Flash Flood, Decatur
- When
- June 21, 12:20 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Decatur County, Parsons to 0.34 mi NNE of Parsons
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 35.650, -88.130
Heavy rain flooded a low water crossing in Parsons.
Flash Flood in Tennessee, June 21, 2011
A cold front slowly pushed into the Mid-South during the afternoon of June 21st, 2011. Showers and thunderstorms developed out ahead of the front.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A cold front slowly pushed into the Mid-South during the afternoon of June 21st, 2011. Showers and thunderstorms developed out ahead of the front. Some storms became severe producing 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 Jun 21, 11:42 AM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 11:42 AM CST, 38 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1242 PM CDT TUE JUN 21 2011 .UPDATE... FOR 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 433 AM CDT TUE JUN 21 2011/ DISCUSSION...08Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A SURFACE LOW OVER NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...A WARM FRONT EXTENDING EAST OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST AND OHIO VALLEY...AND A TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. ACROSS THE MID SOUTH THIS MORNING...TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN VERY WARM AGAIN OVERNIGHT WITH MOST LOCATIONS AVERAGING FROM THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S AS A NOCTURNAL 850 MB LOW LEVEL JET CONTINUES TO ADVECT WARM AND MOIST AIR UP FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO. MOST OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY OVERNIGHT HAS BEEN FOCUSED NEAR THE SURFACE LOW AND ATTENDANT COLD FRONT. SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL AND CONVECTIVE CHANCES REMAIN THE MAIN CHALLENGES IN THIS MORNING/S FORECAST PACKAGE. SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT)...A SURFACE LOW CURRENTLY LOCATED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WILL GRADUALLY MOVE NORTHEAST INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST AND WEAKEN INTO WEDNESDAY. MEANWHILE...A TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY AND INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. 00Z NAM CONVECTIVE ANALYSIS SEEMED SOMEWHAT SUSPECT FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS AND CONSEQUENTLY LEANED THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST TOWARDS THE 00Z GFS SOLUTION. NONETHELESS...SHORT TERM MODELS INDICATE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS MID SOUTH TODAY. REGIONAL WSR-88D RADAR TRENDS ALREADY SHOW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING ACROSS NORTHERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. WENT WITH LIKELY POPS THIS MORNING WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER/CHANCE POPS EAST...AND LIKELY ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH FOR THIS AFTERNOON. SHORT TERM MODELS INDICATE 20 TO 30 DM 500 MB HEIGHT FALLS WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD AREAS MAINLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TODAY INTO TONIGHT. SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES BETWEEN 3000-3500 J/KG...LI/S BETWEEN -8 TO -10...MODERATELY STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES BETWEEN 6.5 TO 7 C/KM....0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES AVERAGING BETWEEN 30 TO 35 KTS SUGGESTS A POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR ORGANIZED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OVER 2 INCHES AND K INDICIES APPROACHING 40 ALSO SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL. THE COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY BEGIN TO SLOWLY MOVE INTO THE MID SOUTH AND GRADUALLY BECOME QUASI-STATIONARY BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES BETWEEN 2000-3000 J/KG...LIS BETWEEN -6 TO -8...MODERATELY STEEP 700-500 MB MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES BETWEEN 6.5 TO 7 C/KM...0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES BETWEEN 40-45 KTS SUGGESTS A CONTINUED POTENTIAL FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MID SOUTH...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL AGAIN BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WITH A CONTINUED POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 2 INCHES. LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...00Z GFS/ECMWF LONG TERM MODELS INDICATE AN ACTIVE PATTERN WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THURSDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A QUASI- STATIONARY BOUNDARY REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION AND NORTHWEST UPPER LEVEL FLOW ALOFT RE-ESTABLISHES ITSELF ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS. AS A RESULT...WENT PRIMARILY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MOST OF THE LONG TERM FORECAST BASED ON MODEL TRENDS. TIMING OF INDIVIDUAL SHORTWAVES/MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS /MCS/ WILL REMAIN A CHALLENGE. NONETHELESS...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE EACH DAY. CJC && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS TS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE MEG FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING...MAIN AREA OF TS IS NOW EAST OF MEM...RAIN RPTD NOW AT MKL WITH EMBEDDED TS INDICATED ON RADAR AND TUP WILL LIKELY BE SOON TO FOLLOW WITH TS DEVELOPING TO THE WEST. BROUGHT A TEMPO GROUP FOR TS INTO JBR AT 20Z WITH A NEW AREA OF TS LIKELY TO DEVELOP OVER AR. THIS AREA MAY AFFECT MEM TERMINAL BTN 22-00Z...BUT IT IS QUESTIONABLE WHETHER IT WILL THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE ABLE TO DESTABALIZE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AFT CURRENT RAIN ENDS. DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS LEFT VCSH IN TIL 06Z AT ALL BUT JBR...FOR JBR LEFT IT IN FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH THE BOUNDARY TO THE WEST OF JBR. AS FRONT WASHES OUT ON WED OVER AREA WINDS SHIFT MORE SW TOMORROW MORNING...ALONG WITH A CHC OF MVFR CIGS AT ALL LOCATIONS. AS FRONT STALLS/BECOMES STATIONARY THERE WILL BE A CHC OF TS DEVELOPING AGAIN WED AFTERNOON DURING MAX HEATING...ADDED VCSH AND CB BY 16/17Z AT ALL LOCATIONS. NGU && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 74 89 72 89 / 70 60 30 30 MKL 71 87 67 88 / 70 60 30 30 JBR 71 88 67 89 / 70 50 20 30 TUP 72 88 70 90 / 70 70 30 30 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 21, 6:35 AM CST, 5 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 735 AM CDT TUE JUN 21 2011 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-221145- 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- 735 AM CDT TUE JUN 21 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL STALL OUT ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THURSDAY AND REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING ALONG THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND WEDNESDAY AND OCCASIONALLY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jun 21, 8:04 AM CST, 4 hours 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
904 AM CDT TUE JUN 21 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1148 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 N YUMA 35.86N 88.33W
06/18/2011 CARROLL TN NWS EMPLOYEE
COUPLE LARGE TREES DOWN NEAR HOAN CREEK BETWEEN YUMA AND
CLARKSBURG.
&&
BORGHOFFThe radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Illinois, June 21, 2011
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, June 21, 2011
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Alabama, June 21, 2011
- Heat in Virginia, June 21, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Michigan, June 21 to 22, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Illinois, June 21 to 22, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Virginia, June 21, 2011
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Wisconsin, June 21, 2011
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, June 21, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, June 21 to 22, 2011
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, June 21, 2011
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Minnesota, June 21, 2011
More
Every storm in Tennessee in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, June 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: 327866.