An upper level disturbance moved through the region on October 6th producing some thunderstorms over portions of West Tennessee. These thunderstorms produced quite a bit of lightning.
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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.
An upper level disturbance moved through the region on October 6th producing some thunderstorms over portions of West Tennessee. These thunderstorms produced quite a bit of lightning.
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 Oct 6, 9:00 AM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1000 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 .DISCUSSION... AT 1445Z...A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE NORTHERN CWA BACK INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS WAS PUSHING EAST AROUND 45 MPH. AS THE NOCTURNAL JET DIMINISHES THIS MORNING...MUCH OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN TO WEAKEN AS WELL. HOWEVER...THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTH WHERE THE MOST VIGOROUS STORMS ARE OCCURRING. WITH PWATS INCREASING TO NEAR 2 INCHES THIS AFTERNOON...ANY STORMS THAT OCCUR WILL LIKELY CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN. ADDED HEAVY RAIN MENTION TO MUCH OF CWA EXCEPT NORTHEAST MS SINCE MUCH OF THE CONVECTION WILL REMAIN WEST UNTIL THIS EVENING. SEVERE THREAT IS NOT PARTICULARLY HIGH GIVEN LACK OF ANY APPRECIABLE INSTABILITY...ALTHOUGH SHEAR IS QUITE STRONG. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS THROUGH THE EVENING. UPDATED ZONES POSTED. BORGHOFF && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 504 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009/ DISCUSSION...09Z SURFACE ANALYSIS THIS MORNING PLACES A COLD FRONT FROM NORTHWEST MISSOURI BACK THROUGH PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS AND INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. MEANWHILE...A QUASI- STATIONARY BOUNDARY WAS LOCATED FROM CENTRAL TEXAS AND ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. AS OF 4 AM CDT...TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE MID SOUTH RANGED FROM THE UPPER 50S NORTH TO THE LOWER 60S SOUTH. SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL TODAY AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY ARE THE PREDOMINANT CHALLENGES IN THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)...QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY LOCATED FROM CENTRAL TEXAS TO THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL GRADUALLY BEGIN TO MOVE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TODAY AS A COLD FRONT BEGINS ADVANCE EAST TOWARDS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. BASED ON OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS AND 00Z WRF/GFS AND 06Z WRF...NOT OVERLY CONFIDENT WARM FRONT WILL BE ABLE TO PASS NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE/MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE TODAY. AS A RESULT...THINK THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL WILL REMAIN ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI AT BEST WHERE MOST UNSTABLE CAPE VALUES WILL AVERAGE AROUND 1300 J/KG...LI/S AROUND -4...AND MARGINALLY MODERATELY STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 6.5 C/KM. ANALYSIS OF MODEL SOUNDINGS AND CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS SUGGESTS THE PRIMARY THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL AVERAGE AROUND 2 INCHES. REGARDLESS OF SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL...THINK MANY LOCATIONS WILL SEE SOME MEASURABLE RAINFALL AND WENT LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL POPS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILD INTO THE MID SOUTH FOR WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BRING A BRIEF PERIOD OF RAIN FREE WEATHER TO THE AREA. LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...THE BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN TO MOVE BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE AREA ON FRIDAY. LONG RANGE MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE BEYOND THIS POINT AND AND USED THE 00Z GFS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS UNTIL MODELS COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT. WILL LET LATER SHIFTS ANALYZE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL FOR THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS ADDITIONAL MODEL RUNS ARRIVE AND EXISTING SOLUTIONS VARY TOO MUCH AT THIS POINT. AS A RESULT...KEPT POPS IN FORECAST THROUGH SATURDAY WITH A SLOW MOVING FRONT AND DRY BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT FOR NOW. CJC AVIATION... 12Z TAFS KMEM...IFR CONDITIONS...PERHAPS LIFR THROUGH 14Z...WILL SLOWLY IMPROVE THROUGH 17Z. SOUTH WINDS WILL LIKELY BE ABOVE 8 KTS AND PERHAPS GUSTY AT TIMES. ADDED PREVAILING GROUP FOR MVFR CONDITIONS AND TSRA 17-21Z WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE OF OCCURRENCE WITH THE APPROACH OF CURRENT MCS OVER SE OKLAHOMA. BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS... POSSIBLY LIFR...AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 30 KTS MAY BE POSSIBLE WITH COMPLEX OF STORMS 17-21Z...BUT WAS NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO ADD ANOTHER TEMPO AT THIS TIME. THIS 4 HOUR WINDOW FOR TSRA MAY BE TOO LONG AND WILL MONITOR. IMPROVING CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED AFTER 03Z BEHIND PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. AT KMKL...KJBR...AND KTUP...IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS WILL SLOWLY IMPROVE...SIMILAR TO KMEM. ADDED PREVAILING GROUPS OF MVFR TSRA AT THESE SITES. WITH HIGHEST CONFIDENCE AT KTUP...INTRODUCED A 2 HOUR TEMPO 19-21Z OF IFR CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS. IMPROVING CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED 00-06Z...ESPECIALLY AT KJBR...AS COLD FRONT PUSHES SE. HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT PATCHY IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS NEAR KTUP AFTER 06Z...BUT DID NOT INCLUDE IN TAFS AT THIS TIME WITH LOW CONFIDENCE OF OCCURRENCE. MBS && .AVIATION... && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 76 56 71 59 / 100 70 0 10 MKL 72 53 69 49 / 90 70 10 10 JBR 72 52 69 51 / 100 40 0 10 TUP 80 59 70 53 / 50 100 20 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1150 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 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>092-071100- 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- 1150 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE MID SOUTH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...BUT SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. BORGHOFF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 852 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 ARZ008-009-017-018-061415- CLAY AR-RANDOLPH AR-GREENE AR-LAWRENCE AR- 852 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... WESTERN CLAY COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... CENTRAL LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 11 MILES NORTH OF SUCCESS TO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF POCAHONTAS AT 852 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CLAY...GREENE...LAWRENCE AND RANDOLPH COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CORNING...MARMADUKE...PARAGOULD AND POCAHONTAS... SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 AM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 916 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 ARZ009-018-MOZ113-061445- CLAY AR-GREENE AR-DUNKLIN MO- 916 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... EASTERN CLAY COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EASTERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... DUNKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF MCDOUGAL TO 9 MILES WEST OF LAFE AT 916 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CLAY...DUNKLIN AND GREENE COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CAMPBELL...CHALK BLUFF NATURAL AREA...KENNETT...MALDEN... MARMADUKE...PIGGOTT...RECTOR AND SENATH...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 AM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1128 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 TNZ003-004-020-021-061700- CARROLL TN-GIBSON TN-HENRY TN-WEAKLEY TN- 1128 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHERN CARROLL COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... EAST CENTRAL GIBSON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... HENRY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... EASTERN WEAKLEY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF COTTAGE GROVE TO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BRADFORD AT 1128 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH. THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CARROLL...GIBSON...HENRY AND WEAKLEY COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR HUNTINGDON...MCKENZIE...PARIS LANDING STATE PARK AND PARIS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT.
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:16 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning damaged parts of First Baptist Church in Paris. The church suffered damage to its chimney, roof, phone system and electrical system.
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, October 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: 199909.