A warm front lifted north across North Mississippi during the evening hours of May 7, 2009. A few strong thunderstorms developed over the area.
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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 North Mississippi during the evening hours of May 7, 2009. A few strong thunderstorms developed over the area. Some of the thunderstorms produced strong 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 7, 1:48 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 248 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2009 .DISCUSSION... SKIES ARE MOSTLY SUNNY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON WHICH HAS ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO WARM INTO THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S. COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDS ACROSS SOUTHERN NEBRASKA INTO SOUTHERN IOWA WITH ANOTHER FRONT ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TONIGHT AND MIGHT TRIGGER A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS OVER THE EXTREME NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT. ON FRIDAY THE COLD FRONT IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL CATCH UP AND COMBINE TO FORM ONE COLD FRONT WHICH WILL APPROACH THE FORECAST AREA BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN AGAIN OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. BY FRIDAY NIGHT THE FRONT WILL BE ACROSS NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WHICH WILL PRODUCE MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF THE REGION. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ON FRIDAY FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS REMAINING AS THE MAIN THREATS. THE FRONT WILL LINGER AROUND THE FORECAST AREA FOR MUCH OF THE WEEKEND KEEPING THINGS WET FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS WELL AS PARTS OF MONDAY. THERE WILL BE A POSSIBILITY FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AS WELL AS HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER THE WEEKEND. BY MONDAY NIGHT...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION WHICH SHOULD END THE THREAT OF RAIN. SURFACE HIGH SHOULD MOVE SLOWLY EAST DURING THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK WHICH SHOULD MEAN DRY WEATHER AND SEASONAL TEMPERATURES FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. ARS && AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE (07/18Z-08/18Z) SOUTHERLY WIND FLOW WILL PUSH MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR INTO THE MID-SOUTH THOUGH THE PERIOD. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR UNTIL 09Z. AFTER 09Z STRATUS AND FOG WILL RESULT IN IFR CONDITIONS...IMPROVING TO MVFR AFTER 15Z. DAYTIME HEATING WILL RESULT IN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON / EARLY EVENING...MOSTLY BETWEEN 20Z AND 01Z. PUT IN VCTS AT ALL TAF SITES. AFTER 15Z...MODELS INDICATE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM UPSTREAM MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM WILL AFFECT KJBR AND KMKL. THUS PUT IN VCTS AT THESE SITES AFTER 15Z...ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE ON OCCURRENCE IS SOMEWHAT LOW. JCL && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 71 85 68 75 / 20 50 60 60 MKL 69 83 65 73 / 30 60 70 70 JBR 68 82 64 71 / 30 70 70 70 TUP 69 88 68 83 / 20 20 30 30 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 451 PM CDT THU MAY 7 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>092-090000- 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- 451 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED SOUTHWEST OF A WYNNE ARKANSAS TO MEMPHIS TENNESSEE TO FULTON MISSISSIPPI LINE. LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS AND DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH ARE THE MAIN HAZARDS. HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES AND FLASH FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE AS WELL. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF A LINE FROM JONESBORO AR TO PARIS TN. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFTER 8 PM CDT WITH THE MAIN HAZARDS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION AND STALLS OVER THE MIDSOUTH. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS A COLD FRONT STALLS OVER THE MIDSOUTH. RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN TWO TO FOUR INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME FRAME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BRIEFLY BE NEEDED THROUGH 9 PM CDT SOUTHWEST OF A WYNNE ARKANSAS TO FULTON MISSISSIPPI LINE. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY NORTH OF A LINE FROM JONESBORO AR TO TIPTONVILLE TN AFTER 8 PM CDT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY AGAIN ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. MBS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 442 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2009 MSZ020-072215- TALLAHATCHIE MS- 442 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WEBB AT 443 PM CDT... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 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 TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CHARLESTON...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES GRASSY LAKE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds knocked down ten power poles in a row just east of Charleston. Winds were estimated between 45 to 50 mph.
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, 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: 173033.