Supercells in northern Mississippi and western Tennessee transitioned into a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) which progressed eastward into southern middle Tennessee. The storms produced a few bow echoes and meso-vortices, one which resulted in wind damage in Lincoln County in the Fayetteville community.
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 HUN wrote it up.
Supercells in northern Mississippi and western Tennessee transitioned into a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) which progressed eastward into southern middle Tennessee. The storms produced a few bow echoes and meso-vortices, one which resulted in wind damage in Lincoln County in the Fayetteville community. As the storms progressed eastward, the gust front began to outrun the storms, still producing gusty and at times damaging winds.
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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 25, 8:32 PM CST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 932 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011 .UPDATE...MESOSCALE UPDATE #2. && .MESOSCALE UPDATE...TORNADO WATCH #376 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NW AL UNTIL 09Z. CURRENTLY MONITORING TWO DISCRETE HP SUPERCELLS ACROSS NRN MS...ONE NEAR OXFORD AND ANOTHER NEAR OAKLAND. THE FORMER REPORTEDLY PRODUCED A TORNADO NEAR BATESVILLE WITHIN THE LAST HOUR. 00Z RAOBS FROM KOHX/KBMX SHOWED A SMALL LID REMAINING EAST OF THIS CURRENT CONVECTION BUT CURRENT THINKING IS THAT COMBINATION OF SYNOPTIC AND MESOSCALE FORCING SHOULD HELP SUSTAIN CONVECTION AS IT ADVANCES EWD OVER THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS. MLCAPE REMAINS FAIRLY ROBUST...ESPECIALLY WEST OF I-65 WITH VALUES AOA 1.5 KJ/KG. IN ADDITION...00Z RUC/NAM BOTH PROG A NARROW WEDGE OF INSTABILITY HOLDING STRONG AHEAD OF THIS LINE THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS WHERE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE NEAR DRY ADIABATIC. 0-1KM SRH VALUES AOA 250 M2/S2 WERE ALSO NOTED IN THE WATCH AREA. OVERALL...THINKING HAS NOT CHANGED VERY MUCH WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF DISCRETE CELLS/HPS SLOWLY MORPHING INTO A LINEAR COMPLEX AS THEY ADVANCE EWD AFTER ROUGHLY 05-07Z. EVENTUALLY THEY WILL BE ENCOUNTERING SOMEWHAT DRIER LOW LEVEL/BLYR AIRMASS ACROSS NE AL/NW GA. && .PREV MESOSCALE UPDATE... /ISSUED 700 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011/ MESOSCALE UPDATE...LATEST SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS A MODIFIED DRYLINE THROUGH CENTRAL MO/AR SWD TO THE PINEY WOODS OF TEXAS. STRONG SRLY FLOW ACROSS THE MS/TN VLY REGION EARLY THIS EVENING WITH TEMPS IN THE MID 80S. A VERY DISCERNIBLE DWPT GRADIENT/BOUNDARY ACROSS THE HUN CWA WITH M/U 60S ACROSS THE NW AND MID 50S IN THE NE. CONVECTIVE LID HAS HELD FOR MUCH OF THE DAY WITH LITTLE SYNOPTIC OR MESOSCALE FORCING IN PLACE. HOWEVER...ISOLD CELLS HAVE FIRED ACROSS NE MS/SOUTH CENTRAL TN IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES. THE BIG SHOW IS TO THE WEST ALONG THE MS RIVER WITH A NEAR SOLID LINE OF ROTATING SUPERCELLS. MESOANALYSIS SHOWS A WELL DEFINED TONGUE OF INSTABILITY ACROSS NRN MS INTO NW/NORTH CENTRAL AL WITH SBCAPE AOA 2.5 KJ/KG. SHEAR ALSO CONTINUES TO INCREASE MODESTLY AS UPPER WAVE EJECTS EWD. SWEET SPOT OF SHEAR/INSTABILITY IS CURRENTLY ACROSS WEST TN/NRN MS (NOTE...SIG TOR VALUES AOA 5) THOUGH NWRN AL IS STARTING TO GET IN ON THE ACTION WITH 0-1KM SRH APPROACHING 150 M2/S2. THESE VALUES DROP OFF WITH A SIGNIFICANT GRADIENT AS YOU MOVE EWD. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT WRN 1/3 OF THE CWA IS REALLY UNDER THE GUN LATER THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT FOR ROTATING/POTENTIALLY TORNADIC SUPERCELLS. THE "LINE" OF ROTATING STORMS MAY EVENTUALLY MORPH INTO A QLCS AS 0-6KM BULK SHEAR DROPS OFF SLIGHTLY AND FORCING BECOMES MORE LINEAR. UNDER THIS SCENARIO...WILL STILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR EMBEDDED MESOS/VORTICES WITH WIND BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE ALSO QUITE EXTREME DUE TO ELEVATED MIXED LAYER ADVECTING EWD WITH TIME. THIS WILL BRING A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL. IN SHORT...FOLKS NEED TO BE WX ALERT OVERNIGHT. WILL MAKE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS/UPDATES TO FORECAST/GRIDS BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS. HAVE ALREADY UPDATED THE HWO BASED ON RADAR TRENDS AND LATEST HRRR/RUC TRENDS. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA. HOWEVER...SCT STRONG/SEVERE CONVECTION WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT AS SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY DEVELOPS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. STORMS MAY BE QUITE ROBUST...ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 03Z AND 07Z AND WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS TIME PERIOD SPECIFICALLY IN THE TAF ISSUANCE. OTRW...WILL INCLUDE ONLY VCSH/VCTS FOR LATER TIME PERIODS FOR NOW GIVEN UNCERTAINTY ABOUT DEVELOPMENT. A PERIOD OF LOW CLOUDS (MVFR CIGS) APPEARS LIKELY EARLY THURSDAY WITH ANOTHER DAY OF GUSTY SRLY/SWRLY WINDS. WILL NOT BE SHOCKED TO SEE SCT CONVECTION AGAIN ON THU AFTN...AND THIS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED FOR LATER TAF ISSUANCES. && .DISCUSSION.../ISSUED 319 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011/ TEMPS ARND THE CWA WERE IN THE MID/UPPER 80S WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW/MID 60S. SFC LOW HAS MOVED INTO NW MO WITH CDFNT ACROSS WRN AR AND WARM FRONT THRU THE OHIO VALLEY. ATTM THE CLOSEST SHRA/TSRA ACTIVITY WAS OVER AR/MO. CAN'T RULE OUT AN ISOLATED SHRA/TSRA THIS AFTN ESPECIALLY OVER NW AL BUT THE BEST TIMING OF PCPN WILL BE TONIGHT. THIS IS WHERE NAM AND GFS DIFFER ON TIMING. WILL GO WITH A BLEND AND BRING IN THE SHRA/TSRA ARND 9 PM OVER NW AL. NW AL ALSO HAS THE BEST CHC OF SEEING SVR WX THIS EVENING AND INTO THE EARLY MRNG HOURS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS/HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. THINKING THAT THE STORMS MAY WEAKEN AFTER 4 AM OR 5 AM EARLY THURSDAY MRNG AS THEY MOVE EAST. HOWEVER THE THREAT OF SHRA/TSRA WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY MRNG AND INTO THE AFTN...WITH THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS/HAIL. ATTM THINK THAT THE TORNADO THREAT SHOULD BE LESS ON THURSDAY. DEPENDING ON CLOUD COVER/PCPN THE SVR THREAT MAY BE LOW ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA (MAINLY WEST OF I65) ON THURSDAY. BY THE LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING COULD HAVE ENOUGH DAYTIME HEATING TO KICK OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS...SOME WHICH MAY BE STRONG/SVR WITH MAINLY DAMAGING WINDS/HAIL. ATTM WILL GO WITH 10 PM THURSDAY EVENING FOR THE ENDING TIME OF THE PCPN (OVER NERN AL) AS THE CDFNT PUSHES ACROSS THE AREA. FRIDAY WILL BE A LITTLE COOLER AND LESS HUMID. NAM DOES SHOW A WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCE ON SATURDAY MRNG/AFTN...FOR NOW WILL GO WITH A LOW POP FOR SHRA/TSRA ACROSS THE AREA. OTHERWISE A RIDGE WILL DOMINATE THE WX PATTERN THRU THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH HOT WX AND LITTLE OR NO PCPN. GFS SHOWS A CDFNT APPROACHING THE TN VALLEY BY WEDNESDAY...THUS WILL KEEP A LOW POP IN FOR NOW. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && DISCUSSION...15
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 915 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-261100- LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN- MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN- 915 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... AS OF MID EVENING...CLUSTERS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM WESTERN TENNESSEE INTO CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. THESE STORMS WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD AND IMPACT PORTIONS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. CURRENT TIMING WOULD PLACE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS INTO NORTHWEST ALABAMA AFTER 10 PM...NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA AFTER MIDNIGHT AND INTO NORTHEAST ALABAMA AFTER 2 AM. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND TORNADOES EXISTS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA... MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. HOWEVER...RESIDENTS OF THE ENTIRE TENNESSEE VALLEY SHOULD REMAIN WEATHER ALERT OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA ONCE AGAIN ON THURSDAY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE...BUT THE STRENGTH OF ANY NEW STORM ACTIVITY WILL DEPEND ON THE LINGERING EFFECTS FROM CONVECTION EARLY THURSDAY. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL END THURSDAY EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS LIKELY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...MAINLY ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE AREA FROM LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. BCC/DJN/CBD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1132 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1124 PM TSTM WND DMG TUSCUMBIA 34.73N 87.71W
05/25/2011 COLBERT AL EMERGENCY MNGR
WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE IS BEING REPORTED ALL ACROSS
COLBERT COUNTY. LARGE TREES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DOWN ON
CARS AND HOUSES AND ARE BLOCKING ROADWAYS. WIDESPREAD
POWER OUTAGES ARE ALSO OCCURRING.
&&
CDARDENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1138 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1117 PM TSTM WND GST MUSCLE SHOALS 34.74N 87.67W
05/25/2011 M67 MPH COLBERT AL ASOS
MEASURED GUST TO 67 MPH.
&&
CDARDENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1139 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1114 PM TSTM WND DMG FLORENCE 34.80N 87.68W
05/25/2011 LAUDERDALE AL BROADCAST MEDIA
WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES
DOWN THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
&&
CDARDENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1145 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1143 PM TROPICAL STORM TOWN CREEK 34.68N 87.41W
05/25/2011 LAWRENCE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN AND POWER OUTAGES.
1143 PM TSTM WND DMG HATTON 34.56N 87.41W
05/25/2011 LAWRENCE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN AND WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. TREE ON A MOBILE
HOME AT THE INTERSECTION OF 798 AND CR 235.
&&
CDARDENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1148 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1142 PM TSTM WND DMG ANDERSON 34.93N 87.27W
05/25/2011 LAUDERDALE AL AMATEUR RADIO
UNKNOWN DAMAGE REPORTED IN ANDERSON. SPOTTER REPORTED
HEARING A ROAR.
&&
CDARDENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1149 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1147 PM TSTM WND DMG ELGIN 34.85N 87.39W
05/25/2011 LAUDERDALE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE TO A MOBILE HOME.
&&
CDARDENThe Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:16 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds knocked many trees down and produced structural damage to buildings in the Fayetteville area.
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: 321006.