A weak upper level disturbance produced showers and thunderstorms over the Mid-South during the late afternoon and early evening hours of June 2nd, 2009. Some storms became severe and produced damaging winds and large hail.
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 weak upper level disturbance produced showers and thunderstorms over the Mid-South during the late afternoon and early evening hours of June 2nd, 2009. Some storms became severe and produced damaging winds and large hail.
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 Jun 2, 1:15 PM CST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 215 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 .DISCUSSION... THE MAIN CONCERNS ARE RAIN CHANCES...STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS... AND HEAVY RAIN/LOCALIZED FLOODING POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY. LATEST MODELS WERE IN FAIR TO GOOD AGREEMENT. WILL USE A BLEND OF THEM WITH NO PREFERENCE FOR ONE MODEL OVER ANOTHER. DO NOT PLAN ON MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. AT 2 PM CDT ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH AND FORECAST AREA...VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WERE OCCURRING WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES MAINLY 86 TO 92 DEGREES...EXCEPT WHERE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE OCCURRING. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA...MAINLY NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. WAS WEAKENING AND LOW PRESSURE NEAR THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WAS MOVING EAST. THROUGH 10 PM CDT...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE FORECAST AREA...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS UP TO 60 MPH...HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. THE MICROBURST POTENTIAL REMAINS RATHER HIGH WITH LIFTED INDICES -4 TO -8...SBCAPE 2000-3000 J/KG...AND DOWNDRAFT CAPE 1000-1300 J/KG. ONLY EXPECT 20 TO 30 PERCENT COVERAGE OVER THE AREA WITH MOST ARES STAYING DRY. MOST STORMS WILL DIMINISH BY 10 PM CDT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. THE REST OF TONIGHT WILL BE WARM AND MUGGY. PLAN TO KEEP LOW RAIN CHANCES...20 TO 30 PERCENT...NEAR AND NORTH OF I-40 AS A FEW SHOWERS/STORMS MAY LINGER...PARTICULARLY OVER NE AR AND MO BOOTHEEL WHERE BEST 500 MB HEIGHT FALLS ARE EXPECTED. MODEL GUIDANCE LOWS IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S APPEAR REASONABLE. WEDNESDAY...SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE AS DEEPER MOISTURE AND BETTER LIFT MOVE IN WITH THE APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. WILL TIER RAIN CHANCES FROM 30 PERCENT NEAR ABERDEEN MS TO NEAR 80 PERCENT NEAR WALNUT RIDGE AR. THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY WILL BE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SOME STORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING... AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING AS THE AIR WILL BE UNSTABLE WITH LIFTED INDICES -3 TO -7. DOUBT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WILL OCCUR. CLOUDS SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN SLIGHTLY...BUT WILL GO WARMER THAN 12Z MAVMOS NUMBERS WITH HIGHS MID 80S OVER THE MO BOOTHEEL TO LOWER 90S OVER NORTH MS WITH SOME MORNING SUN. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...LATEST MODELS SUGGESTED A SLOWER AND WETTER SOLUTION DURING THIS TIME FRAME. WILL MONITOR FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE AREA...PARTICULARLY NORTH OF A FORREST CITY AR TO MEMPHIS TN TO CORINTH MS LINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...NORTH OF THE FORECAST SURFACE LOW TRACK...WHICH MAY BRING A WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL TO THESE AREAS. NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME...BUT WILL MONITOR. DEFINITELY APPEARS ALL AREAS WILL GET WET AND ALL AREAS SHOULD GET AT LEAST 0.50 INCH OF RAINFALL DURING THIS TIME FRAME. USED OF BLEND OF GUIDANCE FOR TEMPERATURES DURING THIS TIME FRAME. CLOUDS AND RAIN WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN ON THURSDAY WITH HIGHS NOT GETTING OUT OF THE 70S IN MOST LOCATIONS. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...DRIER AIR MOVING IN WILL ALLOW FOR CLEARING AND COMFORTABLE CONDITIONS TO RETURN TO THE AREA WITH LOWS 55 TO 65 AND HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S ON FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...DRY AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH UPPER RIDGE BUILDING OVERHEAD. WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES OUT OF FORECAST UNTIL MONDAY WHEN UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN. THE HOTTEST AIR OF THE SEASON MAY OCCUR SUNDAY AND POSSIBLY MONDAY. GENERALLY WILL GO ABOVE 12Z MEXMOS NUMBERS FOR TEMPERATURES. MBS && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS SHOULD BE MAINLY SOUTH AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON THEN LIGHT SOUTH WINDS TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. ARS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 72 88 66 74 / 20 60 70 50 MKL 67 88 65 74 / 20 60 80 70 JBR 68 85 63 74 / 30 70 90 50 TUP 68 90 68 82 / 10 40 60 70 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1047 AM CDT TUE JUN 2 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>092-031800- 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- 1047 AM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 10 PM CDT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...PARTICULARLY ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AS WELL AS NEAR THE TENNESSEE RIVER. THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES AND FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL AS STORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE MID SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY AND MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN MODERATELY UNSTABLE. AS A RESULT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING AREAWIDE AND ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY IN A FEW LOCATIONS THROUGH 10 PM CDT TODAY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AREAWIDE AND ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI ON THURSDAY. MBS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 150 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ARZ027-028-036-TNZ049-021915- MISSISSIPPI AR-CRITTENDEN AR-POINSETT AR-TIPTON TN- 150 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHEASTERN POINSETT COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF CRAWFORDSVILLE AT 150 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 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 CRITTENDEN...MISSISSIPPI...POINSETT AND TIPTON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES BRANDYWINE LAKE...CORONEE LAKE AND WAPANOCCA LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 158 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 MSZ007-008-011-012-021930- TUNICA MS-TATE MS-PANOLA MS-QUITMAN MS- 158 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHWESTERN PANOLA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... NORTH CENTRAL QUITMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... SOUTHWESTERN TATE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... SOUTHEASTERN TUNICA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL WAS LOCATED OVER SLEDGE AT 158 PM CDT...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN PANOLA...QUITMAN...TATE AND TUNICA COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 210 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ARZ028-MOZ113-115-021945- MISSISSIPPI AR-DUNKLIN MO-PEMISCOT MO- 210 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHEASTERN DUNKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... SOUTHWESTERN PEMISCOT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES EAST OF DELL AT 210 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 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 DUNKLIN...MISSISSIPPI AND PEMISCOT COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BLYTHEVILLE...GOSNELL AND LUXORA...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 230 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ARZ036-MSZ001-TNZ088-022000- CRITTENDEN AR-DE SOTO MS-SHELBY TN- 230 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHEASTERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHWESTERN DESOTO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... SOUTHWESTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL WAS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF PINCKNEY AT 230 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CRITTENDEN...DESOTO AND SHELBY COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR WEST MEMPHIS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES HORN LAKE...HORSESHOE LAKE... LAKE MCKELLAR AND ROBCO LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 234 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ARZ028-022000- MISSISSIPPI AR- 234 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTH OF KEISER AT 234 PM CDT...MOVING NORTH 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 MISSISSIPPI COUNTY...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR KEISER AND MANILA...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES BIG LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 240 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ARZ048-049-022015- LEE AR-ST. FRANCIS AR- 240 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTH CENTRAL LEE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... CENTRAL ST. FRANCIS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PALESTINE AT 240 PM CDT...MOVING NORTH AT 10 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 LEE AND ST. FRANCIS COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR FORREST CITY...MADISON AND PALESTINE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:40 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds damaged two metal buildings at the Diamond D Wrecker Service near Palestine. A few homes sustained shingle damage in the area. A few trees and power lines were knocked down in the area as well. Four power poles were knocked down.
Penny size hail fell in Anthonyville.
Straight line winds blew telephone poles down, 2 miles north of Bay. In the city of Bay, small trees and power lines were knocked down.
Straight line winds produced minor structural damage to a church in Lunsford.
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, June 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: 177133, 177135, 177140, 177144, 177149.