Widespread, slow moving showers and thunderstorms moved across central Mississippi between July 23rd and July 25th. The air mass over the region was extremely moist, which contributed significantly to the high rainfall rates that occurred.
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 JAN wrote it up.
Widespread, slow moving showers and thunderstorms moved across central Mississippi between July 23rd and July 25th. The air mass over the region was extremely moist, which contributed significantly to the high rainfall rates that occurred. Several areas reported rainfall rates in excess of 1.5 inches per hour. Flash flooding was reported all over the region.
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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 23, 3:02 AM CST, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 402 AM CDT SAT JUL 23 2011 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE DEVELOPING EARLY THIS MORNING FROM NORTHEAST LOUISIANA NORTHEAST TO NEAR GREENWOOD MS. EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS WITH AN INCREASE IN INTENSITY IN AREAS THAT ARE ABLE TO HEAT SOME THIS MORNING. WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 2.4 INCHES AND MODEL GUIDANCE SHOWING WEAK ATMOSPHERIC LIFT TODAY...HIGH POPS ARE IN ORDER. WHILE I DO NOT EXPECT AN ALL DAY RAIN...MOST LOCATIONS SHOULD RECEIVE MEASURABLE RAINFALL TODAY. DUE TO THE HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AND VERY SLOW STORM MOTION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE. THE RAINFALL WILL DECREASE IN COVERAGE WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING THIS EVENING BUT EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO INCREASE AGAIN ON SUNDAY WITH FAIRLY HIGH POPS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. HIGHS ARE TOUGH TODAY AND ARE BASED ON AT LEAST A FEW HOURS OF PARTIAL SUNSHINE. IF RAINFALL BECOMES MORE WIDESPREAD THEN HIGHS MAY NEED TO BE CUT BACK. .LONG TERM...THE REGION WILL SIT IN BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW MONDAY AND TUESDAY ON THE WRN FRINGES OF TROUGHING POSITIONED OVER THE EAST COAST. A DIFFUSE SURFACE BOUNDARY DROPS INTO NRN MS TUESDAY...WEAKENING WITH TIME TO LEAVE A REGION OF SURFACE CONVERGENCE OVER SRN ZONES FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MODELS ARE NO LONGER SO GUNG HO ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF UPPER RIDGING FOR NEXT WEEK...INSTEAD THE GFS IS TRENDING TOWARD THE EURO SOLUTION OF UPPER TROUGHING TO OUR EAST DEVELOPING INTO A WEAK UPPER LOW OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST WEDNESDAY AND MAINTAINING UPPER TROUGHING OVER THE ARKLAMISS REGION FOR THURSDAY AS PAINTED BY EARLIER GFS RUNS. THE GFS HAS PEGGED UPPER RIDGING A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH ON THIS RUN...FILTERING DRIER AIR IN FROM THE NORTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNDARY AND AS A RESULT IN DEVELOPING SUBSIDENCE INTO NRN MS. THIS TRANSLATES INTO LOWER PRECIPITABLE WATER FIELDS IN THE NORTH LATE TUESDAY AND VALUES BELOW 2 INCHES ALONG AND NORTH OF I-20 FOR WEDNESDAY. THE LATEST EURO IS MORE CONSERVATIVE ON SUBSIDENCE AND DRIER AIR ADVECTION AND KEEPS APPRECIABLE MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA. PRECIPITABLE WATER IS FORECAST TO REBOUND QUICKLY THURSDAY WHEN SUBSIDENCE GIVES WAY TO THE EFFECTS OF UPPER TROUGHING FROM THE SOUTH THURSDAY. MODEL CONSENSUS NOW DEVELOPS UPPER RIDGING OVER THE AREA FROM THE EAST FRIDAY. GENERALLY SLY LOW LEVEL FLOW THURSDAY WILL GIVE WAY TO WEAK ANTICYCLONIC FLOW FOR FRIDAY WHEN UPPER RIDGING WORKS INTO THE FORECAST AREA. THE GFS CONTINUES TO PAINT WARMER TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK ALTHOUGH MEX MOS IS PULLING BACK FROM HIGHER COVERAGE OF UPPER 90S ADVERTISED EARLIER. 925 MB TEMPS WILL BE ON A GRADUAL INCREASE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PARTICULARLY OVER NRN ZONES. THIS WOULD PRODUCE A MORE UNSTABLE AIR MASS TO INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR POCKETS OF STRONGER CONVECTION IN THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK AS OPPOSED TO THE SEMI-TROPICAL PRECIPITATION OBSERVED RECENTLY OVER THE REGION. BEING LESS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT DRIER AIR AND THE DEGREE OF RIDGING THAT WILL OCCUR JUST TO OUR NORTH...THE EURO REMAINS MOISTER AND COOLER FOR THIS PERIOD. MODELS AGREE ON COOLER LOW LEVEL TEMPERATURES AND DEEPER MOISTURE RETURN THURSDAY WHEN WHATEVER SUBSIDENCE DEVELOPS TO OUR NORTH GIVES WAY TO INCREASING TROUGHING FROM THE SOUTH. && .AVIATION...PATCHY IFR CEILINGS THIS MORNING AT KJAN AND MVFR FOG AT KMEI BUT OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS AT OTHER SITES WITH SOME PATCHY MID CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA. WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR THE POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF LOWER CEILINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP TODAY WHICH ARE CURRENTLY REFLECTED IN THE TAFS. COVERAGE MAY BE MORE THAN CURRENTLY INDICATED IF MODEL GUIDANCE IS CORRECT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 92 75 94 75 / 56 39 42 36 MERIDIAN 92 73 94 73 / 55 33 38 42 VICKSBURG 91 74 94 74 / 56 37 41 30 HATTIESBURG 93 75 95 75 / 56 21 38 22 NATCHEZ 89 74 92 73 / 56 23 45 19 GREENVILLE 92 75 94 75 / 56 50 47 41 GREENWOOD 92 75 94 75 / 56 51 50 53 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && 02/03
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 410 AM CDT SAT JUL 23 2011 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 240915- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND- MADISON LA-FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-BOLIVAR- SUNFLOWER-LEFLORE-GRENADA-CARROLL-MONTGOMERY-WEBSTER-CLAY-LOWNDES- CHOCTAW-OKTIBBEHA-WASHINGTON-HUMPHREYS-HOLMES-ATTALA-WINSTON- NOXUBEE-ISSAQUENA-SHARKEY-YAZOO-MADISON MS-LEAKE-NESHOBA-KEMPER- WARREN-HINDS-RANKIN-SCOTT-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE-CLAIBORNE-COPIAH- SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS-FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN- LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES-MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 410 AM CDT SAT JUL 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS.. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH AN HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY. WHERE THE HEAVY RAIN PERSISTS...LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS...WILL NOT BE NEEDED. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1251 PM GMT SAT JUL 23 2011
MSZ027-028-032-037-044-231350-
ATTALA MS-MONTGOMERY MS-LEAKE MS-CHOCTAW MS-CARROLL MS-
752 AM CDT SAT JUL 23 2011
A LINE OF SHOWERS PRODUCING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS WAS LOCATED FROM 6
MILES WEST OF POPLAR CREEK TO THOMASTOWN AT 751 AM CDT...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. RAINFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE
POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS LINE AND PONDING OF WATER WILL BE
ENCOUNTERED ON AREA ROADWAYS.
PEOPLE IN SOUTHEASTERN CARROLL...WEST CENTRAL CHOCTAW...NORTHWESTERN
LEAKE...SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY AND ATTALA COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THESE
STORMS CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3346 8950 3347 8934 3304 8934 3272 8972
3289 8974 3339 8974 3358 8951
TIME...MOT...LOC 1251Z 226DEG 15KT 3337 8965 3287 8966
BYBThe Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:16 UTC.
12 flash flood, 12 heavy rain, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A few roads in town were beginning to be covered with water.
A few roads were closed across northwest Attala County due to high water. Radar estimated 5 to 7 inches of rain fell across this area.
A few roads in Ridgeland were flooded.
Three to four inches of water was over the roadway near the intersection of Spillway Road and Old Fannin Road.
A portion of Red Oak Road was under water.
A roof of a building being remodeled in the Turtle Creek Mall area collapsed due to the heavy rain.
Coop observer measured 4.6 inches of rainfall southeast of Collinsville.
Coop observer reported 3.92 inches of rain northwest of Meridian.
A Cocorahs observer recorded 3.23 inches southwest of Meridian.
A Cocorahs observer recorded 3.36 inches of rain northwest of Meridian.
A Cocorahs observer reported 3.60 inches of rain northeast of Collinsville.
A Cocorahs observer reported 5.87 inches of rain just northeast of Collinsville.
A CoCoRahs observer reported 4.83 inches of rain northwest of Meridian.
CoCoRahs observer reported 3.05 inches of rain northwest of Martin.
Heavy rain caused several wrecks on Interstate 20 and Interstate 59 North due to hydroplaning.
Roads were flooded in downtown Chunky.
Several streets in Meridian, as well as northwest of Meridian were flooded.
Law enforcement officer reported street flooding at the intersection of US Highway 49 and 4th Street at the northeast corner of the University of Southern Mississippi Campus. Twelve to eighteen inches of water were estimated to have been covering the road.
An estimated 3.75 to 3.99 inches if rain fell in about 1.5 hours.
Six inches of water had accumulated on Harmony Road.
Many roads had water over them. Road crews worked to repair several washed out roads in the western part of the county.
Public reported rainfall amounts in excess of five inches since 6 am near Adaton.
Two residences were struck by lightning. Several traffic signals were out in the area.
Some tree limbs were down in Indianola.
A power pole was snapped at an apartment complex in Greenwood.
Several streets around Greenwood were under water.
Several roads in the county were under water with four to six inches of water over the them. Several streets in Indianola were also flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, July 2011
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: 323031, 323039, 323041, 323042, 323056, 323074, 323076, 323078, 323080, 323081, 323082, 323083, 323084, 323114, 323059, 323062, 323064, 323072, 323085, 323086, 323090, 323116, 323092, 323113, 323102, 333382, 323112.