Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 8, 2012

Name: Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 8, 2012
Start: 2012-03-08T16:34
End: 2012-03-08T19:10
Location: Mississippi

March 8, 2012 · NWS MEG · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A slow moving cold front pushed across North Mississippi during the late afternoon and early evening of March 8, 2012. Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms developed along 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 slow moving cold front pushed across North Mississippi during the late afternoon and early evening of March 8, 2012. Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms developed along the front. Some of these thunderstorms were severe with damaging winds.

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 Mar 8, 3:30 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 8, 3:30 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
330 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012

.DISCUSSION...20Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A COLD FRONT FROM
SAVANNAH TENNESSEE BACK TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF ARKANSAS.
REGIONAL WSR-88D RADAR TRENDS HAVE SHOWN A MAJORITY IF NOT ALL OF
THE SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BEING LOCATED BEHIND THE COLD
FRONT AND ELEVATED IN NATURE DUE TO THE MOSTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY
SKIES AND SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY NEARLY NON-EXISTENT. SHORT
TERM HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL FOR LATE THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY
NEXT WEEK IS THE MAIN CHALLENGE IN THIS AFTERNOON/S FORECAST.

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)...A COLD FRONT WILL
CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND A FEW ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF I-40.
HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW WITH RESPECT TO FLOODING/FLASH
FLOODING DUE TO CONVECTIVE TRENDS THROUGHOUT TODAY.

SHORT TERM MODELS INDICATE SURFACE AND SHORTWAVE UPPER LEVEL
RIDGING WILL BRING RAIN FREE WEATHER ACROSS THE MID SOUTH FOR
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL MOVE
EAST SATURDAY NIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW AND AREA OF LOW PRESSURE
MOVE FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE MIDDLE/UPPER MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY FOR SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...BRINGING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS BACK TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. LATEST MODEL
RUNS INDICATE SOMEWHAT LESS RAINFALL POTENTIAL THAN PREVIOUS MODEL
RUNS. DUE TO LOWER CONFIDENCE WILL LET THE CURRENT HYDROLOGIC
OUTLOOK /ESF/ EXPIRE THIS AFTERNOON...AND LET EVENING/MIDNIGHT
SHIFTS REASSESS FLOODING/FLASH FLOODING POTENTIAL FOR LATE THIS
WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AFTER THE 00Z MODEL RUN ARRIVES.

.LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...12Z GFS/ECMWF LONG TERM
MODELS INDICATE A SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY
ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH EARLY TO MIDDLE OF
NEXT WEEK. THUS...HAVE CARRIED LOW END POPS AND MAY NEED TO RAISE
UPWARD ACCORDINGLY IF THIS SCENARIO UNFOLDS.

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF CYCLE

A COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. IT HAS ALREADY PASSED THROUGH
JBR AND SHOULD MOVE THROUGH MEM AND MKL AROUND 19-20Z. WINDS WILL
SHIFT ABRUPTLY WITH ITS PASSAGE...FROM THE NORTH AROUND 15 KNOTS
WITH GUSTS TO 25-30. HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY
THE FRONT...LIKELY PRECEDING IT BY AN HOUR OR SO. STEADY RAIN
AND POSSIBLY THUNDER WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AFTER ITS
PASSAGE. VISIBILITY WILL LIKELY BE REDUCED AS LOW AS 1SM AT TIMES
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE HEAVIEST STORMS. CIGS WILL FALL BELOW 1000
FEET AS THE FRONT PASSES...THEN GRADUALLY RISE STARTING 2-3 HOURS
AFTER PASSAGE. FROPA NEAR TUP AROUND 01Z.

NORTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW. CIGS WILL
IMPROVE AFTER MIDNIGHT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM  40  56  38  66 / 100  20   0  10
MKL  39  57  32  66 /  90  10   0   0
JBR  39  57  36  59 /  90  10   0  10
TUP  44  56  35  67 / 100  40  10   0

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
MO...NONE.
MS...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 8, 3:31 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
331 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-091145-
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-
331 PM CST THU MAR 8 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tallahatchie

When: March 8, 4:34 PM CST to 4:50 PM CST
Where: Tallahatchie County, 1.71 mi E of Cowart to 7.05 mi E of Charleston
Measured: 78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 33.979, -90.140

Straight line winds caused extensive damage across much of Tallahatchie County. Trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. About four miles west of Charleston, on Blue Cain Road, six mobile homes were shifted off their foundations with some receiving extensive roof damage. The two injuries occurred in this area. Further east a metal garage was extensively damaged at the intersection of Tatum Pond Road and Highway 32. A couple of mobile homes experienced roof damaged further south on Tatum Pond Road. In total eight homes were uninhabitable and two facilities were damaged which hindered the delivery of public services.

Thunderstorm Wind, Yalobusha

When: March 8, 4:50 PM CST to 5:20 PM CST
Where: Yalobusha County, 1.71 mi NNW of Hillatoba to 3.47 mi S of Pine Vly
Measured: 87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.004, -89.927

Straight line winds caused extensive damage across Yalobusha County. Trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. Several travel trailers and 18 wheelers were overturned. The most extensive damage was in Tillatoba where an automotive repair shop suffered major metal roof damage and wall failure at the rear of the building. A home lost most of its roof while a few mobile homes and outbuildings suffered roof damage. One small mobile home was rolled on its side. In addition a car was struck by a tree and power poles were snapped in half.

Thunderstorm Wind, Calhoun

When: March 8, 5:20 PM CST to 5:50 PM CST
Where: Calhoun County, 5.1 mi NNW of Pittman to 5.28 mi NE of Reid
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.020, -89.508

Straight line winds knocked down trees and power lines across Northern Calhoun County. Bruce, Banner and Sarepta were hardest hit. One house suffered major roof damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lafayette

When: March 8, 5:26 PM CST to 5:31 PM CST
Where: Lafayette County, 0.19 mi NNE of Tula to 0.89 mi E of Tula
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.233, -89.369

Straight line winds damaged a structure in Tula.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chickasaw

When: March 8, 5:50 PM CST to 6:20 PM CST
Where: Chickasaw County, 7.01 mi WNW of Houlka to 1.73 mi E of Okolona
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.057, -89.138

Straight line winds knocked down trees across Northern Chickasaw County. Numerous trees fell across Highway 32 in both Van Vleet and Okolona. Multiple cars struck fallen trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: March 8, 6:20 PM CST to 7:10 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, 6.1 mi WNW of New Wren to 1.15 mi ENE of Gattman
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.001, -88.720

Straight line winds knocked down trees across Northern Monroe County.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Mississippi in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Mississippi, March 2012

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: 370023, 370030, 370667, 370670, 370668, 370669.