Severe thunderstorms associated with a bow echo and separate Derecho caused widespread wind damage and a few marginally severe hail reports during the evening and overnight hours of May 27th. The storms severely impacted Shelby County.
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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.
Severe thunderstorms associated with a bow echo and separate Derecho caused widespread wind damage and a few marginally severe hail reports during the evening and overnight hours of May 27th. The storms severely impacted Shelby County. Winds downed over 480 trees across the county, with over 100 buildings damaged (many from falling trees). Over 180,000 people were without power. It took over a week for all power to be restored.
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 May 27, 5:53 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 653 PM CDT Sat May 27 2017 .DISCUSSION... Updated for aviation discussion && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 318 PM CDT Sat May 27 2017/ Skies remain partly cloudy over the forecast area this afternoon with temperatures in the 80s. A few thunderstorms have develop over extreme northern sections of the forecast area where a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 9 PM this evening. A cold front currently extends from southern Ohio across southern Illinois and into the Texas panhandle. The cold front will move slowly south tonight. More thunderstorms are expected to develop ahead of the front and move through the forecast area especially late tonight and into early Sunday morning. Severe thunderstorms are possible with large hail and damaging winds as the main threat. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible and an isolated tornado is not out of the question. Temperatures will remain warm tonight with lows Sunday morning in the upper 60s to lower 70s. On Sunday, the cold front will be moving toward the forecast area reaching east Arkansas in the afternoon. More thunderstorms are expected to form ahead of the front and move into the forecast area. Some of these thunderstorms may be severe with large hail and damaging winds as the main threats. Temperatures will be a little cooler than today with more clouds over the region as highs will be in the low to mid 80s. By Sunday night, the cold front will finally move through much of the forecast area with more thunderstorms expected. Temperatures will be a little cooler Sunday night with lows Monday morning mainly in the 60s. On Monday, the cold front will move out of the southern sections of the forecast area with thunderstorms limited to those areas. Temperatures will remain seasonable with highs in the low to mid 80s. By Monday night, the cold front will stall out across central Mississippi with a chance of thunderstorms over portions of north Mississippi. The remainder of the forecast period appears to remain somewhat unsettled as there will be some frontal boundary near or over the forecast area. This will mean that there will be some threat of thunderstorms from Tuesday through to next Saturday. It will not be raining all of the time but there will be at least some chance of thunderstorms during the extended periods of the forecast. Temperatures will remain close to normal levels for the period from Tuesday through next Saturday. ARS && .AVIATION... Very moist and unstable airmass in place across the Mid-South. Expect convection to the north of the region to eventually push south overnight arriving at KJBR around 02z...KMKL at 03z...KMEM at 04z and KTUP at 06z. IFR conds and strong winds gusts are likely. After the line moves through there will be a period of showers with some embedded thunder. MVFR cigs are likely during the morning and will eventually improve to VFR later in the day with scattered tsras possible as a cold front move through. Outside of thunderstorms expect SSW winds 7-10 kts overnight shifting to WSW on Sunday at 10-12 kts with occasional higher gusts. SJM && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 326 PM CDT Sat May 27 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>092-282230- 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- 326 PM CDT Sat May 27 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 Moderate Risk for severe thunderstorms north of a line from Harrisburg, Arkansas, to Lexington, Tennessee. There is an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms south of the Moderate risk and north of a line from Marvell, Arkansas to Savannah, Tennessee. The Enhanced Risk area includes the Memphis Metropolitan Area. The primary severe weather threat will be damaging winds, which may be widespread and significant. In addition, large hail and isolated tornadoes are also possible. The primary timing for severe weather will be later this evening and overnight. A Slight Risk for severe weather remains across the remainder of the area. Although not as widespread, the potential will exist for severe storms in these locations tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday There is a Slight Risk for Severe Thunderstorms across the entire Mid South on Sunday and Sunday night. The primary severe weather risks during this period will be damaging winds and large hail. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed today through Sunday night.
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:55 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines down in Obion County. especially along Highway 22 from Union City to Samburg. Trees are also down in Clayton and Woodland Mills.
Trees and power lines down.
Trees down county wide. Fifteen to twenty roads temporarily blocked.
Several trees down on roadways across Henry County, including Antioch, Rowe School road, and Old Paris Murray road.
Tree fell on vehicle on Highway 69A between Springville and Big Sandy.
Several large limbs as well as a large tree down. Winds estimated at 60+ mph.
Trees and power lines down across the county. Several roads blocked.
Several poles down along Double bridges road near Munford.
Several trees down and uprooted.
Tree down on trailer where one person was trapped for a short period of time and suffered minor injuries.
Tractor trailer overturned on the Hernando Desoto I-40 bridge.
Partial building collapse and gas leak at the 100 block of Harbor Circle on Mud Island just north of downtown Memphis.
Trees and power lines down across central and northern sections of Henderson County.
Large tree down on East Parkway near Sam Cooper Blvd.
Trees and power-lines down countywide. Several of them on cars. Many buildings damaged by falling trees. Over 180,000 people without power.
Dollar General Store at 2980 Summer Ave received 50 percent of roof collapse.
Sixty-nine mile per hour gust measured in downtown Memphis.
External warning siren destroyed at Bazemore Road and Forest Hill Irene.
Large satellite dish blown off of the roof of the Memphis office of Emergency Management.
Sixty-one mile per hour gust at Memphis International.
Tree down on a house in Highway 22 in Michie.
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, May 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: 696539, 696540, 696541, 696542, 696543, 696545, 696546, 696547, 696548, 699688, 696830, 696831, 696833, 696834, 696838, 696835, 696836, 696837, 699690, 696840, 699689, 696839, 696841, 698143.