A weak upper level disturbance produced showers and thunderstorms over the Mid-South during the late afternoon and early evening hours of June 2nd, 2009. Some storms became severe and produced damaging winds and large hail.
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 weak upper level disturbance produced showers and thunderstorms over the Mid-South during the late afternoon and early evening hours of June 2nd, 2009. Some storms became severe and produced damaging winds and large hail.
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 Jun 2, 1:15 PM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 215 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 .DISCUSSION... THE MAIN CONCERNS ARE RAIN CHANCES...STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS... AND HEAVY RAIN/LOCALIZED FLOODING POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY. LATEST MODELS WERE IN FAIR TO GOOD AGREEMENT. WILL USE A BLEND OF THEM WITH NO PREFERENCE FOR ONE MODEL OVER ANOTHER. DO NOT PLAN ON MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. AT 2 PM CDT ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH AND FORECAST AREA...VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WERE OCCURRING WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES MAINLY 86 TO 92 DEGREES...EXCEPT WHERE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE OCCURRING. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA...MAINLY NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. WAS WEAKENING AND LOW PRESSURE NEAR THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WAS MOVING EAST. THROUGH 10 PM CDT...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE FORECAST AREA...SOME OF WHICH MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS UP TO 60 MPH...HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING. THE MICROBURST POTENTIAL REMAINS RATHER HIGH WITH LIFTED INDICES -4 TO -8...SBCAPE 2000-3000 J/KG...AND DOWNDRAFT CAPE 1000-1300 J/KG. ONLY EXPECT 20 TO 30 PERCENT COVERAGE OVER THE AREA WITH MOST ARES STAYING DRY. MOST STORMS WILL DIMINISH BY 10 PM CDT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. THE REST OF TONIGHT WILL BE WARM AND MUGGY. PLAN TO KEEP LOW RAIN CHANCES...20 TO 30 PERCENT...NEAR AND NORTH OF I-40 AS A FEW SHOWERS/STORMS MAY LINGER...PARTICULARLY OVER NE AR AND MO BOOTHEEL WHERE BEST 500 MB HEIGHT FALLS ARE EXPECTED. MODEL GUIDANCE LOWS IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S APPEAR REASONABLE. WEDNESDAY...SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE AS DEEPER MOISTURE AND BETTER LIFT MOVE IN WITH THE APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. WILL TIER RAIN CHANCES FROM 30 PERCENT NEAR ABERDEEN MS TO NEAR 80 PERCENT NEAR WALNUT RIDGE AR. THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY WILL BE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SOME STORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH GUSTY WINDS...HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING... AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING AS THE AIR WILL BE UNSTABLE WITH LIFTED INDICES -3 TO -7. DOUBT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WILL OCCUR. CLOUDS SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN SLIGHTLY...BUT WILL GO WARMER THAN 12Z MAVMOS NUMBERS WITH HIGHS MID 80S OVER THE MO BOOTHEEL TO LOWER 90S OVER NORTH MS WITH SOME MORNING SUN. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...LATEST MODELS SUGGESTED A SLOWER AND WETTER SOLUTION DURING THIS TIME FRAME. WILL MONITOR FOR HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE AREA...PARTICULARLY NORTH OF A FORREST CITY AR TO MEMPHIS TN TO CORINTH MS LINE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...NORTH OF THE FORECAST SURFACE LOW TRACK...WHICH MAY BRING A WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAINFALL TO THESE AREAS. NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO ISSUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AT THIS TIME...BUT WILL MONITOR. DEFINITELY APPEARS ALL AREAS WILL GET WET AND ALL AREAS SHOULD GET AT LEAST 0.50 INCH OF RAINFALL DURING THIS TIME FRAME. USED OF BLEND OF GUIDANCE FOR TEMPERATURES DURING THIS TIME FRAME. CLOUDS AND RAIN WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN ON THURSDAY WITH HIGHS NOT GETTING OUT OF THE 70S IN MOST LOCATIONS. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...DRIER AIR MOVING IN WILL ALLOW FOR CLEARING AND COMFORTABLE CONDITIONS TO RETURN TO THE AREA WITH LOWS 55 TO 65 AND HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80S ON FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...DRY AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND WITH UPPER RIDGE BUILDING OVERHEAD. WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES OUT OF FORECAST UNTIL MONDAY WHEN UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN. THE HOTTEST AIR OF THE SEASON MAY OCCUR SUNDAY AND POSSIBLY MONDAY. GENERALLY WILL GO ABOVE 12Z MEXMOS NUMBERS FOR TEMPERATURES. MBS && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS. WINDS SHOULD BE MAINLY SOUTH AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON THEN LIGHT SOUTH WINDS TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. ARS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 72 88 66 74 / 20 60 70 50 MKL 67 88 65 74 / 20 60 80 70 JBR 68 85 63 74 / 30 70 90 50 TUP 68 90 68 82 / 10 40 60 70 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1047 AM CDT TUE JUN 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>092-031800- 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- 1047 AM CDT TUE JUN 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 ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 10 PM CDT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...PARTICULARLY ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AS WELL AS NEAR THE TENNESSEE RIVER. THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60 MPH AND HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES AND FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL AS STORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE MID SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY AND MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN MODERATELY UNSTABLE. AS A RESULT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING AREAWIDE AND ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY IN A FEW LOCATIONS THROUGH 10 PM CDT TODAY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AREAWIDE AND ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI ON THURSDAY. MBS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 450 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 TNZ089-090-022230- FAYETTE TN-HARDEMAN TN- 450 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... EASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAGRANGE AT 451 PM CDT... MOVING NORTH AT 15 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 FAYETTE AND HARDEMAN COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR BOLIVAR...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 530 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ARZ018-026-028-MOZ113-022300- CRAIGHEAD AR-MISSISSIPPI AR-GREENE AR-DUNKLIN MO- 530 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... EASTERN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... NORTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN DUNKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER LAKE CITY AT 530 PM CDT...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. PEOPLE IN CRAIGHEAD...DUNKLIN...GREENE AND MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES... INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR LAKE CITY...LEACHVILLE...MONETTE AND PARAGOULD...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
533 PM CDT TUE JUN 02 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM HAIL 3 SE TRUMANN 35.64N 90.48W
06/02/2009 E0.75 INCH POINSETT AR PUBLIC
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG BAY 35.74N 90.56W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
POWERLINES AND SMALL TREES DOWN.
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 W BAY 35.74N 90.63W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A CHURCH.
&&
PWBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
536 PM CDT TUE JUN 02 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0251 PM TSTM WND DMG PALESTINE 34.97N 90.90W
06/02/2009 ST. FRANCIS AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
POSSIBLE POWERLINES, SUBSTATION, AND SMALL SHED DAMAGED.
0335 PM HAIL 2 E SIMSBORO 35.02N 90.35W
06/02/2009 E0.75 INCH CRITTENDEN AR PUBLIC
PENNY HAIL IN ANTHONYVILLE.
0500 PM HAIL 3 SE TRUMANN 35.64N 90.48W
06/02/2009 E0.75 INCH POINSETT AR PUBLIC
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG BAY 35.74N 90.56W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
POWERLINES AND SMALL TREES DOWN.
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 E BAY 35.74N 90.49W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A CHURCH IN LUNSFORD.
&&
PWBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 552 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 TNZ051-052-022330- CROCKETT TN-MADISON TN- 552 PM CDT TUE JUN 2 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHEASTERN CROCKETT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... WESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 5 MILES WEST OF BEMIS AT 552 PM CDT...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN CROCKETT AND MADISON COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR JACKSON...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
553 PM CDT TUE JUN 02 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0251 PM TSTM WND DMG PALESTINE 34.97N 90.90W
06/02/2009 ST. FRANCIS AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
POSSIBLE POWERLINES, SUBSTATION, AND SMALL SHED DAMAGED.
0335 PM HAIL 2 E SIMSBORO 35.02N 90.35W
06/02/2009 E0.75 INCH CRITTENDEN AR PUBLIC
PENNY HAIL IN ANTHONYVILLE.
0500 PM HAIL 3 SE TRUMANN 35.64N 90.48W
06/02/2009 E0.75 INCH POINSETT AR PUBLIC
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG BAY 35.74N 90.56W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
POWERLINES AND SMALL TREES DOWN.
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 E BAY 35.74N 90.49W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A CHURCH IN LUNSFORD.
0510 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 N BAY 35.77N 90.56W
06/02/2009 CRAIGHEAD AR EMERGENCY MNGR
TELEPHONE POLES DOWN.
&&
PWBThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:55 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds blew trees down on Lower Brownsville Road and Hillard Lane outside of Huntersville.
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, June 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: 177155.