Tennessee, 2010

Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Tennessee, July 11 to 13, 2010

July 11 to 13, 2010 · NWS MEG · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

The Mid-South was underneath northwest flow aloft during the period between July 11th, 2010 and July 13th, 2010. Several upper level disturbances quickly moved through the flow setting off complexes of showers and thunderstorms.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$45,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

The Mid-South was underneath northwest flow aloft during the period between July 11th, 2010 and July 13th, 2010. Several upper level disturbances quickly moved through the flow setting off complexes of showers and thunderstorms. Some of these showers and thunderstorms became severe and produced damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding.

What forecasters said that day

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 11, 6:12 PM CST, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 6:12 PM CST, 18 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 1:27 PM CST, 5 hours 3 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 11, 2:48 PM CST, 3 hours 42 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 11, 2:54 PM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:00 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:01 PM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:47 PM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 11, 5:22 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
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The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Obion

When
July 11, 6:30 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Obion County, Hornbeak to 0.47 mi SE of Hornbeak
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.330, -89.300

Heavy rain produced flash flooding in Hornbeak. Several streets were flooded as a result.

Lightning, Obion

When
July 11, 6:30 PM CST to 6:31 PM CST
Where
Obion County, Kenton
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
36.200, -89.020

Lightning struck a home in Kenton and started a fire. The roof was burned off the home.

Flash Flood, Shelby

When
July 12, 5:50 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Shelby County, (Mem)memphis Intl Ar to 0.65 mi S of Bailey
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
35.050, -89.980

Heavy rain produced flash flooding from Downtown Memphis to East Memphis and Cordova. Interstate 240 at Union Avenue was flooded as well as North Parkway at North Dunlap and at Cleveland. The intersection of Sycamore View and Summer Avenue was flooded. One vehicle was stuck in the flooded intersection of Tchulahoma Road and Knight Arnold Road while two cars were stranded in flood water on Hardin Avenue. In addition, the intersection of McLean Boulevard and Evelyn Avenue was flooded as well as Walnut Grove Road near Germantown Parkway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tipton

When
July 12, 3:00 PM CST to 3:12 PM CST
Where
Tipton County, 0.44 mi NNW of Atoka to Covington
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
35.436, -89.784

Straight line winds produced roof damage to several structures and knocked down tree limbs in Atoka. A billboard sign was knocked down in Covington.

Heavy Rain, Madison

When
July 13, 2:15 AM CST to 4:15 AM CST
Where
Madison County, 5 mi S of Bemis
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
35.508, -88.830

Between 3 and 3.24 inches fell over a two hour span south of Bemis.

Flash Flood, Henderson

When
July 13, 5:30 AM CST to 9:00 AM CST
Where
Henderson County, 2.45 mi NNE of Scotts Hill to 2.47 mi NNE of Scotts Hill
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
35.553, -88.233

Heavy rain produced flash flooding south of Darden. Maxwell Road was flooded as a result.

Flash Flood, Haywood

When
July 13, 7:30 AM CST to 8:30 AM CST
Where
Haywood County, 3.28 mi SSW of Woodland to 2.6 mi N of Sunnyhill
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
35.524, -89.114

Heavy rain produced flash flooding south of Brownsville. Mercer Road and Sugar Creek Road was flooded as a result.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, July 2010

Sources

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: 245529, 249647, 245539, 245543, 245545, 245549, 245553.