The flood of 2011 had its birth around the end of March when heavy rainfall of 2 to 5 inches fell across Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, and the Ohio River Valley. The Mississippi River crested well above flood stage at Cairo around the middle of March and at flood stage at Vicksburg around the end of the month.
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.
The flood of 2011 had its birth around the end of March when heavy rainfall of 2 to 5 inches fell across Arkansas, Southeast Missouri, and the Ohio River Valley. The Mississippi River crested well above flood stage at Cairo around the middle of March and at flood stage at Vicksburg around the end of the month. The river receded until early April when 2 to 5 inches of rain fell over North Kentucky and the Ohio River prompting the river to rise once again. Several moderate to heavy rainfall events occurred during the month adding to the already overflowing tributaries of the Ohio River. Excessively heavy rainfall from 5 to 20 inches occurred from April 22nd to the 27th across northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, and up the Ohio River Valley. This produced the greatest surge in the river levels. During the following week, the first week of May, an additional 3 to 10 inches of rainfall occurred across Arkansas and southern Missouri, north to the Ohio River Valley. Rainfall for the two week period was over 800 percent of normal. These rainfall events, along with a moderate to major flood moving down the Upper Mississippi River from a late March snow melt combined to produce river crests above the 1937, 1973, and the 2008 flood levels. Record flooding occurred at Vicksburg and Natchez. The backwater areas up the Yazoo River exceeded all but the 1927 flood levels and ended up exceeding the 2008 river flood crests by 6 to 7 feet.
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 May 3, 8:29 PM CST, 3 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 929 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2011 .UPDATE...THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK. ADJUSTED CLOUD COVER AND POPS SLIGHTLY TO REFLECT CLEARING FROM THE NW THIS EVENING. OTHERWISE TEMPS AND GENERALLY CALM WINDS LOOKS GOOD. && .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT... CHILLY HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO INFILTRATE THE ARKLAMISS REGION THIS EVENING. MODELS AGREE THAT THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS WILL SLOWLY SHIFT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE MID WEEK. WITH CLEARING SKIES TONIGHT AND DECREASING WIND...EXPECT IDEAL NOCTURNAL COOLING CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP AND THIS WILL LEAD TO NEAR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S. AREAS OF FOG MAY ALSO DEVELOP DUE TO THE MOIST GROUND CONDITIONS. MUCH MILDER...BUT STILL BELOW NORMAL...CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON UNDER SUNNY SKIES. CLEAR SKIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR NOCTURNAL COOLING WILL LEAD MORE NEAR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES. /EC/ TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)...COOLER THAN NORMAL REGIME WILL BE GIVING WAY TO MODERATING TEMPERATURES THURSDAY AFTERNOON RIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LIGHT SSELY FLOW SHOULD START KICKING IN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE(1025MB) PUSHES INTO THE SRN APPALACHIANS. MODEL CONSENSUS SHOWS RATHER GOOD AGREEMENT IN MID LEVEL PATTERN THROUGH ABOUT SATURDAY WITH FLAT WNW FLOW ALOFT PRECEDING A MID LEVEL RIDGE AXIS IN THE SWRN CONUS PROGRESSING THROUGH THE SRN PLAINS OVER THE WEEKEND. VERY DRY AIR MASS FEATURES LESS THAN 0.5 INCH PWATS THURSDAY AS ANY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT WILL REMAIN LIMITED UNTIL SATURDAY WITH WARM AIR ADVECTION BRINGING MOISTURE LEVELS BACK TO NEAR 0.75 INCH PWATS. PWATS INCREASE A LITTLE MORE ON SUNDAY RISING BACK ABOVE 1 INCH BY MIDDAY AND THEN UP TO NEAR 1.3 INCHES BY MIDDAY MONDAY. HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE COOLER ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE THURSDAY BUT NO BIG DISAGREEMENTS WITH MEX MOS BEYOND THAT WHICH IS ALSO QUITE CONSISTENT WITH THE MEANS. VERY MINIMAL VARIATIONS IN THE ENSEMBLE SUITE OF DIGITAL GUIDANCE DURING THE LONG RANGE FORECAST HOWEVER...THURSDAY MORNING SHOULD STILL BE SOME 15F BELOW THE NORMS WHILE FRIDAY ONLY ABOUT 10F. VIRTUALLY NO RAIN CHANCES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCES FOR N PORTIONS STARTING SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR NW FLOW ALOFT TO RESULT IN THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES RIDING SE FROM THE PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT OR MONDAY...BUT CHANCES ARE THAT ANY SUCH RAINFALL WILL REMAIN NORTH OF OUR REGION IF IT EVEN TAKES PLACE. THE WARMING TRENDS SHOULD LEVEL OFF SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH WIDESPREAD HIGHS BACK IN THE MIDDLE 80S. OVERNIGHT LOWS SHOULD RECOVER TO 50S OVER THE WEEKEND AND 60S FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK UNDER A BUILDING MID LEVEL RIDGE AXIS PROGRESSING EWD OVER THE SERN CONUS. /40/ .AVIATION...SKIES WILL CONTINUE TO CLEAR FROM THE NW TONIGHT. PATCHY MVFR FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION OVERNIGHT...WHICH WILL DISSIPATE BY 13Z. OTHERWISE EXPECT LIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS OVERNIGHT...WHICH WILL INCREASE TO NEAR 10 KNOTS ON WEDNESDAY./17/ && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && EC/17/03
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 206 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2011 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074- 041915- 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- 206 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI... NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH NEXT MONDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. 17
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland around the river. All of the flood waters were within the mainline levee.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland and urban areas around the river. All of the flood waters were within the mainline levee. Sixty one homes were destroyed, 18 sustained major damage and 63 sustained minor damage. One mobile home and 1 business were destroyed, with 19 businesses sustaining minor damage. Twenty four roads had major damage, and 3 public buildings were destroyed.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland around the river. All of the flood waters were within the mainline levee. Flooding also occurred over portions of the county near the Delta National Forest where backwater from the Yazoo River was located. Twelve homes were destroyed and 12 homes sustained major damage. Two mobile homes were destroyed, and 15 mobile homes as well as 2 businesses sustained major damage. Seven roads had major damage due to the flood waters.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland around the river. Two homes sustained major damage, 1 mobile home was destroyed and 10 mobile homes sustained major damage. Two roads sustained major damage as well.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland around the river. Areas behind the backwater levee flooded due to tributaries that were unable to drain through the Steele Bayou structure, which had been closed. Twenty one homes and 66 mobile homes sustained minor damage due to the flood waters. At one point 15 roads were closed across the county due to flooding. In Vicksburg, 1 road sustained major damage, 30 roads had minor damage, 1 public building sustained major damage and 3 others sustained minor damage.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland around the river.
Extensive flooding occurred over portions of Yazoo County where backwater from the Mississippi River backed up into the Yazoo River. The flood waters were bounded to the west by the Whittington Levee and to the east by the delta bluff. Five homes were destroyed, and 413 homes sustained minor damage. Three mobile homes were destroyed, one business was destroyed, extensive losses to agriculture occurred. One public road sustained minor damage.
Extensive flooding occurred over southern portions of Sharkey County where backwater from the Mississippi River backed up into the Yazoo River.
Extensive flooding occurred over southern portions of Humphreys County where backwater from the Mississippi River backed up into the Yazoo River. Forty seven homes sustained major damage with 23 sustaining minor damage. Four mobile homes had major damage and 6 had minor damage. Three public roads sustained major damage from the flood waters.
Flooding along the Mississippi River caused extensive flooding of low lying farmland around the river, as well as along the riverfront in Natchez. Casino operations along the river in Natchez were halted, and several homes were flooded south of Natchez. Numerous businesses had to cease operations due to the high water. Five homes, 1 business, 7 roads and 3 bridges sustained major damage from the flood water.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Warren | 2011-05-19 | 69 | Male | In Water | Indirect |
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, May 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: 317474, 317394, 317393, 317382, 317386, 317378, 317398, 317448, 317464, 317373.