A thunderstorm over portions of southwest Tennessee generated an indirect lightning death during the afternoon hours of June 30th.
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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 thunderstorm over portions of southwest Tennessee generated an indirect lightning death during the afternoon hours of June 30th.
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 Jun 30, 11:34 AM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 1234 PM CDT Fri Jun 30 2017 .UPDATE...Aviation Discussion. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 925 AM CDT Fri Jun 30 2017/ Not much change to the forecast this morning other than raising PoPs in the northern half of the area. WSR-88d trends and short term model suggest a chance of showers and storms will continue through the early afternoon hours with the remnants of an MCS and gradual daytime heating supporting scattered storm coverage. WLC PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 308 AM CDT Fri Jun 30 2017/ DISCUSSION... A mid level trough remains stretched from the Central Gulf Coast northeastward into the Southeast early this morning. This feature and the deep moisture associated with it will move east today, but not before increasing morning coverage of showers and thunderstorms over portions of northeast Mississippi. This activity should move east later today with only isolated coverage this afternoon. Meanwhile, a more significant mid and upper level shortwave trough now over the Northern Plains will gradually move southeast today through the weekend. A line of showers and thunderstorms have formed in advance of this feature over eastern portions of the Southern Plains early this morning. This line of storms should move southeast this morning towards the Mid South. Much of the forecast guidance suggests that this activity should outrun the upper level support later this morning and weaken/diminish in coverage as it advances into western portions of the forecast area later today. The atmosphere will be unstable today in advance of this system therefore it complicates the overall forecast regarding whether convection will continue and feed off of the available thermodynamic instability. Plan to carry higher pops across the northwest today, gradually lowering further east. SBCAPE values greater than 2500 j/kg along with steepening mid level lapse rates around 8 C/KM may support a few severe storms later today, especially across northeast Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. The main threats with any storms that become severe will be damaging winds and large hail. Again, there remains uncertainty regarding overall coverage. Storm coverage should increase tonight as the mid/upper level troughing pushes into the region. The greatest coverage should remain along and north of Interstate 40 overnight. Ample instability and steep mid level lapse rates should support a continued severe weather threat overnight. The threats for damaging winds and large hail will exist. Storms, or remaining convective outflow should push into north Mississippi by early Saturday morning with a weak cold front lagging behind across northwest portions of the area. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will continue into Saturday mainly along and south of Interstate 40, focused closer to any residual outflow boundary. There may be additional development along the actual front further north during the day as well. The front should stall out over the Mid South through the remainder of the weekend and into the first part of next week. Northwesterly flow aloft should become established over the region through much of next week with a series of upper level disturbances moving across the area in the flow aloft. These disturbances combined with a continued moist and unstable atmosphere in place should support continued chances for showers and thunderstorms through the remainder of the forecast period. An upper level low will cut off over the Middle Mississippi Valley by mid week and slowly migrate east southeast through the end of the week. This may tend to increase coverage of convection through the middle to end of next week. Temperatures through the period should remain near or slightly below normal with continued humid weather conditions. JLH && .AVIATION...18Z TAFs A narrow line of showers/weak thunderstorms are currently impacting JBR and will sweep across the remainder of the Midsouth this afternoon. Added 1 or 2 hr TEMPO groups for TSRA at MEM, JBR and TUP based on radar timing. Otherwise VCSH should cover conditions well until another round moves in late tonight. Expect the second round of thunderstorms between 05z and 12z. May need to add prevailing rain or thunderstorms a some point, but for now will just introduced VCTS. Winds will be Southwesterly around 10 kt this afternoon, shifting more Northwesterly later tonight as the second round of storms arrives. Widespread low stratus is not expected tonight. 30 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 1137 AM CDT Fri Jun 30 2017 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-011845- Alcorn-Benton MS-Benton TN-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- 1137 AM CDT Fri Jun 30 2017 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas... the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight There is a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms across northeast Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel, west Tennessee, and northwest Mississippi this afternoon and evening. The primary severe weather risks will be damaging winds and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday There is a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms over the Mid South on Saturday. The severe weather risks remain localized damaging winds and large hail. Additional storm chances are expected through the remainder of the weekend through the middle of next week. Severe storm potential during this period will remain isolated and localized. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed today through Saturday.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 16 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:31 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning strike at a residence caused a fire which resulted in one fatality.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Shelby | 2017-06-30 | Female | Permanent Home | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, June 2017
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: 700794.