Low pressure intensified as it moved northeast along a stationary front stretching from Southwest Arkansas into the Ohio Valley. Deep moisture surged north from the Gulf of Mexico resulting in a large area of heavy showers and thunderstorms moving into western sections of the Mid-South during the evening of January 12, 2013.
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.
Low pressure intensified as it moved northeast along a stationary front stretching from Southwest Arkansas into the Ohio Valley. Deep moisture surged north from the Gulf of Mexico resulting in a large area of heavy showers and thunderstorms moving into western sections of the Mid-South during the evening of January 12, 2013. The showers and thunderstorms spread slowly east across the remainder of the Mid-South in advance of a cold front through the afternoon of January 13, 2013. The system dropped up to five inches of rain in isolated locations. The heavy rainfall resulted in some flash flooding and areal flooding across parts of the Mid-South.
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 Jan 13, 5:35 AM CST, 4 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
535 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2013
.DISCUSSION...
UPDATED FOR 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 446 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2013/
DISCUSSION...
ANOTHER BUSY NIGHT ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH BOTH INSIDE AN OUTSIDE OF
THE WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE. HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE
ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND WEST TENNESSEE. FLOODING AND
CONVECTIVE STORM DAMAGE REPORTS HAVE BEEN SPARSE BUT WE MAY HEAR OF
A FEW ADDITIONAL REPORTS AFTER SUNRISE. SO FAR...ACCORDING TO
RADAR ESTIMATES...WE HAVE SEEN UP TO ABOUT 4.5 INCHES OF
RAIN...THE MOST IN THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...EXTREME NORTHWEST
TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...WITH GENERALLY 1-2 INCHES
ELSEWHERE. HOWEVER...THE FOCUS FOR HEAVIER RAIN IS NOW SHIFTING
INTO NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND THE REMAINDER OF WEST TENNESSEE. A
STRONG COLD FRONT HAS JUST MOVED THROUGH MEMPHIS RESULTING IN A 10
DEGREE TEMPERATURE DROP AND AN ABRUPT SHIFT TO NORTHWEST WINDS.
THIS FRONT...LOCATED FROM APPROXIMATELY PARIS TENNESSEE TO
STUTTGART ARKANSAS...IS ALSO THE DELINEATION ZONE FOR HEAVIER
RAINFALL. ADJUSTED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH ACCORDINGLY...BUT LEFT A
FEW COUNTIES ON THE WEST EDGE AS A BUFFER. ALSO EXTENDED THE
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE DAY TODAY.
THE FORECAST TONIGHT THROUGH MIDWEEK IS STILL VERY UNCERTAIN.
STILL FEEL LIKE THERE IS A MARGINAL SHOT AT SOME WINTRY
PRECIPITATION MONDAY MORNING AND A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE TUESDAY
MORNING. MOISTURE PROFILES LOOK VERY DRY ALONG THE WEST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER...BUT FARTHER EAST...MAINLY IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI
MOISTURE IS A BIT MORE PLENTIFUL. NAM FORECAST SOUNDINGS IN NORTH
MISSISSIPPI INDICATE SURFACE TEMPERATURES PLUS OR MINUS ONE DEGREE
OF FREEZING MONDAY AND TUESDAY MORNINGS. A DEEP WARM NOSE AS WARM
AS 42 DEGREES BETWEEN 700 AND 855 MB SHOULD BE PLENTY SUFFICIENT
TO MELT ANY FROZEN PRECIPITATION. SO MOST LIKELY...IF MOISTURE
REMAINS IN PLACE WE WILL SEE COLD RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN. THE KEY
TO THIS ENTIRE FORECAST IS MOISTURE...AND THE NAM IS THE WETTER
SOLUTION AMONG GUIDANCE. GIVEN YESTERDAYS RECORD WARM
TEMPERATURES...SOIL TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE WARM ENOUGH TO LIMIT
ANY SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION OF FREEZING RAIN...AND AS STATED
ABOVE...SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL NOT BE EXTREME ENOUGH FOR RAPID
FREEZING OF ANY RAINFALL. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL LIKELY BE ON
ELEVATED ROADWAYS SUCH AS BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. TEMPERATURES
SHOULD WARM SUFFICIENTLY EACH DAY TO MELT ANY ICE IF IT DOES
ACCUMULATE.
BRIEFLY...MIDWEEK THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK AND INTO
NEXT WEEKEND...CONDITIONS LOOK DRY AND COOL. TEMPERATURES WILL
TREND SLIGHTLY WARMER EACH DAY. HIGHS WILL APPROACH 60 DEGREES BY
SATURDAY WITH MORNING LOWS IN THE MIDDLE 30S.
&&
.AVIATION...
12Z TAF CYCLE
CURRENT VFR CEILINGS OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI WILL DROP TO MVFR
LEVELS LATER THIS MORNING AND THEN ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WILL
CONTINUE TO HAVE IFR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. VFR CEILINGS
SHOULD RETURN TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING WITH MORE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE
NORTH AT KTUP LATER THIS MORNING OTHERWISE NORTH WINDS WILL
PREVAIL AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE THIS
AFTERNOON.
ARS
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM 49 29 38 30 / 90 20 30 10
MKL 52 27 38 27 / 100 30 30 20
JBR 39 23 36 24 / 50 20 20 10
TUP 64 35 39 32 / 100 70 50 40
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR CRITTENDEN-LEE AR-
MISSISSIPPI-PHILLIPS-ST. FRANCIS.
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR PEMISCOT.
MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR COAHOMA-DESOTO-PANOLA-
QUITMAN-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TUNICA.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR ALCORN-BENTON MS-
CALHOUN-CHICKASAW-ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LEE MS-MARSHALL-MONROE-
PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-TIPPAH-TISHOMINGO-UNION-YALOBUSHA.
TN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR DYER-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-
OBION-SHELBY-TIPTON.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR CARROLL-CHESTER-
CROCKETT-DECATUR-FAYETTE-GIBSON-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-
HENDERSON-HENRY-MADISON-MCNAIRY-WEAKLEY.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 509 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2013 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-141315- 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- 509 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH MIDDAY TODAY FOR MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH WEST OF A LINE FROM UNION CITY TENNESSEE TO GLENDORA MISSISSIPPI...AND THROUGH THE DAY EAST OF THIS LINE. RAIN COULD SWITCH OVER TO FREEZING RAIN...OR SLEET OVER PORTIONS OF THE MID SOUTH...MAINLY SOUTH OF I-40 AND EAST OF I-55 LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY MONDAY. NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY RAIN COULD SWITCH OVER TO FREEZING RAIN...OR SLEET OVER PORTIONS OF THE MID SOUTH...MAINLY SOUTH OF I-40 AND EAST OF I-55 EARLY MONDAY AND AGAIN LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY. NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
924 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2013
TNZ054-055-092-131545-
DECATUR TN-HARDIN TN-HENDERSON TN-
924 AM CST SUN JAN 13 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 945 AM CST FOR...
DECATUR COUNTY IN TENNESSEE...
NORTHEASTERN HARDIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
SOUTHEASTERN HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING WINDS TO 50 MPH WAS LOCATED 8 MILES
SOUTH OF DECATURVILLE AT 924 AM CST...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN DECATUR...HARDIN AND HENDERSON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS
STORM CLOSELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3538 8801 3531 8801 3529 8797 3526 8797
3525 8823 3566 8830 3585 8805 3582 8802
3581 8796 3571 8803 3568 8801 3560 8802
3553 8797 3550 8797 3544 8804 3541 8796
TIME...MOT...LOC 1524Z 204DEG 33KT 3550 8809The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 flood, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain resulted in flash flooding across Decatur County. Thirteen roads were closed throughout the county.
Heavy rainfall produced flash flooding in Crockett County. Six inches of water covered Highway 152 and other roads throughout the county.
Heavy rain produced areal flooding over parts of Madison County. Christmasville Road was flooded.
Heavy rain produced areal flooding across much of Hardeman County. Thirty-seven roads were flooded at the high point of the event. A couple of roads were washed out including Murphy Lane, Newton Lane and Peavine Road. Some residents of Murphy Lane were stranded for several hours.
Heavy rain produced areal flooding across parts of Chester County. Several roads were closed due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, January 2013
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: 427412, 427414, 427441, 427417, 427439.