A warm front lifted north across the Midsouth during the late morning into the evening hours of April 2, 2009. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the front.
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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 warm front lifted north across the Midsouth during the late morning into the evening hours of April 2, 2009. Showers and thunderstorms developed along the front. Some thunderstorms became severe producing large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
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 Apr 2, 8:44 AM CST, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 944 AM CDT THU APR 2 2009 .DISCUSSION... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS. COULD BE A HAIL THREAT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS BUT THE STORMS HAVE SHOWN A WEAKENING TREND AS THEY APPROACH THE FORECAST AREA. SURFACE LOW HAS DEVELOPED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA WITH WARM FRONT EXTENDING EAST ACROSS THE GULF COAST. IT APPEARS THAT MAIN SEVERE THREAT FOR TODAY WILL BE SOUTH OF THIS WARM FRONT AS IT MOVES NORTH THIS AFTERNOON. EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER OVER THE REGION HAS KEPT TEMPERATURES FROM WARMING MUCH SO WILL UPDATE FORECAST TO LOWER HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THIS AFTERNOON. ARS && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 635 AM CDT THU APR 2 2009/ DISCUSSION... UPDATE FOR AVIATION DISCUSSION. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 420 AM CDT THU APR 2 2009/ DISCUSSION... SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN THIS MORNING AS A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS NORTH TEXAS MOVES EAST ACROSS THE AREA LATER TODAY. CLOUDS ARE CONTINUING TO INCREASE ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH THIS MORNING AS HIGH CLOUDS FROM THE NORTH AND LOW STRATUS CLOUDS FROM THE SOUTH MOVE INTO THE AREA. SOUTHERLY FLOW IS SLOWLY DEVELOPING BUT THE JUICY AIR WITH GREATER THAN 60 DEGREE DEWPOINTS REMAINS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. THIS MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ITS WAY INTO PORTIONS OF THE AREA ESPECIALLY NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI TODAY. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL ARKANSAS BY MIDDAY AS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA. THERE STILL REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY JUST HOW FAR NORTH THE DEEPEST MOISTURE AND GREATEST INSTABILITY WILL REACH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. REGARDLESS...THINK NORTH MISSISSIPPI WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER TODAY SO WILL KEEP THIS AREA MENTIONED IN THE MODERATE RISK. SURFACE BASED CAPES ARE STILL IN THE 1000 TO 1500 J/KG RANGE WITH LIFTED INDICES BETWEEN -3 AND -7. COMBINED THIS WITH STRONG UPPER LEVEL WINDS...STEEP LAPSE RATES...AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR...THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. ELSEWHERE ACROSS EASTERN ARKANSAS...WEST TENNESSEE...AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. OBVIOUSLY...MUCH DEPENDS ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW...BUT AT THIS TIME THINK MOST OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ELEVATED WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST OF THE MIDSOUTH TONIGHT AS COOLER AND DRIER AIR MOVE INTO THE AREA. THERE MAY BE A FEW SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING...BUT THINK MOST OF THESE SHOULD EXIT THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION ON FRIDAY ALLOWING MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES TO DEVELOP WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FOR HIGHS. DRY BUT WARMER CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES EAST AND SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES. THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY BY SATURDAY NIGHT. CLOUDS WILL INCREASE DURING THIS TIME FRAME AS A TRAILING COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. THIS SYSTEM HAS SPED UP IN TIMING SO HAVE ADJUSTED POPS AND CLOUDS ACCORDINGLY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LOOK UNLIKELY ON SUNDAY AT THIS POINT BUT CONCERN NOW TURNS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES BEHIND THIS COLD FRONT. DEEP UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY WHICH WILL KEEP CLOUDS AND A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL PROBABLY KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING MONDAY MORNING BUT TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL DURING THIS TIME FRAME. THINK ONCE THIS TROUGH SHIFTS EAST...COLD HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA AND INCREASE THE RISK FOR AN AREA WIDE FREEZE TUESDAY MORNING. DRY AND COOL CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE WEATHER OVER THE AREA. ANOTHER SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY AND MAKE ITS WAY TOWARDS THE AREA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH. KNS AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE LOW CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO SURGE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF MS INTO NE AR AND W TN THROUGH EARLY MORNING. EXPECT CEILINGS TO LOWER TO MVFR AND IFR BY 15Z AT ALL TAF SITES. SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO AFFECT ALL SITES COMMENCING AROUND 17Z ESPECIALLY NEAR KMEM AND KJBR. WINDS BECOME VERY STRONG AND GUSTY FOR A PERIOD AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE ROUGHLY FROM 00-06Z. AC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 67 47 62 49 / 100 50 0 0 MKL 68 46 60 39 / 100 90 10 0 JBR 60 45 61 41 / 100 50 10 0 TUP 69 49 65 43 / 90 60 0 0 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 433 AM CDT THU APR 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>092-031145- 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- 433 AM CDT THU APR 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 THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER TODAY ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CLARKSDALE MS...TO HOLLY SPRINGS MS...TO CORINTH MS AS A STRONG SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE BEST TIME FRAME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE BETWEEN 12 PM TO 7 PM CDT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NORTH OF THE MODERATE RISK AREA...ACROSS EASTERN ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...AND WEST TENNESSEE. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO DEVELOP TONIGHT OVER MUCH OF THE REGION AND A WIND ADVISORY MAY BECOME NECESSARY. SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A LATE SEASON FREEZE WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY MORNING AND ESPECIALLY TUESDAY MORNING AS COLD HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER THE MIDSOUTH. FREEZE WARNINGS AND FROST ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED DURING THIS TIME FRAME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NECESSARY TODAY IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS. KNS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1016 AM CDT THU APR 2 2009 ARZ058-MSZ010-021545- PHILLIPS AR-COAHOMA MS- 1016 AM CDT THU APR 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHERN PHILLIPS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... CENTRAL COAHOMA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL WAS LOCATED 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRUMROD AT 1016 AM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN COAHOMA AND PHILLIPS COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR ELAINE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES DESOTO LAKE AND HORSESHOE LAKE.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 155 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:20 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds blew awnings off a roof at Strider Academy, west of Charleston.
Straight line winds tore a metal roof off of a building in the Marshtown|area near Kossuth. A few trees and a power pole was also knocked down in|the area.
Straight line winds knocked large tree limbs down on County Road 821 near Guntown.
Straight line winds blew trees down across the eastern and southeastern portions of Prentiss County. The roof of one mobile home was blown off as well.
Straight line winds blew trees down on Jonesboro Road, southeast of Amory.
Straight line winds blew an awning off of a building in Tishomingo.
Straight line winds blew trees down on East Irwin Street and Mockingbird Street in Tunica. An awning was also blown off of a business on Main Street.
Straight line winds knocked down trees countywide in Calhoun County.
Straight line winds produced damage to a barn near Oak Grove Church, southeast of Bruce.
Straight line winds blew an awning off of a building in Vardaman.
A tornado touched down briefly around the intersection of County Road 405 and County Road 20 near Thorn. The tornado was a noncontinuous track for a little over a half mile. Trees and power lines were knocked down by the tornado.
Straight line winds blew trees down countywide in Chickasaw County.
Straight line winds produced damage along Highway 7 North in the vicinity of Wall Doxey State Park. Tin siding and half of a roof was blown off of a store and a chicken barn. In addition, a carport and a front porch was damaged from the winds as well. Minor tree and sign damage occurred as well. One power pole was knocked down.
Straight line winds produced minor damage to four agricultural buildings, a vacant business, and two homes across Southeast Pontotoc County.
Straight line winds produced major damage to one home in Sherman and destroyed another home as well.
Nickel size hail fell at the intersection of Lawndale Drive and Audubon Drive in Tupelo.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines countywide in Lee County.
A tornado touched down near Central Grove. Most of the damage occurred along Sawyer Road. Large trees were snapped and a roof of a house was partially torn off. Power poles and power lines were also knocked down.
Straight line winds blew trees and power lines down countywide across Itawamba County. Shingles were also ripped off a home.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2009Warnings in Mississippi, April 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: 163953, 163955, 163956, 168036, 163964, 163960, 163965, 163966, 163968, 164117, 164119, 164120, 164898, 163998, 168041, 164121, 164124, 164125, 164126, 164127, 164908, 164128.