A stationary front was located across the Mid-South during the evening hours of July 12th, 2009. A mesoscale convective complex developed along the front and moved into the area during the late evening hours.
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 stationary front was located across the Mid-South during the evening hours of July 12th, 2009. A mesoscale convective complex developed along the front and moved into the area during the late evening hours. Showers and thunderstorms from the complex affected the Mid-South through the morning hours of July 13th, 2009. Some of the storms became severe and produced 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 12, 10:59 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1159 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 .UPDATE... UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 06Z TAFS. && .DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 911 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009/ DISCUSSION...01Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A WEAK QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS GIBSON/CARROLL COUNTIES OVER THE PAST HOUR ON THE BACK EDGE OF A DEPARTING MCS. THIS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN SLOWLY MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARDS MIDDLE TENNESSEE. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE MID SOUTH THIS EVENING ARE PREDOMINANTLY IN THE 80S AS OF 8 PM CDT. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE THIS EVENING IS CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. FOR NOW...THE 00Z RUC SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE CONVECTIVE TRENDS. THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE MID SOUTH THIS EVENING REMAINS HIGHLY UNSTABLE WITH SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES AT OR ABOVE 3000 J/KG...LI/S AROUND -8 AND MODERATELY STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 6.5 C/KM. HOWEVER...UNCERTAINTY REMAINS AS TO WHETHER A TRIGGERING MECHANISM WILL BE IN PLACE TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. UPPER AIR PROFILERS/RUC ANALYSIS SUGGEST A SUBTLE 700 MB SHORTWAVE LOCATED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI MAY POTENTIALLY BE THE TRIGGERING MECHANISM NEEDED FOR ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER...FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CONVECTIVE TRENDS BEFORE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS DOWNWARD TO RAIN CHANCES OVERNIGHT. CJC && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 641 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009/ LATEST RADAR IMAGES CONTINUE TO SHOW AN MCS TRACKING ACROSS SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS. THE MCS IS STARTING TO TURN TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AS THE UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN WHICH MAY PUT THE REMNANTS ENTERING NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA AROUND 00Z. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE THIS EVENING WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND FLASH FLOODING BEING THE MAIN THREATS. ADDITIONAL MCS DEVELOPMENT COULD OCCUR NORTH OF THE AREA AND MOVE SOUTH INTO THE CWA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE HIGHEST POPS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. WITH THE CLOUD COVER AND THE RAIN...LOWS MAY BE A TOUCH COOLER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT WITH READINGS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...STATIONARY FRONT WILL BE LOCATED ALONG THE MO/AR AND KY/TN BORDERS. REDEVELOPMENT WOULD LIKELY OCCUR ALONG THIS FRONT BY MONDAY AFTERNOON AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE MOVES THROUGH THE CWA. ACTIVITY SHOULD DIE OFF DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS OF MONDAY NIGHT. HIGHS WILL BE COOLER WITH READINGS IN THE MID 80S TO LOWER 90S. LOWS WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...UPPER RIDGE STRENGTHENS OVER THE AREA AS THE FRONT PUSHES BACK TO THE NORTH. CONDITIONS SHOULD BE DRY. CAN/T RULE OUT AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM BUT NOT ENOUGH TO PUT POPS IN THE FORECAST. WITH HUMIDITY LEVELS REMAINING HIGH ACROSS THE AREA AND WARMER TEMPERATURES MOVING INTO THE REGION...HEAT INDICES MAY REACH AT OR ABOVE 105 DEGREES. THUS HEAT ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S. LOWS WILL BE MUGGY WITH READINGS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTH INTO THE MIDSOUTH AND BRING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. BEHIND THE FRONT COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S. FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...COLD FRONT MAY STALL OUT ALONG SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE CWA KEEPING CHANCES FOR RAIN ACROSS THIS PART OF THE CWA. MEANWHILE...DRIER AND COOLER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE CWA. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S. LOWS WILL BE IN THE MID 60S TO AROUND 70 DEGREES. SUNDAY...SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE CWA FROM THE NORTHEAST BRINGING DRIER AIR INTO THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S. KRM && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFS GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WILL DELAY VCTS AFTER 12Z AT ALL TAF SITES AND KEEP VCSH AT MKL THROUGH 12Z. BELIEVE TSRA/SHRA WILL DEVELOP OVER THE AREA AFTER 12Z...MAINLY BEFORE 18Z AT KJBR AND KMKL...AND AFTER 18Z AT KMEM AND KTUP. ANY TSRA COULD BRING BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS FOR LESS THAN ONE HOUR. WILL NOT TEMPO AT THIS TIME AS NOT SURE EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE TSRA WILL OCCUR. WILL REMOVE MVFR VISIBILITIES 10-13Z AT KJBR AND KMKL AS CEILINGS 7000-11000 FT AGL SHOULD HINDER DEVELOPMENT. WILL KEEP MENTION AT KTUP...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGHEST. THINK ONGOING COMPLEX OF TSRA OVER NORTH ALABAMA WILL STAY EAST OF KTUP. WEAK SURFACE FRONT HAS BEEN PUSHING SOUTH...NEAR KMEM AND KMKL AS OF 05Z. EXPECT LIGHT EAST AND SOUTH WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE NORTH/NORTHEAST AFTER 18Z AS THE FRONT PUSHES SOUTH. MBS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 76 92 76 96 / 40 40 20 10 MKL 70 86 71 93 / 50 50 20 10 JBR 73 88 74 97 / 40 40 20 10 TUP 75 90 73 95 / 40 40 20 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1015 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 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>092-131100- 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- 1015 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...OVERNIGHT A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO MAY BECOME STRONG TO PERHAPS SEVERE ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST TENNESSEE NEAR THE TENNESSEE RIVER AND NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. STRONG TO DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH MONDAY. DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. HEAT INDEX READING WILL CLIMB TO BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AND POSSIBLY FROM EAST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS INTO NORTH MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY. HEAT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED DURING THIS PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY ON MONDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 111 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 TNZ050-052-090-130645- HAYWOOD TN-MADISON TN-HARDEMAN TN- 111 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHWESTERN HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF BROWNSVILLE AT 112 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN HARDEMAN...HAYWOOD AND MADISON COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BROWNSVILLE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 AM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 125 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ARZ028-MOZ115-TNZ019-048-130700- MISSISSIPPI AR-PEMISCOT MO-LAUDERDALE TN-DYER TN- 125 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTHWESTERN DYER COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTH CENTRAL PEMISCOT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... NORTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COOTER AT 126 AM CDT... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PEOPLE IN DYER...LAUDERDALE...MISSISSIPPI AND PEMISCOT COUNTIES... INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR RIPLEY AND STEELE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES CHISHOLM LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 151 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 MSZ005-TNZ053-090-091-130715- ALCORN MS-CHESTER TN-HARDEMAN TN-MCNAIRY TN- 151 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... WESTERN ALCORN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI... SOUTHWESTERN CHESTER COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... EASTERN HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... MCNAIRY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASSEYVILLE AT 152 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PEOPLE IN ALCORN...CHESTER...HARDEMAN AND MCNAIRY COUNTIES... INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BIG HILL POND STATE PARK...CHICKASAW STATE FOREST...CHICKASAW STATE PARK...CORINTH...SELMER AND T O FULLER STATE PARK...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 201 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 TNZ050-052-090-130745- HAYWOOD TN-MADISON TN-HARDEMAN TN- 201 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHWESTERN HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BROWNSVILLE AT 202 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PEOPLE IN HARDEMAN...HAYWOOD AND MADISON COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BROWNSVILLE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 AM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 233 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 TNZ049-050-089-090-130815- FAYETTE TN-HAYWOOD TN-HARDEMAN TN-TIPTON TN- 233 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... NORTHWESTERN HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHWESTERN HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... EASTERN TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF DANCYVILLE AT 233 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN FAYETTE...HARDEMAN...HAYWOOD AND TIPTON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 AM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 236 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ARZ028-MOZ113-115-TNZ048-130815- MISSISSIPPI AR-DUNKLIN MO-PEMISCOT MO-LAUDERDALE TN- 236 AM CDT MON JUL 13 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... WESTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER GOSNELL AT 236 AM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PEOPLE IN DUNKLIN...LAUDERDALE...MISSISSIPPI AND PEMISCOT COUNTIES... INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BLYTHEVILLE AND GOSNELL...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 AM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES CHISHOLM LAKE...OPEN LAKE AND SUNK LAKE.
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:59 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked down trees 2 miles east of Kossuth.
Straight line winds blew down several trees in Ashland.
Straight line winds knocked down trees in Booneville.
Straight line winds knocked down trees on Highway 178 west of Hickory Flat.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines across Southern Pontotoc County.
Winds were estimated at 60 mph in Olive Branch.
Winds were estimated at 60 mph northeast of Sardis. A few tree limbs were knocked down as a result.
Straight line winds knocked down several trees and power lines in Calhoun City. One tree fell on a mobile home. No injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, 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: 187467, 187471, 187470, 187472, 187474, 187477, 187478, 187480.