A developing surface low moved into the Mid Mississippi Valley while the associated cold front moved toward the Mid South on the afternoon of May 25, 2011. A moist and very unstable airmass was in place across the Mid-South and showers and thunderstorms started to develop in advance of the front during the late afternoon hours across Eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel.
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 MEG wrote it up.
A developing surface low moved into the Mid Mississippi Valley while the associated cold front moved toward the Mid South on the afternoon of May 25, 2011. A moist and very unstable airmass was in place across the Mid-South and showers and thunderstorms started to develop in advance of the front during the late afternoon hours across Eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. The showers and thunderstorms merged into a line as they approached the Mississippi River during the early evening hours. The line of showers and thunderstorms then swept across West Tennessee.
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 May 25, 4:35 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
535 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK GRADUALLY UNFOLDING ACROSS THE MID
SOUTH LATE THIS AFTERNOON...
.DISCUSSION...WATER VAPOR SATELLITE/UPPER AIR PROFILER TRENDS THIS
AFTERNOON PLACE AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS WESTERN
MISSOURI. MEANWHILE...20Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A SURFACE LOW
OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI AND A TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS EAST
OKLAHOMA/WEST ARKANSAS. VISIBLE SATELLITE/REGIONAL WSR-88D RADAR
TRENDS OVER THE PAST ONE TO TWO HOURS HAVE SHOWN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A LINE OF DISCRETE SUPERCELLS FROM WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS BACK
THROUGH CENTRAL/SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. TEMPERATURES AS OF 4PM CDT
ARE PREDOMINANTLY IN THE MIDDLE 80S TO AROUND 90 DEGREES. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY IS THE MAIN CONCERN
IN THIS AFTERNOON/S FORECAST PACKAGE.
.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)...A VERY VOLATILE
ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT AS A
SURFACE/UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVE ACROSS MISSOURI INTO ILLINOIS AND A
TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS ARKANSAS SLOWLY MOVES ACROSS THE MID
SOUTH TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. VERY FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE
PRODUCED BY THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF A 95 KT 250 MB UPPER LEVEL JET
STREAK...STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 7
C/KM...SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES BETWEEN 3000-3500 J/KG...LI/S
BETWEEN -8 TO -9...0-1KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITIES BETWEEN 350-400
M2/S2...0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES AROUND 60 KTS...AND CURVED
HODOGRAPHS STILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR DISCRETE
SUPERCELLS...SOME OF WHICH COULD PRODUCE STRONG/LONG TRACK
TORNADOES ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT. AS INSTABILITY BEGINS TO
DIMINISH LATER TONIGHT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...DISCRETE
SUPERCELLS MAY BEGIN TO CONGEAL INTO A QUASI- LINEAR CONVECTIVE
SYSTEM BEFORE WEAKENING SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT. /QLCS/ WILL CONTINUE
TO MENTION LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...AND
TORNADOES SOME OF WHICH COULD BE STRONG/LONG TRACK TORNADOES IN
THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 1.5
INCHES AND FREEZING LEVELS AROUND 14 KFT SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR
LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL ESPECIALLY LATER THIS
EVENING AS THE CONVECTIVE MODE GRADUALLY BEGINS TO TRANSITION TO A
QLCS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SHORT TERM WIND TRENDS BUT AT THIS
TIME PLANNING TO ALLOW WIND ADVISORY TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT.
A SMALL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY WILL EXIST THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
MID DAY THURSDAY FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI/ALABAMA
STATE LINE AS THE COLD FRONT GRADUALLY DEPARTS THE MID SOUTH.
SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES AROUND 2500 J/KG...LI/S APPROACHING
-8...MODERATELY STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES
AROUND 6.5 C/KM...AND 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES BETWEEN 35-40
KTS...FAVOR THE POTENTIAL OF BOWING SEGMENTS WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. KEPT HIGH
END CHANCE/LIKELY POPS IN FOR THURSDAY AND LOW END CHANCE POPS
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. RAIN CHANCES ARE
EXPECTED TO COME TO AND END BY THURSDAY EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE
MID SOUTH.
SHORT TERM MODELS ARE INDICATING A WARM FRONT AND A MID LEVEL
SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL PRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE FOR
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS AREAS OF THE MID SOUTH
PREDOMINANTLY NORTH OF I-40 FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.
HOWEVER...OVERALL STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL REMAINS
VERY LOW AT BEST.
.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...12Z GFS/ECMWF LONG
RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
MOVING OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEKEND THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL BRING RAIN FREE
WEATHER TO THE MID SOUTH AND VERY WARM TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AS
925 MB TEMPERATURES WARM TO BETWEEN 22-24C. MODELS DO INDICATE THE
POTENTIAL FOR A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TO ENTER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
THE MID SOUTH LATE NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...WILL ADDRESS THIS
POTENTIAL IN LATER FORECASTS AS THIS IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE
CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE.
CJC
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAF CYCLE
STRONG GRADIENT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. EXPECTING
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS BY 22Z
AND BEGIN MOVING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. KJBR WILL BE THE FIRST TO BE
HIT BY STORMS...AND KTUP THE LAST. EXPECTING POSSIBLY 2 ROUNDS OF
THUNDERSTORMS. FIRST ROUND WILL BE A BROKEN LINE...WITH THE SECOND
ROUND A SOLID LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF TWO
ROUNDS OF STORMS...HAVE LEFT A 4 HOUR TEMPO GROUP AT ALL SITES
EXCEPT KTUP DUE TO SOME UNCERTAINTY OF THE TIMING OF THE STORMS.
LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THUNDERSTORMS.
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT BY LATE TONIGHT/EARLY TOMORROW
MORNING. WINDS WILL WEAKEN AND VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST AFTER STORMS
MOVE THROUGH. EXPECT SOME CLEARING ONCE THE STORMS MOVE
OUT...HOWEVER A LOW CLOUD DECK WILL SWING AROUND ON THE BACK SIDE
OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND BRING MVFR CONDITIONS TO ALL SITES
BY THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL BECOME MORE WESTERLY AS THE COLD
FRONT PASSES THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
SWC
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM 66 77 59 82 / 80 30 10 10
MKL 66 76 54 79 / 80 40 10 10
JBR 63 74 55 78 / 70 20 10 10
TUP 70 82 58 82 / 80 60 10 10
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CLAY-CRAIGHEAD-
CRITTENDEN-CROSS-GREENE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-
PHILLIPS-POINSETT-RANDOLPH-ST. FRANCIS.
MO...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT.
MS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR COAHOMA-DESOTO-
PANOLA-QUITMAN-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TUNICA.
TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR DYER-LAKE-
LAUDERDALE-OBION-SHELBY-TIPTON.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1246 PM CDT WED MAY 25 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>092-261200- 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- 1246 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE MID SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS EAST AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...AND MOST OF WEST TENNESSEE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM SOMERVILLE TO DECATURVILLE TENNESSEE. A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE MID SOUTH. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO QUICKLY DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND QUICKLY MOVE EAST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE. SOME OF THESE TORNADOES MAY ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG AND LONG TRACK TORNADOES. ALONG WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT...LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG GRADIENT WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE MIDSOUTH THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT. MODERATE RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR OSCEOLA...AND ALONG THE ST FRANCIS RIVER SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED THREAT FOR A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ON THURSDAY MAINLY ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WILL REMAIN ABOVE FLOOD STAGE THROUGH MOST OF THIS WEEK...WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BACKWATER TRIBUTARY FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. KRM/CJC
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
617 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0601 PM HAIL 2 E FORREST CITY 35.01N 90.75W
05/25/2011 E1.00 INCH ST. FRANCIS AR BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
TLSJR/JABPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
624 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0623 PM TSTM WND DMG PORTAGEVILLE 36.43N 89.70W
05/25/2011 PEMISCOT MO TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE LIMBS DOWN AND DAMAGE TO CARPORT.
&&
CDGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
625 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0625 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 6 N HUGHES 35.04N 90.47W
05/25/2011 ST. FRANCIS AR TRAINED SPOTTER
POSSIBLE TORNADO
&&
CDGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
631 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0617 PM HAIL 1 N LUCERNE 35.09N 90.55W
05/25/2011 E1.75 INCH ST. FRANCIS AR AMATEUR RADIO
&&
TLSJR/JAB/KSPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
635 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 2 W BLYTHEVILLE 35.93N 89.96W
05/25/2011 MISSISSIPPI AR TRAINED SPOTTER
POSSIBLE TORNADO
&&
CDGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
640 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 3 N NEUHARDT 35.10N 90.33W
05/25/2011 CRITTENDEN AR AMATEUR RADIO
FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR HWY 147
&&
TLSJR/JAB/KSPThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:51 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds caused roof damage at an apartment complex in Tiptonville. An outdoor carwash suffered major damage while several trees and power poles were knocked down.
Straight line winds knocked power lines down and caused minor roof damage to a home.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines at Summer Avenue and Raleigh Lagrange Road. A large tree was knocked down just north of Stage Road near Appling Road.
Straight line winds knocked multiple trees and power lines down in Halls. Several homes had minor roof damage.
Straight line winds caused minor damage to the roofs of several homes in Newbern.
Straight line winds caused a swath of damage from Troy to Union City. Multiple trees and power lines were knocked down. Some homes were damaged by fallen trees. One building was destroyed and multiple power lines were knocked down. A flag pole was broken and a business sign was damaged.
Straight line winds knocked down trees in Stanton.
Straight line winds knocked down power lines and small tree limbs in the Brownsville area.
Straight line winds knocked down a few power lines and large trees near the intersection of Highway 76 and Main Street in Somerville.
The ASOS at McKellar Field recorded a 58 mph gust.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines across Madison County.
The ASOS at McKellar Field recorded a 61 mph gust.
Straight line winds pealed a metal roof off a building in Toone.
Straight line winds caused damage to many houses and knocked down many trees and power lines in the Paris area. Some of the trees fell on homes causing additional damage. One home was destroyed and 34 homes suffered minor to major damage. One mobile had minor damage.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines across McNairy County. Communities most impacted were Adamsville, Selmer, Stantonville and Milledgeville. A few industrial buildings were damaged.
Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines across much of Hardin County. A house and two vehicles were damaged by fallen trees in the Shiloh area. Across the county a total of five homes suffered minor damage and a mobile home had major damage. One farm building was also destroyed. Areas most impacted besides Shiloh included Bruton Branch, Pickwick, Counce and Walnut Grove.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, 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: 318128, 318130, 318129, 318134, 318131, 318132, 318133, 318135, 318136, 318137, 318198, 318556, 318202, 318127, 318212, 318560, 318213, 318216, 319040, 318219, 318238, 318260.