Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Mississippi, March 9, 2011

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Mississippi, March 9, 2011
Start: 2011-03-09T05:25
End: 2011-03-09T10:00
Location: Mississippi

March 9, 2011 · NWS LIX · 13 events in 4 counties and zones

Thunderstorms in advance of a strong cold front produced numerous reports of flooding and severe weather on the afternoon of the 8th through the morning of the 9th.

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: $222,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 LIX wrote it up.

Thunderstorms in advance of a strong cold front produced numerous reports of flooding and severe weather on the afternoon of the 8th through the morning of the 9th.

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 New Orleans, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 9, 3:00 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 3:00 AM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
300 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

.SHORT TERM...
THE SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN THREAT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA IN THE NEAR TERM. A CONSOLIDATING LINE OF STRONG TO
SEVERE CONVECTION WITH BOWING SEGMENTS EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI INTO EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA EARLY THIS
MORNING. THIS CONVECTION WAS OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF AN UPPER
TROUGH MOVING FROM THE PLAINS AND INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE
LEAD PORTION OF THIS TROUGH WILL PULL OFF TO THE NORTHEAST TODAY...
WHILE THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE TROUGH WILL AMPLIFY AS A STRONG
JET MOVES THROUGH ITS BACKSIDE. THIS TROUGH WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE
AREA BY THURSDAY. IN THE MEANTIME...VERY STRONG SHEAR...AMPLE CAPE
AND INSTABILITY...STRONG DIVERGENCE ALOFT AND LARGE HELICITY VALUES
WILL MAINTAIN A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING.
THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE
MORNING PROGRESSES. IN ADDITION TO DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW
TORNADOES...THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO CONTINUE WITH A FEW
INCHES OF RAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS
AS THE CONVECTION MAKES ITS WAY EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE
EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE CONVECTION MAY SLOW DOWN ACROSS THE
EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA LATER THIS MORNING AS SOME OF THE
UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT BEGINS TO PULL OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH WILL REMAIN EFFECT FOR THE FORECAST AREA TODAY. THE
COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL PUSH ACROSS SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI DURING THE MORNING AND EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS...AND THEN ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. DRIER AND COOLER AIR WILL FILTER
INTO THE REGION TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. 11

.LONG TERM...
GENERALLY TRANQUIL WEATHER WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION FOR THE
END OF THE WEEK AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HIGH PRESSURE AT THE
SURFACE WILL SLIDE EAST ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES DURING THE
PERIOD. NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT FOR THE END OF THE WEEK WILL BECOME
GENERALLY ZONAL OVER THE WEEKEND. INITIALLY COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL
MODERATE OVER THE WEEKEND. THE NEXT RAIN CHANCE WILL BE MONDAY AND
POSSIBLY TUESDAY AS A WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE LOWER
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 11

&&

.AVIATION...
STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER ALL TERMINALS THIS MORNING IN ADVANCE OF
APPROACHING COLD FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL LOUISIANA.
PRE-FRONTAL SQUALL LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS RACING EAST FROM CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI INTO EAST-CENTRAL LOUISIANA SHOULD REACH KBTR AND KMCB
BETWEEN 09Z-10Z...WEAKEN ON SOUTHERN EXTENT UPON REACHING KMSY AND
KHUM AROUND 12Z. FRONTAL TIMING APPEARS TO BE BETWEEN 15Z-18Z FROM
WEST TO EAST. MVFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL OUTSIDE CONVECTION WHEN
CIGS AND VSBY LOWER TO IFR AND LIFR LEVELS BRIEFLY. CONDITIONS
EXPECTED TO IMPROVE TO VFR SHORTLY AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE LATER THIS
MORNING. 24/RR

&&

.MARINE...
STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW THIS MORNING AHEAD OF COLD FRONT AND WIND
SHIFT TO NORTHWEST WINDS LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL PRIOR TO FRONTAL
PASSAGE...MAY BRIEFLY DIMINISH FOR AN HOUR OR TWO BEFORE INCREASING
FROM NORTHWEST AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GULF. WILL MAINTAIN
WINDS NEAR 20KT WITH FREQUENT GUST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE MARKEDLY INTO THE WEEKEND WITH
LIGHT WINDS AND LOW SEAS. 24/RR

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MCB  76  39  61  34 /  60  10   0   0
BTR  78  43  64  39 /  60  10   0   0
ASD  78  45  64  39 /  80  10   0   0
MSY  78  49  64  44 /  70  10   0   0
GPT  76  46  65  38 /  80  10   0   0
PQL  76  45  64  38 /  80  10   0   0

&&

.LIX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     ASCENSION...ASSUMPTION...EAST BATON ROUGE...EAST
     FELICIANA...IBERVILLE...LIVINGSTON...LOWER
     JEFFERSON...LOWER LAFOURCHE...LOWER PLAQUEMINES...LOWER ST.
     BERNARD...LOWER TERREBONNE...ORLEANS...POINTE COUPEE...ST.
     CHARLES...ST. HELENA...ST. JAMES...ST. JOHN THE
     BAPTIST...ST. TAMMANY...TANGIPAHOA...UPPER
     JEFFERSON...UPPER LAFOURCHE...UPPER PLAQUEMINES...UPPER ST.
     BERNARD...UPPER TERREBONNE...WASHINGTON...WEST BATON
     ROUGE...AND WEST FELICIANA.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 PM WEDNESDAY TO NOON THURSDAY FOR
     THE FOLLOWING ZONES: AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND LAKE
     MAUREPAS.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO NOON THURSDAY FOR
     THE FOLLOWING ZONES: LAKE BORGNE...AND MISSISSIPPI SOUND.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: BRETON SOUND...CHANDELEUR SOUND...COASTAL WATERS
     FROM BOOTHVILLE LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI
     RIVER OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO
     STAKE ISLAND LA FROM 20 TO 60 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM
     PASCAGOULA MS TO STAKE ISLAND LA OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS
     FROM STAKE ISLAND LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE
     MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM 20 TO 60 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM
     THE PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER FROM 20 TO 60
     NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM THE PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER
     ATCHAFALAYA RIVER OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM THE
     SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO PORT FOURCHON
     FROM 20 TO 60 NM...AND COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST
     PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO PORT FOURCHON OUT 20 NM.

MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     AMITE...HANCOCK...HARRISON...JACKSON...PEARL
     RIVER...PIKE...WALTHALL...AND WILKINSON.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 PM WEDNESDAY TO NOON THURSDAY FOR
     THE FOLLOWING ZONES: AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND LAKE
     MAUREPAS.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO NOON THURSDAY FOR
     THE FOLLOWING ZONES: LAKE BORGNE...AND MISSISSIPPI SOUND.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: BRETON SOUND...CHANDELEUR SOUND...COASTAL WATERS
     FROM BOOTHVILLE LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI
     RIVER OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO
     STAKE ISLAND LA FROM 20 TO 60 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM
     PASCAGOULA MS TO STAKE ISLAND LA OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS
     FROM STAKE ISLAND LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE
     MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM 20 TO 60 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM
     THE PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER FROM 20 TO 60
     NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM THE PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER
     ATCHAFALAYA RIVER OUT 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM THE
     SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO PORT FOURCHON
     FROM 20 TO 60 NM...AND COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST
     PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO PORT FOURCHON OUT 20 NM.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 9, 4:00 AM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
400 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

GMZ530-532-534-536-538-550-552-555-557-570-572-575-577-LAZ034>040-
046>050-056>070-MSZ068>071-077-080>082-100200-
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN AND LAKE MAUREPAS-MISSISSIPPI SOUND-
LAKE BORGNE-CHANDELEUR SOUND-BRETON SOUND-
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER
OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
TO PORT FOURCHON OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM BOOTHVILLE LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO STAKE ISLAND LA OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE PORT FOURCHON TO LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER
FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
TO PORT FOURCHON FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM STAKE ISLAND LA TO THE SOUTHWEST PASS OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PASCAGOULA MS TO STAKE ISLAND LA FROM 20 TO
60 NM-POINTE COUPEE-WEST FELICIANA-EAST FELICIANA-ST. HELENA-
TANGIPAHOA-WASHINGTON-ST. TAMMANY-IBERVILLE-WEST BATON ROUGE-
EAST BATON ROUGE-ASCENSION-LIVINGSTON-ASSUMPTION-ST. JAMES-
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-UPPER LAFOURCHE-ST. CHARLES-UPPER JEFFERSON-
ORLEANS-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-
LOWER TERREBONNE-LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER JEFFERSON-
LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-WILKINSON-AMITE-PIKE-WALTHALL-
PEARL RIVER-HANCOCK-HARRISON-JACKSON-
400 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF COASTAL WATERS
OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHEAST
LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING. THE
MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE STRONG AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL DIMINISH FROM
WEST TO EAST AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES.

HEAVY RAINFALL...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...WITH
ISOLATED HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED
IN SOME AREAS AS A RESULT OF RECENT RAINFALL. ADDITIONAL HEAVY
RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN
EFFECT TODAY.

RIVER FLOODING...
FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR LOCATIONS ALONG SEVERAL RIVERS.
PLEASE SEE THE LATEST RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS FOR
DETAILS.

MARINE...
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COASTAL WATERS
TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND FOR THE TIDAL LAKES TONIGHT

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

MARINE...
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR STRONG OFFSHORE FLOW AND HAZARDOUS SEAS
WILL CONTINUE FOR THE GULF COASTAL WATERS AND TIDAL LAKES THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS IS UNDERWAY THROUGH THIS MORNING.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 9, 1:21 AM CST, 4 hours 4 minutes before

MSZ068-090815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
121 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING EAST TO AFFECT WILKINSON COUNTY...

AT 112 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF BORDELONVILLE...OR ABOUT 14
MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT ADAMS...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND...FORT
ADAMS...DOLOROSA AND WOODVILLE

WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 45 MPH WILL BE COMMON WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM...WHICH COULD
DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK
SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR FOR THIS STORM
AS IT APPROACHES WILKINSON COUNTY THIS MORNING.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

Special weather statement, Mar 9, 2:36 AM CST, 2 hours 49 minutes before

LAZ034>038-MSZ068>071-090930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
236 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND THE
FLORIDA PARISHES IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA...

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH...
WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS.
SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE
PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

Special weather statement, Mar 9, 4:13 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before

LAZ038-040-050-058-060>062-064-MSZ080-091115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
413 AM CST WED MAR 9 2011

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEAST AFFECTING LIVINGSTON
PARISH...TANGIPAHOA PARISH...ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH...ST.
CHARLES PARISH...HANCOCK COUNTY...ST. BERNARD PARISH...JEFFERSON
PARISH...ORLEANS PARISH...ST. TAMMANY PARISH...

AT 409 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 20 MILES NORTH OF RESERVE TO 11
MILES NORTHWEST OF RESERVE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

THE LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND AROUND...
HAHNVILLE...PONCHATOULA...LAPLACE...NORCO...NEW SARPY...DESTREHAN...
KENNER...NEW ORLEANS ARMSTRONG AIRPORT...METAIRIE...NEW ORLEANS...
LAKEFRONT AIRPORT...EAST NEW ORLEANS...MADISONVILLE...MANDEVILLE...
SLIDELL AIRPORT...STENNIS SPACE CENTER...SLIDELL...PEARL RIVER...LAKE
CATHERINE...LACOMBE AND PEARLINGTON

THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THESE STORMS ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND
GUSTS TO NEAR 40 MPH...WHICH COULD DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND
UNSECURED SMALL OBJECTS. SEEK SHELTER IN A SAFE HOME OR BUILDING
UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

Local storm report, Mar 9, 5:18 AM CST, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
518 AM CST WED MAR 09 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0450 AM     TORNADO          LACOMBE                 30.31N 89.93W
03/09/2011                   ST. TAMMANY        LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SLIDELL PD REPORTS TORNADO CROSSED I-12 AT LACOMBE EXIT.
            DEBRIS ON INTERSTATE. ALSO TREES DOWN IN LACOMBE NEAR
            HEART HOSPITAL ON 434 BLOCKING HIGHWAY.

&&

KGRAHAM

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Pearl River

When: March 9, 5:25 AM CST to 5:35 AM CST
Where: Pearl River County, 1.95 mi WNW of Nicholson to 0.7 mi S of Goodyear
Rating: EF1
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.493, -89.729

A NWS Storm Survey has determined that damage in the Picayune area was a confirmed EF1 tornado with a path length of 3 miles and path width of 100 yards. This tornado was either the same tornado or formed from the same meso cyclone that produced damage earlier in St Tammany Parish before it crossed the large Pearl River Basin swamp. The track started with mostly EF0 damage on Jackson Landing Road and continued northeast across South Beech Street and Goodyear Boulevard, where the EF1 damage was noted to a residence near 6th Street and Forest, due to a large pine tree snapping and landing on the home. The tornado began dissipating and only minor damage was found near Highway 11 and Carroll Street.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pearl River

When: March 9, 6:20 AM CST
Where: Pearl River County, 6 mi NW of Picayune
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 30.591, -89.751

Numerous large tree branches were reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hancock

When: March 9, 7:20 AM CST
Where: Hancock County, Kiln
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.420, -89.430

Small trees were blown down. The soffit was ripped off of a bank drive through. A metal roof was pulled off of one home. Survey indicated damage was caused by straight line winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:34 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 3.71 mi W of Landon
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.448, -89.162

Roof and structure damage was reported along Allen Road in west Gulfport.

Tornado, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:34 AM CST to 7:40 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 6 mi N of Long Beach
Rating: EF1
Path length: 1 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.437, -89.150

A tornado touched down along Landon Road. One home had a portion of roof removed, as well as a storage building and awning destroyed. Several trees were blown down and large branches snapped.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:38 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 4 mi NNE of Gulfport
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.433, -89.054

Thunderstorm wind gusts damaged several homes in the Turnberry Subdivision. Three homes sustained roof damage, 16 homes suffered minor wind damage with siding pulled off of some homes.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:45 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 1.57 mi SSW of Lorraine
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.449, -89.031

Sign of Captain Ali's Restaurant blown down, as well as a power pole, along State Route 605 and Dedeaux Road.

Tornado, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:47 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 3.06 mi NNW of (Bix)keesler Afb Bil
Rating: EF1
Path length: 0.25 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 30.443, -88.934

A tornado touched down near Cedar Lake Road and Popps Ferry Road. Several mobile homes were damaged. One moblie home was rolled and destroyed with minor to moderate damage on several others. Several large tree limbs snapped as well. The tornado was rated at the upper end of EF1 scale.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:47 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 3.39 mi NNW of D Iberville
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.476, -88.899

Trees were reported down on Lickskillet Road north of D'Iberville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harrison

When: March 9, 7:47 AM CST
Where: Harrison County, 1.82 mi ESE of Lorraine
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.457, -88.993

Trees were blown down on Oaklawn Road northwest of Biloxi.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: March 9, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, 2 mi N of Wade
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 30.679, -88.570

Trees were reported down on Polktown Road and also at Highway 613 in northern Jackson County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: March 9, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Jackson County, 1.68 mi ENE of Hilda
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 30.393, -88.646

The AWS site at Gulf Coast Community College measured a 60 mph wind gust. The report was relayed by a WLOX-13 TV meteorologist. Time of event was estimated.

Flash Flood, Hancock

When: March 9, 8:45 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where: Hancock County, Waveland to 2.84 mi NE of Waveland
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 30.280, -89.380

Some street flooding was reported on Chapman Road and along Harrison Avenue.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
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.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Mississippi in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Mississippi, 2011 Warnings in Mississippi, March 2011

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: 280590, 280715, 280726, 280614, 280617, 280621, 280654, 280661, 280663, 280666, 280690, 280700, 280709.