A strong upper level disturbance interacted with a very warm and humid air mass in place across the region allowing severe thunderstorms to develop during the early morning, and again during the afternoon and evening of the 13th. Damage due to strong winds and hail occurred as a result of these storms.
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.
A strong upper level disturbance interacted with a very warm and humid air mass in place across the region allowing severe thunderstorms to develop during the early morning, and again during the afternoon and evening of the 13th. Damage due to strong winds and hail occurred as a result of these storms.
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 Aug 13, 2:50 AM CST, 4 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 350 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ...FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE NORTH TODAY... .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...AFTER A RATHER DRY WEEKEND...RAIN CHANCES RETURN TODAY. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY/RUC ANALYSIS SHOWS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS THAT WILL SWING EAST ACROSS THE MS VALLEY AND TO THE OH/TN VALLEYS TODAY. THIS TROUGH WILL SUPPORT A SURFACE LOW NOTED OVER MISSOURI EARLY THIS MORNING THAT WILL TRACK TO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION BY TUESDAY MORNING. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH OUR NW ZONES BY THIS EVENING AND SLOWLY MOVE ACROSS OUR CWA TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. WAA AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL INCREASE OVER OUR AREA TODAY AND BRING AN INCREASE OF DEEP MOISTURE BACK ACROSS OUR WHOLE CWA. A RATHER DRY AIRMASS WITH MID 60 DEW POINTS AND A PW BELOW AN INCH AND A HALF STILL RESIDED OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF OUR CWA EARLY THIS MORNING. BY AFTERNOON LOWER 70 DEW POINTS AND A PW CLOSER TO TWO INCHES IS EXPECTED TO BE BACK ACROSS THE CWA. LOCAL RADARS ALREADY SHOW SOME CONVECTION OVER OUR NW ZONES. HIRES MODELS INDICATE THIS ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY DISSIPATE THIS MORNING ALONG THE HIGHWAY 82 CORRIDOR AND ALLOW FOR HEATING BY AFTN. HIGHS WILL BE NEAR NORMAL IN THE LOWER 90S TODAY. THIS HEATING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO MLCAPES OF 2000-2500J/KG...6.5C MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND VERTICAL TOTALS NEAR 27C OVER OUR DELTA REGION AHEAD OF THE FRONT. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING MAINLY OVER THE DELTA REGION BUT ALSO ALONG THE HIGHWAY 82 CORRIDOR AND AS FAR SOUTH AS INTERSTATE 20. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN RISK WITH NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL SECONDARY. THERE WILL BE A NOTED DECREASE IN CONVECTION WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING AND THE EASTWARD SHIFT OF THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS BUT...ACTIVITY WILL BE POSSIBLE THOUGH THE NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT DRIFTS SOUTH THROUGH THE CWA. THE GFS IS FARTHEST SOUTH WITH THE FRONT TUESDAY AFTERNOON...BUT THE FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED TO STALL NEAR THE I-20 CORRIDOR BY TUESDAY EVENING. DAYTIME HEATING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPMENT OF STORMS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY TUESDAY. A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT LEAST ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST MOST ZONES TUESDAY AFTERNOON. NW FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN ACROSS OUR AREA THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. MODELS INDICATE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE IN THE FLOW ALOFT AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION ALONG THE STALLED BOUNDARY UPSTREAM OF OUR CWA. WL CARRY GFS MOS POPS FOR NOW AS THE CONVECTION LOOKS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL WEDNESDAY. /22/ .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH NEXT MONDAY...PERIODS OF SHOWERS/TSTORMS EXPECTED WITH ACTIVITY LINGERING INTO PORTIONS OF THE OVERNIGHTS DURING THE LONG TERM. RAIN/TSTORM CHANCES GO UP FRIDAY AS AN APPROACHING COOL FRONT IMPACTS THE REGION. GOOD AGREEMENT AMONGST THE NWP SUITE THIS MORNING WITH LONG TERM CHARACTERIZED BY ERN CONUS TROUGHING /WITH SUBTLE EMBEDDED S/WV'S ACROSS LOWER MS VALLEY/ THAT WILL AID IN EXTENDING DIURNAL SHOWER/TSTORM ACTIVITY INTO OVRNGT HOURS. WEDNESDAY WILL BE A RECOVERY DAY AS SLY MOISTURE RETURN INFILTRATES NORTH ACROSS SW/W ZONES WHERE GREATEST POPS HAVE BEEN PLACED. ENHANCED ZONAL TO WNW FLOW WED INTO THURS ALONG WITH AN PROGGED EMBEDDED S/WV WILL ALLOW FOR SOME DIURNAL ACTIVITY (ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK WARM FRONT MOVING NORTH) TO LINGER OVRNGT. AN ACTIVE SEA-BREEZE LOOKS ON TAP FOR THURS WITH PULSE AIRMASS TSTORMS EXPECTED DURING AFTN ACROSS THE REST OF THE REGION WITH SOME PSBL ENHANCEMENT OF STRENGTH/ LONGEVITY FROM A PROGGED S/WV PER GFS/EC. PWATS OF 1.8-2.0" WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS ENTIRE REGION BY FRIDAY AS SFC LOW ACROSS OHIO RIVER VALLEY CREATES STRONG SLY FLOW. ATTENDANT COOL FRONT WILL APPROACH REGION BY FRI AFTN-FRI NGT, ALLOWING FOR GREATEST COVERAGE OF SHOWERS/TSTORMS OF THE PERIOD. LAPSE RATES/SHEAR/WIND FLOW APPEAR LOW AT THIS TIME FOR ANY ORGANIZED SEVERE RISK AND WILL KEEP LONG-TERM HWO CLEAR. TEMPS SHOULD BE COOLER FRI/SAT GIVEN GREATER CLOUD/RAIN COVERAGE WITH HIGHS IN UPPER 80S. DEPENDING OF COVERAGE, SOME AREAS MAY ONLY MAKE IT LOW TO MID 80S, WHICH WOULD BE 3-7F BELOW AVERAGE FOR MID AUGUST. EXPECT RAIN/TSTORMS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVRNGT FRI INTO SAT AS FRONT SLOWLY SHIFTS SOUTH TOWARDS HWY-82/I-20 CORRIDOR. GFS NOT AS BULLISH IN BRINGING THE FRONT ALL THE WAY THROUGH WITH EC AGREEING. HAVE UPPED/EXTENDED POPS FORWARD IN TIME FOR SAT. ISO/SCT ACTIVITY COULD BE PSBL ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-20 SAT/SUN AFTNS BUT OVERALL PWATS COULD BE REDUCED TO 1.5-1.7" RANGE. MODELS DIVERGE SUN/MON WITH EC BEING MORE AMPLIFIED WITH ANOTHER S/WV TROUGH DROPPING DOWN ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE ERN CONUS L/WV TROUGH AND PUSHES THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT THROUGH BY MON/MON NGT. NOT HIGHLY CONFIDENT ON THIS SOLUTION AND PLACE MORE WEIGHT TOWARDS GFS TO AND WAIT FOR A SOLID TREND. FOR FORECAST ELEMENTS...MAV POPS WERE UPPED 10-20% FRIDAY AND EXTENDING FORWARD IN TIME INTO SAT MRNG WITH THE SLOWER/NEARLY STALLING FRONT. LOWS WERE TWEAKED UPWARD AS DEWPOINTS INCREASE WHILE UNDER BLANKET OF NOCTURNAL CLOUDS. MEXMOS HIGHS WERE GENERALLY ACCEPTED WITH SOME MINOR TWEAKS DOWN ON FRIDAY. /ALLEN/ && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WERE BEING OBSERVED AT ALL TAF SITES THROUGH 08Z AND VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THIS MORNING. PATCHY AREAS OF EARLY MORNING MVFR CATEGORY FOG WL BE POSSIBLE THOUGH...SE AT MEI AND HBG. AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY AND SUPPORT A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE NEAR GLH BY 03Z TUE. THE RISK FOR TSTMS WILL INCREASE TODAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT...DURING THE MORNING AT GLH/GWO AND MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON FOR JAN/GTR/MEI/HBG. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT SLOWLY DROPS INTO THE AREA. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE AREA BY 18Z TUE AND STALL ACROSS THE SOUTH BY 00Z WED. /22/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... JACKSON 92 72 90 70 / 53 31 21 9 MERIDIAN 92 72 91 69 / 52 51 45 12 VICKSBURG 92 70 90 68 / 50 26 17 6 HATTIESBURG 94 75 93 71 / 37 34 49 13 NATCHEZ 91 73 89 70 / 44 26 20 7 GREENVILLE 93 69 88 68 / 60 26 8 8 GREENWOOD 92 70 88 66 / 60 28 11 10 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...NONE. LA...NONE. AR...NONE. && 22/ALLEN/22
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 514 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-MSZ018-019-025>050-141015- ASHLEY-CHICOT-MOREHOUSE-WEST CARROLL-EAST CARROLL-RICHLAND- MADISON LA-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- 514 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING IN THE DELTA AND THEN AGAIN GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH AND NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZED HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE STORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE AND APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN IN INTENSITY AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 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 SUNDAY. LAZ023>026-MSZ051>066-072>074-141015- FRANKLIN LA-CATAHOULA-TENSAS-CONCORDIA-NEWTON-LAUDERDALE- CLAIBORNE-COPIAH-SIMPSON-SMITH-JASPER-CLARKE-JEFFERSON-ADAMS- FRANKLIN MS-LINCOLN-LAWRENCE-JEFFERSON DAVIS-COVINGTON-JONES- MARION-LAMAR-FORREST- 514 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE COLD FRONT THAT IS EXPECTED TO STALL JUST SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR. .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 SUNDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. 22
MSZ018-019-131310-
SUNFLOWER MS-BOLIVAR MS-
712 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
712 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 40 TO 50 MPH
WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 26 MILES NORTH OF DEESON TO 19 MILES NORTHWEST
OF GUNNISON AT 712 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN BOLIVAR AND NORTHEASTERN SUNFLOWER COUNTIES SHOULD
MONITOR THESE STORMS CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3399 9065 3398 9044 3381 9044 3382 9106
3387 9108 3393 9102 3397 9110 3400 9101
3396 9098 3402 9099 3403 9090 3409 9088
3409 9092 3412 9096 3412 9095 3413 9066
TIME...MOT...LOC 1212Z 287DEG 32KT 3439 9092 3408 9121
MMEMSZ025-131355-
LEFLORE MS-
825 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
825 AM CDT MON AUG 13 2012
A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN
WAS LOCATED FROM 19 MILES NORTHWEST OF MINTER CITY TO 16 MILES WEST
OF SUNNYSIDE AT 825 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
HIGH WINDS CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND LARGE LIMBS RESULTING IN SERIOUS
INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN OUTDOORS
DURING SUCH STRONG WINDS...AND BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF OLDER TREES.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN LEFLORE COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THESE STORMS
CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3378 9017 3376 9019 3375 9028 3372 9031
3370 9027 3374 9024 3373 9021 3372 9013
3368 9013 3366 9011 3356 9011 3358 9045
3381 9045 3382 9020
TIME...MOT...LOC 1325Z 272DEG 26KT 3396 9050 3364 9056
MRMThe Jackson/Brandon,MS radar (KDGX), 170 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:33 UTC.
20 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down on north Bowden Avenue, and a large limb was blown down at the hospital.
A tree was blown down on Holcomb-Sweethome Road.
Several large limbs over three inches in diameter down across the area.
Nickel to quarter size hail fell along Lombardy Road. Several large pecan limbs were knocked down by the hail.
Many tree limbs were knocked down throughout town.
Quarter to golf ball size hail fell along Hoard Lake Road. Several large limbs were blown down in the area as well.
A tree was blown down on Highway 7 between Avalon and Holcomb.
A power line was blown down onto a home.
A tree was blown down across Old Highway 8 in the community of Dockery. A large limb was blown out of a tree in Ruleville knocking out power to the home after falling on power lines.
Dime to quarter size hail fell in Linn.
A large tree was blown down on Highway 442 near Schlater. Power outages occurred in Itta Bena.
Trees were blown down on Lodi Road near Winona.
Trees were blown down on Highway 35 near Vaiden. Power outages occurred in Vaiden.
A tree was blown down on Highway 49 between Indianola and Sunflower.
Quarter to ping pong ball size hail fell between Winona and Kilmichael.
A few trees and power lines were blown down along Vaiden Kilmichael Road.
Quarter size hail fell near Moorehead.
Quarter size hail fell just southwest of Kilmichael.
Trees were blown down along Highway 413.
Trees were blown down on Cummings Road and South Union Road.
A tree and a power line were blown down at Highway 12 and Jackson Street. Power lines were blown down at north Jackson Street and east Adams Street, and Stewart Street and east North Street. A tree was blown down on Highway 43 South.
Trees were blown down along Highway 43 North.
A tree was blown down at Highway 429 and Natchez Trace Parkway. Another tree was blown down at Conway Road and Highway 429.
Trees were blown down on Highway 17 and Sweet Wright Road.
Trees were blown down at Highway 487 and Highway 500 in Tuscola.
Trees were blown down along Highway 492.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, August 2012
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: 398514, 398517, 398519, 398523, 398526, 398529, 398531, 398534, 398535, 398537, 398539, 398540, 398542, 398544, 398610, 398611, 398612, 398613, 398615, 398616, 398619, 398620, 398621, 398623, 398625, 398787.