Showers and thunderstorms developed over Mid-South during the late afternoon and evening hours of July 15th, 2009 due to daytime heating. The storms died out a couple hours after sunset.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed over Mid-South during the late afternoon and evening hours of July 15th, 2009 due to daytime heating. The storms died out a couple hours after sunset. Some of the storms became severe with large hail, 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 15, 2:43 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
343 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2009
.DISCUSSION...
STRONG UPPER RIDGING ENTRENCHED OVER THE MIDSOUTH HAS KEPT CUMULUS
DEVELOPMENT TO A MINIMUM ACROSS THE AREA. THIS HAS ALLOWED HEAT
INDICES TO EXCEED 105 DEGREES ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH.
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES HAVE NOT DEVIATED MUCH FROM THIS POINT
YESTERDAY BUT A MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER HAS KEPT DEWPOINTS IN THE MID
TO UPPER 70S AREA WIDE...THUS EXTENDING THE HEAT ADVISORY ACROSS A
GOOD PORTION OF THE MIDSOUTH. THE PROBABILITY OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AND POSSIBLE RECORD LOW
TEMPERATURES ACROSS RURAL MIDSOUTH AREAS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY ARE
THE MAIN CONCERNS OF THIS FORECAST PACKAGE.
TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...STRONG H5 RIDGE ACROSS THE AREA WILL
SLOWLY BREAK DOWN THROUGH THE EVENING PLACING THE MIDSOUTH UNDER
NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT THROUGH FRIDAY. A FEW UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES
WILL BECOME EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW ALOFT AND AFFECT THE MIDSOUTH
THROUGH THURSDAY. LATEST WRF DEPICTS A COMPLEX OF STORMS PUSHING
INTO THE AREA BY THIS EVENING. WITH A CONTINUED MOIST AND UNSTABLE
BOUNDARY LAYER...A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH DAMAGING STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THE MAIN THREATS. A COLD
FRONT WILL THEN APPROACH THE AREA FRIDAY BRINGING ADDITIONAL
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BEFORE PUSHING ITS WAY SOUTH
OF THE REGION.
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...FRONT SHOULD CLEAR THE AREA BY SATURDAY
MORNING AS A STRONG UPPER TROF TRANSLATES INTO THE DEEP SOUTH
POOLING IN A MUCH COOLER AIR MASS INTO THE MIDSOUTH. THIS DRY AND
UNSEASONABLY COOL AIR MASS SHOULD STAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND
BRINGING POSSIBLE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES ACROSS RURAL PORTIONS OF
THE MIDSOUTH. HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD NOT GET OUT OF THE MID 80S
AREA WIDE ALL WEEKEND.
MONDAY THROUGH MIDWEEK...TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY MODERATE BACK TO
NEAR SEASONAL NORMS BY MIDWEEK AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY
SLIDES EAST ALLOWING A MORE SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE FLOW. THE
MIDSOUTH SHOULD STILL REMAIN DRY THROUGH THIS PERIOD. THE 12Z
ECMWF TRIES TO DEVELOP A STRONG MID/UPPER SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED
SURFACE LOW IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TUESDAY EVENING AND PUSHES THE
SYSTEM ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE GFS WAS NOT AS
BULLISH WITH THIS SYSTEM SO DECIDED TO LEAVE MENTION OUT AT THIS
TIME. SUBSEQUENT MODEL RUNS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY.
CCD
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAF CYCLE
MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
SOME AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY ALTHOUGH COVERAGE
APPEARS TO BE LIMITED. CLOUDS SHOULD THIN OUT AFTER SUNSET.
ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO START LATE THURSDAY
MORNING WITH A LARGER COVERAGE AREA THAN TODAY.
ARS
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM 78 90 75 88 / 30 60 40 40
MKL 74 87 70 87 / 50 70 40 40
JBR 73 89 71 88 / 40 60 50 20
TUP 75 90 74 87 / 20 50 40 50
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CRAIGHEAD-
CRITTENDEN-CROSS-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-PHILLIPS-POINSETT-ST.
FRANCIS.
MO...NONE.
MS...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BENTON MS-CALHOUN-
CHICKASAW-COAHOMA-DESOTO-LAFAYETTE-MARSHALL-PANOLA-PONTOTOC-
QUITMAN-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TUNICA-UNION-YALOBUSHA.
TN...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CROCKETT-DYER-
FAYETTE-GIBSON-HARDEMAN-HAYWOOD-LAUDERDALE-MADISON-SHELBY-
TIPTON.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 429 PM CDT WED JUL 15 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>092-162330- 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- 429 PM CDT WED JUL 15 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 FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF A JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO JACKSON TENNESSEE TO PARSONS TENNESSEE LINE...MAINLY BETWEEN 5 PM AND MIDNIGHT CDT. DAMAGING WINDS OF 60 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARD. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLY CAUSING LOCALIZED FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF THE SLIGHT RISK AREA AND NORTH OF A MARIANNA ARKANSAS TO BOONEVILLE MISSISSIPPI LINE...INCLUDING THE MEMPHIS...WYNNE...BOLIVAR...AND CORINTH AREAS...AFTER MIDNIGHT CDT. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 60 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. HEAT INDEX READINGS WILL BE BETWEEN 105 AND 108 DEGREES ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THROUGH 7 PM CDT. A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY AS SEVERAL COMPLEXES OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVE ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA TONIGHT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY ALSO BE NEEDED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. MBS
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:12 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked down several trees and power lines across Western Clay County.
Straight line winds knocked down several trees and power lines across Eastern Randolph County. One tree fell at the intersection of Highway 328 and Highway 166.
Winds were estimated at 60 mph in Maynard.
Nickel size hail fell off of County Road 251 northeast of Pocahontas.
Straight line winds snapped the tops off of large trees in Oak Grove Heights.
A gust front ahead of a line of thunderstorms produced wind gusts up to 60 mph in Gosnell.
Straight line winds knocked down several trees in Blytheville.
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: 187482, 187483, 187481, 187604, 187586, 187609, 187610.