A cold front moved into the Mid South and collided with a tropical airmass to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms during the evening hours. A few of these storms became severe with damaging winds.
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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.
A cold front moved into the Mid South and collided with a tropical airmass to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms during the evening hours. A few of these storms became severe with damaging winds.
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 May 27, 12:49 PM CST, 3 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 149 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 .DISCUSSION... COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OUT AHEAD AND ALONG THE FRONT. LITTLE DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED THUS FAR. HOWEVER WITH THE WARM...TROPICAL AIRMASS IN PLACE MORE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BEGIN SHORTLY. SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL ALREADY BEGIN FILTERING INTO WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH BY SUNRISE. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 50S ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS TO THE UPPER 60S ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. THURSDAY...LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ACROSS FAR EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH DURING THE MORNING HOURS WHILE THE FRONT CONTINUES TO PROGRESS EAST. BY AFTERNOON...AN UPPER TROF WILL BEGIN TO PUSH INTO THE MIDSOUTH AND SET OFF A FEW MORE SHOWERS. HIGHS WILL BE COOLER WITH READINGS IN THE UPPER 70S INTO THE LOWER 80S. THURSDAY NIGHT...UPPER TROF WILL CONTINUE PUSHING EAST WHILE DRIER AIR CONTINUES TO PUSH INTO THE MIDSOUTH. THE PRECIPITATION FORECAST IS A BIT TRICKY AS MODELS CONTINUE TO PUT OUT SOME QPF FROM THE UPPER TROF. HOWEVER IT WILL DEPEND ON HOW QUICKLY THE DRIER AIR PUSHES INTO THE REGION. FOR NOW WILL KEEP 20 POPS FOR SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE CWA. LOWS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S. FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE MIDSOUTH. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ON COOL ON FRIDAY BUT WILL WARM BACK INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S ON SATURDAY AS WINDS TURN AROUND TO THE SOUTH. SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT...COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT SOUTH OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES. HOWEVER THE FRONT WILL BE RUNNING INTO AN UPPER RIDGE THAT WILL BE BUILDING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH THUS EXPECT THE FRONT TO STALL. MOST LIKELY ONLY EXTREME NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA WILL SEE RAIN CHANCES IF ANY AT ALL. TEMPERATURES WILL BE APPROACHING 90 DEGREES FOR HIGHS BY SUNDAY. MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE MIDSOUTH. EXPECT HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS. HIGHS WILL LIKELY BE AROUND 90 DEGREES WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S INTO THE LOWER 70S. TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST AND MAY BRING THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN. KRM && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH 09Z AT TAF SITES WITH PERHAPS A PERIOD OF MVFR CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY BETWEEN 22-24Z. UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE ALONG WITH MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE ROTATING THROUGH LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL BRING ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO AREA THROUGH EARLY EVENING. KEPT VCTS PREVAILING IN TAFS WITH A TWO HOUR TEMPO PERIOD BETWEEN 22-24Z. AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE TONIGHT MVFR CEILINGS/VISIBILITIES ANTICIPATED AFTER 09Z WITH IMPROVEMENT IN VISIBILITIES AFTER 12Z. CJC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 63 80 61 81 / 50 20 10 10 MKL 65 78 58 80 / 50 20 20 10 JBR 60 78 58 81 / 40 20 10 10 TUP 69 82 60 81 / 50 30 20 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 305 AM CDT WED MAY 27 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>092-281015- 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- 305 AM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT WEST OF A LINE FROM PARIS TENNESSEE TO COFFEEVILLE MISSISSIPPI. SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY FORM AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVING INTO THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 447 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 MOZ113-115-272215- DUNKLIN MO-PEMISCOT MO- 447 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... EAST CENTRAL DUNKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... NORTHERN PEMISCOT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF DEERING AT 448 PM CDT... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN DUNKLIN AND PEMISCOT COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 456 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ARZ008-009-017-018-272300- CLAY AR-RANDOLPH AR-GREENE AR-LAWRENCE AR- 456 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHWESTERN CLAY COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHWESTERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHEASTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLACK ROCK AT 456 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CLAY...GREENE...LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BLACK ROCK AND POCAHONTAS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 512 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 MSZ001-007-008-272300- DE SOTO MS-TUNICA MS-TATE MS- 512 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHWESTERN DESOTO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... NORTHWESTERN TATE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... TUNICA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER TUNICA AT 513 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 INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN DESOTO...TATE AND TUNICA COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES ARKABUTLA LAKE AND BEAVERDAM LAKE.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 139 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:18 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked large tree limbs off several pecan and elm trees in Reyno.
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, May 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: 175594.