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, 8:11 PM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 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/ UPDATE... UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 00Z TAFS. DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 233 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... 00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES...UNLESS A SITE GETS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY TSRA/SHRA. BELIEVE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED TSRA WILL DEVELOP OVER THE AREA AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES..FIRST IN THE 00-03Z TIME FRAME OVER NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...THEN MOVE SOUTHEAST. HAVE DELAYED VCTS AT ALL LOCATIONS EXCEPT KMKL. IF TSRA BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED...WILL AMEND TO ADD TEMPO MENTION OF BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS...WHICH WOULD ONLY OCCUR LESS THAN 1 HOUR IN DURATION. HAVE NO DOUBT THAT TSRA/SHRA WILL OCCUR OVER THE AREA...PINPOINTING EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE REMAINS DIFFICULT. 06-13Z...BELIEVE TSRA/SHRA WILL BE IN THE KMEM AND KTUP AREAS. BRIEF GUSTY WINDS AND MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS IN TSRA ARE POSSIBLE AT KMEM AND KTUP DURING THIS TIME FRAME. KEPT MVFR TEMPOS AT ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT KMEM 10-13Z...OTHERWISE MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL. BEYOND 13Z...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE OF MVFR CONDITIONS AT KJBR AND KMKL THROUGH 17Z JUST NORTH OF THE COLD FRONT...BUT LEFT MENTION OUT FOR NOW WITH LOW CONFIDENCE OF OCCURRENCE. COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY SAG SOUTH AND SHIFT WINDS TO THE NORTH...AS WELL AS PUSH TSRA/SHRA FARTHER SOUTH. ADDED VCTS AT KMEM AND KTUP AFTER 18Z AS THESE TWO SITES HAVE THE BEST CHANCES FOR TSRA. 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 821 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 TNZ003-004-020-021-054-055-130215- DECATUR TN-CARROLL TN-GIBSON TN-HENRY TN-WEAKLEY TN-HENDERSON TN- 821 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... DECATUR COUNTY IN TENNESSEE... CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... EAST CENTRAL GIBSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHWESTERN HENRY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHERN WEAKLEY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER HUNTINGDON AT 821 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 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 CARROLL...DECATUR...GIBSON...HENDERSON...HENRY AND WEAKLEY COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR HUNTINGDON...LEXINGTON... MCKENZIE...NATCHEZ TRACE STATE FOREST AND NATCHEZ TRACE STATE PARK... SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES BEECH LAKE...PIN OAK LAKE AND PINE LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 915 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 TNZ021-054-055-130245- DECATUR TN-CARROLL TN-HENDERSON TN- 915 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... DECATUR COUNTY IN TENNESSEE... EASTERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... NORTHEASTERN HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BRUCETON AT 915 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 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 CARROLL...DECATUR AND HENDERSON COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR NATCHEZ TRACE STATE FOREST AND NATCHEZ TRACE STATE PARK...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES PIN OAK LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1013 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 TNZ054-055-130415- DECATUR TN-HENDERSON TN- 1013 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHERN DECATUR COUNTY IN TENNESSEE... HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER WILDERSVILLE AT 1013 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 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 DECATUR AND HENDERSON COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR LEXINGTON...NATCHEZ TRACE STATE FOREST AND NATCHEZ TRACE STATE PARK...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1115 PM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES BEECH LAKE...PIN OAK LAKE AND PINE LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1017 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 TNZ092-130415- HARDIN TN- 1017 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... EASTERN HARDIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 9 MILES NORTH OF OLIVE HILL AT 1017 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN HARDIN COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1115 PM CDT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked down two large trees in Darden.
Straight line winds knocked down trees at the intersection of Highway 222 and Glade Springs Road, northwest of Somerville.
Straight line winds knocked down trees at the intersection of Highway 57 and Chestnut Street in LaGrange. In addition, trees were blown down at the intersection of Highway 57 and Pine Street as well.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines from Oakland to Somerville and other portions of Western Fayette County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, 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: 187463, 187465, 187468, 187473.