A round of severe thunderstorms, containing tornadoes and damaging straight line winds, occurred Wednesday night, March 25, into early Thursday morning, March 26. These storms developed as a strong upper level disturbance encountered an unstable environment over the lower Mississippi Valley.
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 JAN wrote it up.
A round of severe thunderstorms, containing tornadoes and damaging straight line winds, occurred Wednesday night, March 25, into early Thursday morning, March 26. These storms developed as a strong upper level disturbance encountered an unstable environment over the lower Mississippi Valley. A squall line of showers and thunderstorms pushed rapidly eastward across the area. One supercell storm formed ahead of the main line and produced a strong tornado which hit the town of Magee.
Eight tornadoes were confirmed from this event. Of the 8 tornadoes, 1 was rated EF3, 1 was rated EF2, 4 were rated EF1, and 2 were rated EF0. Numerous other locations experienced damaging straight line winds in excess of 60-70 mph. The worst damage occurred from a tornado which laid a 17.5 mile long track across Simpson and Smith counties. This storm was rated as EF3 with estimated 150 mph maximum winds near Magee. A second strong tornado, rated EF2 with 125 mph winds, effected Jones County near Soso.
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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 25, 8:08 PM CST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
908 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009
.DISCUSSION...HAVE MADE A QUICK UPDATE TO ACCOUNT FOR CURRENT TRENDS
AND TO ISSUE THE NEW TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 66 FOR SOUTHWESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. CURRENT RADAR TRENDS SHOWS AN INTENSE
LINE OF STORMS FROM AROUND CROSSETT ARKANSAS STRETCHING TO SOUTHEAST
TX. THIS LINE IS APPROACHING THE CWFA MORE QUICKLY THAN ORIGINALLY
ANTICIPATED. AS A RESULT HAVE UPDATED THE WX GRIDS TO GIVE A QUICKLY
PROGRESSION OF THE SQUALL LINE. IN ADDITION...NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE LINE OF STORMS IS NOT AS INTENSE AS THE SOUTHERN PORTION. AS A
RESULT HAVE REMOVED SEVERE WEATHER WORDING FROM THE NORTHERN THIRD OF
THE FORECAST AREA...OR BASICALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 82
CORRIDOR. OTHERWISE THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST DOES NOT NEED MANY
CHANGES.
AS MENTIONED ABOVE A NEW TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 3 AM. UPDATED PRODUCTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT.
&&
.AVIATION...MAINLY MVFR FLIGHT CATEGORIES ARE SEEN FOR MUCH OF THE
ARKLAMISS REGION THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT IS MOVING NORTH THROUGH
PORTIONS OF THE REGION THIS EVENING. SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE ARKLAMISS REGION THIS
EVENING. IN ADDITION...A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER
LOUISIANA IS RAPIDLY MOVING EAST TOWARD THE ARKLAMISS REGION. THIS
LINE OF STORMS SHOULD REACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY ROUGHLY AROUND
MIDNIGHT. THIS LINE SHOULD EXIT SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES BY AROUND 5
OR 6 AM. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL BRING PERIODS OF IFR TO POSSIBLY
LIFR CONDITIONS AS IT PASSES THROUGH MOST SITES. THIS WILL BRING
GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN TO SITES AS IT PASSES THROUGH. CEILINGS
WILL BE LOWERING AS THIS LINE APPROACHES. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO
IMPROVE FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST DURING THE MORNING HOURS. ON
THURSDAY THERE SHOULD BE A BREAK IN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY...AS WELL AS CLOUD COVER. THIS SHOULD BE DURING THE DAY
THURSDAY BEFORE MORE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BEGINS TO MOVE
INTO THE REGION THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY THURSDAY EVENING.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
JACKSON 57 76 58 79 / 100 22 81 50
MERIDIAN 57 74 57 79 / 100 48 79 52
VICKSBURG 57 76 60 80 / 100 25 78 48
HATTIESBURG 61 75 60 78 / 100 72 100 57
NATCHEZ 60 76 60 80 / 100 44 83 50
GREENVILLE 52 74 58 78 / 100 20 75 43
GREENWOOD 53 76 57 78 / 100 18 73 37
&&
.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR MSZ018-019-025>066-
072>074.
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR LAZ007>009-015-016-
023>026.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR ARZ074-075.
&&
14HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 815 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 261945- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND- MADISON LA-FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-BOLIVAR- SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES- CHOCTAW-OKTIBBEHA-WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA-WINSTON- NOXUBEE-ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO-MADISON MS-LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER- WARREN-HINDS-RANKIN-SCOTT-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH- SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN- LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 815 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT BETWEEN 930 PM AND 4 AM. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 70 MPH AND TORNADOES...A FEW OF WHICH COULD BE STRONG...WILL BE LIKELY WITH THE MOST INTENSE STORMS OVERNIGHT. THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 82...AND THE GREATEST TORNADO RISK WILL BE FROM INTERSTATE 20 SOUTH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH A FEW OF THESE STORMS ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. THE LINE OF STORMS SHOULD REACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN 11 PM AND MIDNIGHT...THE INTERSTATE 55 CORRIDOR...BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 2 AM...AND THE HIGHWAY 45 CORRIDOR BETWEEN 3 AND 5 AM. A FEW INTENSE STORMS COULD ALSO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LINE AS WELL. HEAVY RAINFALL OF ONE TO LOCALLY THREE INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT AND THIS RAISES CONCERNS FOR FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY A SECOND ROUND OF HEAVY RAINFALL OF ONE TO TWO INCHES IS LIKELY FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION. ONCE AGAIN...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THEN...A MORE POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WILL BE GATHERING OVER THE ARKLATEX REGION ON FRIDAY AND PUSHING NORTHEAST WITH IMPRESSIVE MOISTURE...INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR COMBINING ACROSS OUR REGION FOR AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE STORMS INCLUDING TORNADOES FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE GREATEST RISK APPEARS TO BE FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE TWENTY..HOWEVER A SQUALL LINE SHOULD SWEEP EAST ACROSS MOST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. RESIDENTS SHOULD STAY WEATHER ALERT FOR UPDATES ON THIS DANGEROUS STORM SYSTEM. OTHERWISE...THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER WILL BE LOW FROM SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT...MAY BE NEEDED THURSDAY NIGHT...AND WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY NIGHT. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. 08
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
506 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1059 AM TORNADO 9 S MERIDIAN 32.25N 88.71W
03/25/2009 F1 LAUDERDALE MS NWS STORM SURVEY
TORNADO RATED EF1 WITH ESTIMATED WINDS AT 90-95MPH. PATH
WIDTH WAS 200 YARDS AND PATH LENGTH WAS 5-6 MILES.
TORNADO BEGAN NEAR THE LAUDERDALE-CLARKE COUNTY LINE
ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF A MILE FROM SAM GRAY ROAD. A ROOF
WAS BLOWN OFF A HOUSE...BARN WAS DAMAGED...MULTIPLE TREES
DOWN ALONG THE PATH...TREES DOWN ON A CHURCH.
&&
JCULINThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Three trees were blown down off Highway 133 near Clear Lake.
Some trees were blown down on the west side of Tallulah.
On the south side of Town, a swath of 70 to 75 mph winds uprooted and damaged several trees. A few of these trees were down on homes. The wind also damaged a few roofs as tin was pealed off. Much stronger and more damaging winds occurred on the north side of town.
A swath of intense straight line winds, between 80 and 90 mph, occurred across the northern portion of town, across Highway 605, and to the Mississippi River. Several structures were damaged with minor to major roof damage. An open tractor shed had the roof torn off along with another shed. A string of 12 power lines were down with around 12 poles leaning over. One pole was snapped at the crossbow. Most of this area was open, but several trees were snapped and uprooted near the levee.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, March 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: 155220, 155368, 155378, 155788.