NORTHEAST AR OVERNIGHT PRODUCING REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE AND FLASH FLOODING. THE SYSTEM IS GRADUALLY WEAKENING AS IT MOVES INTO EAST CENTRAL AR AND NORTHWEST MS...CONTINUING SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARD. THINK BY SUNRISE THIS SYSTEM WILL BE JUST ABOUT OUT OF FORECAST AREA. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING JUST WEST OF OUR AREA...AND SHOULD REMAIN JUST TO THE WEST. LITTLE CHANGE IS SEEN IN THE CURRENT WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH MONDAY. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND EXTENDING INTO THE MIDSOUTH WILL WEAKEN ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. A WEAK SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM SOUTHERN MO THROUGH SOUTHERN IL INTO CENTRAL KY WILL GRADUALLY SAG SOUTHWARD INTO NORTHEAST AR AND NORTHWEST TN BY TONIGHT. FOR TODAY...A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST FOR THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP UPSTREAM NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SPREAD INTO THE MIDSOUTH. THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE NEAR 2 INCHES. HIGHEST POPS WILL EXTEND FROM NORTHEAST AR ACROSS THE MO BOOTHEEL INTO PORTIONS OF WEST TN. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE TREND TONIGHT ALSO. THERE ARE INDICATIONS ANOTHER MCS MAY SPREAD INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT. MODELS DIFFER ON TIMING AND EXACT LOCATION...THUS FOR NOW KEPT HIGHEST POPS IN CHANCE CATEGORY. ALTHOUGH POPS MAY NEED TO BE RAISED LATER FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA...ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. THE SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE MIDSOUTH FROM THE NORTHEAST MONDAY AS THE RIDGE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN. AS A RESULT...THE MIDSOUTH WILL CONTINUE WITH THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLY A MCS. A THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO PERSIST. MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN SHOWING THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE REGAINING STRENGTH OVER THE MIDSOUTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW BECOMING MORE ZONAL. THIS WILL SUPPRESS CONVECTION AND KEEP CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS FROM PUSHING INTO OUR AREA. HEAT INDEX READINGS ARE FORECAST TO CLIMB TO AROUND 105 DEGREES OR A LITTLE HIGHER FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. HEAT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE ISSUED. FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WORK WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND...BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOW A SIGNIFICANT PATTERN CHANGE...AT LEAST FOR A FEW DAYS. A FAIRLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR WILL PROGRESS THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH GRADUALLY PUSHING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION BY THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL LEAD TO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ABOUT THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY ALONG WITH A COOLING TREND. TOO FAR OUT TO DETERMINE THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE ATTM. JCL .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE COMPLEX OF TSRA OVER NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WILL MOVE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST AND DIRECTLY AFFECT KJBR 05-08Z AND KMEM 07-10Z. EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS WITH BRIEF IFR...POSSIBLY LIFR CONDITIONS...WITH TSRA AND GUSTY WINDS WITH THIS COMPLEX AT THESE TWO SITES. DO NOT THINK THIS COMPLEX WILL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT KMKL AND KTUP AT THIS TIME. WILL KEEP MVFR VISIBILITIES AT KMKL 09-14Z AND TEMPO 10-13Z AT KTUP. AFTER 14Z...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED...BUT WILL PUT VCTS IN TAFS AS EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED TSRA TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA...MAINLY IN THE 18-02Z TIME FRAME. BRIEF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY TSRA THAT DIRECTLY A TAF SITE. CHANCES OF DIRECT OCCURRENCE IS LOW AND DURATION OF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE LESS THAN 30 MINUTES. GENERALLY SOUTH WINDS LESS THAN 8 KTS WILL PREVAIL. MBS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 94 77 93 77 / 30 30 40 20 MKL 90 73 88 71 / 50 50 50 20 JBR 93 74 91 74 / 40 40 40 20 TUP 92 74 92 73 / 30 30 40 20 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 109 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 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>092-121100- 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- 109 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT THROUGH MUCH OF EAST ARKANSAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS TO PARAGOULD TO BLYTHEVILLE...AND ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM TUNICA TO MARKS. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS EAST ARKANSAS... PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE AROUND THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN AREA... AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI WHICH MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. HEAT INDEX READINGS WILL CLIMB TO AROUND 105 DEGREES OR A LITTLE HIGHER ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH DURING THE PERIOD TUESDAY INTO THURSDAY. HEAT INDEX ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE REGION SOME TIME DURING THIS PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION HAS BEEN REQUESTED FOR THE PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. JCL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
138 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1120 AM TSTM WND DMG RAVENDEN SPRINGS 36.31N 91.22W
07/11/2009 RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN. POWER LINES DOWN ON HOMES.
1113 PM TSTM WND GST 5 SE DALTON 36.37N 91.09W
07/11/2009 E60.00 MPH RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
60 MPH WINDS ESTIMATED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AT INTERSECTION
OF HIGHWAY 90 AND 93.
1150 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NNE WALNUT RIDGE 36.12N 90.93W
07/11/2009 M64.00 MPH LAWRENCE AR AWOS
56KT GUST AT WALNUT RIDGE AWOS
1200 AM FLASH FLOOD POCAHONTAS 36.26N 90.97W
07/12/2009 RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED.
1240 AM TSTM WND DMG TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
07/12/2009 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
TREES DOWN AND ELECTRICITY OUT.
1250 AM TSTM WND DMG JONESBORO 35.82N 90.69W
07/12/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON HWY 226
0100 AM TSTM WND DMG JONESBORO 35.82N 90.69W
07/12/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
LIGHT POLE DOWN ON HWY 63.
&&
CJCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 138 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ARZ035-036-048-049-MSZ001-007-TNZ088-120700- CROSS AR-LEE AR-ST. FRANCIS AR-CRITTENDEN AR-DE SOTO MS-TUNICA MS- SHELBY TN- 138 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHERN CROSS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHERN LEE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... ST. FRANCIS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHWESTERN DESOTO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... NORTHWESTERN TUNICA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 13 MILES NORTH OF JENNETTE TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF COLT AT 137 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH. THESE STRONG WINDS WILL PRECEDE THE ONSET OF THUNDERSTORMS BY AS MUCH AS 15 MINUTES... AS THE OUTFLOW MOVES SOUTH...OUT AHEAD OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. PEOPLE IN CRITTENDEN...CROSS...DESOTO...LEE...SHELBY...ST. FRANCIS AND TUNICA COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR FORREST CITY... HUGHES...MADISON...PALESTINE...VILLAGE CREEK STATE PARK AND WEST MEMPHIS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES HORN LAKE...HORSESHOE LAKE AND MIDWAY LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 145 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ARZ027-028-120730- MISSISSIPPI AR-POINSETT AR- 145 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EASTERN POINSETT COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF LEPANTO AT 144 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI AND POINSETT COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR LEPANTO...MARKED TREE AND TYRONZA...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 AM CDT. .A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALERT AREA.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
204 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1113 PM TSTM WND GST 5 SE DALTON 36.37N 91.09W
07/11/2009 E60.00 MPH RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
60 MPH WINDS ESTIMATED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AT INTERSECTION
OF HIGHWAY 90 AND 93.
1120 PM TSTM WND DMG RAVENDEN SPRINGS 36.31N 91.22W
07/11/2009 RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN. POWER LINES DOWN ON HOMES.
1150 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NNE WALNUT RIDGE 36.12N 90.93W
07/11/2009 M64.00 MPH LAWRENCE AR AWOS
56KT GUST AT WALNUT RIDGE AWOS
1200 AM FLASH FLOOD POCAHONTAS 36.26N 90.97W
07/12/2009 RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED.
1240 AM TSTM WND DMG TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
07/12/2009 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
TREES DOWN AND ELECTRICITY OUT.
1250 AM TSTM WND DMG JONESBORO 35.82N 90.69W
07/12/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON HWY 226
0100 AM TSTM WND DMG JONESBORO 35.82N 90.69W
07/12/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
LIGHT POLE DOWN ON HWY 63.
&&
CJCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 230 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ARZ048-049-058-120815- PHILLIPS AR-LEE AR-ST. FRANCIS AR- 230 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... WESTERN LEE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHWESTERN PHILLIPS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHWESTERN ST. FRANCIS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER WHEATLEY AT 228 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN LEE...PHILLIPS AND ST. FRANCIS COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR MARIANNA AND PALESTINE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 AM CDT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
255 AM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0105 AM TSTM WND DMG LEPANTO 35.61N 90.33W
07/11/2009 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
PORTION OF A FENCE BLOWN DOWN, TREE LIMBS DOWN,
ELECTRICITY OUT.
1113 PM TSTM WND GST 5 SE DALTON 36.37N 91.09W
07/11/2009 E60.00 MPH RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
60 MPH WINDS ESTIMATED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AT INTERSECTION
OF HIGHWAY 90 AND 93.
1120 PM TSTM WND DMG RAVENDEN SPRINGS 36.31N 91.22W
07/11/2009 RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN. POWER LINES DOWN ON HOMES.
1150 PM TSTM WND GST 4 NNE WALNUT RIDGE 36.12N 90.93W
07/11/2009 M64.00 MPH LAWRENCE AR AWOS
56KT GUST AT WALNUT RIDGE AWOS
1200 AM FLASH FLOOD POCAHONTAS 36.26N 90.97W
07/12/2009 RANDOLPH AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED.
1240 AM TSTM WND DMG TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
07/12/2009 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
TREES DOWN AND ELECTRICITY OUT.
1250 AM TSTM WND DMG JONESBORO 35.82N 90.69W
07/12/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON HWY 226
0100 AM TSTM WND DMG JONESBORO 35.82N 90.69W
07/12/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
LIGHT POLE DOWN ON HWY 63.
&&
CJCThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:44 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A lightning strike started a fire at the Martin Sprocket & Gear Incorporated Plant. The fire destroyed all the warehouses and ten percent of the plant received heavy smoke damage from the fire.
Straight line winds knocked down power lines in Cash.
Three inches of rain fell in Weiner.
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, July 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: 191210, 187475, 187476.