A potent late fall storm system generated several severe thunderstorms and a couple of tornadoes across North Mississippi during the late evening hours of November 5th.
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.
A potent late fall storm system generated several severe thunderstorms and a couple of tornadoes across North Mississippi during the late evening hours of November 5th.
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 Nov 5, 8:04 PM CST, 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 804 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 .DISCUSSION... Skies are mostly cloudy over much of the forecast area this evening with temperatures from the mid 50s to around 70 degrees. The cold front has moved into east Arkansas and will cross the Mississippi River in an hour or so. Severe thunderstorms have begun to form ahead of the front and a Tornado Watch is in effect until 3 AM CST. Behind the front, rain has ended and skies have begun to clear out. Will update forecast to remove pops behind the front. ARS && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 225 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018/ DISCUSSION... Focus is on severe weather. The CAPE is relatively low, but the shear is high. Helicity values are strong with the best overlap of CAPE/Shear over north Mississippi. This area of concern develops rapidly mainly after 00Z. Eventually a line of storms will develop with embedded supercells. Obvious concerns are with damaging winds and tornadoes. This threat has been messaged extensively and highlighted with an enhanced risk. Area of severe weather moves rapidly through the area exiting CWA by 08Z. The overall flow remains fairly progressive over the rest of the forecast period with deepening polar airmasses across the region. By the weekend high pressure settles in and by Saturday morning widespread frost/freezing conditions are looking more likely. Belles AVIATION... 00z TAF Cycle Low ceilings ahead of a cold front will keep conditions MVFR to IFR for much of the evening and into the overnight. TSRA will prevail, reducing visibility. Southerly winds will be gusty with these storms at all terminals, potentially gusting to near 30 knots at times. Conditions will gradually improve overnight as the front clears the region, reducing winds which will become more northwesterly. Have handled primary thunderstorm activity at all terminals with TEMPO. VFR conditions return everywhere by early Tuesday morning, prevailing to the end of the period. ZDM && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 150 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-061115- 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-Lee AR-Lee MS- Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-Panola-Pemiscot- Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-Shelby-St. Francis- Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley- Yalobusha- 150 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas... the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Severe thunderstorms are forecast late this afternoon into tonight. The main threat will be damaging winds and tornadoes. Secondary threats will be locally heavy rainfall and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Areas of frost and freezing temperatures will be possible both Friday and Saturday nights across a large portion of the Midsouth. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed late this afternoon through tonight. JAB/JEB
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
703 PM CST MON NOV 5 2018
ARZ027-028-035-036-TNZ048-049-060145-
Poinsett AR-Mississippi AR-Cross AR-Crittenden AR-Tipton TN-
Lauderdale TN-
703 PM CST MON NOV 5 2018
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 745 PM CST
FOR...
Southeastern Poinsett County in eastern Arkansas...
Southwestern Mississippi County in eastern Arkansas...
East central Cross County in eastern Arkansas...
Northern Crittenden County in eastern Arkansas...
Western Tipton County in western Tennessee...
Southwestern Lauderdale County in western Tennessee...
At 703 PM CST...a strong thunderstorm producing winds at least 40 mph
was located near Earle, moving northeast at 55 mph.
Very heavy rain is also possible with this thunderstorm.
People in southeastern Poinsett...southwestern Mississippi...east
central Cross...northern Crittenden...western Tipton and southwestern
Lauderdale Counties should monitor this storm closely.
LAT...LON 3577 8990 3550 8971 3539 8999 3540 9004
3539 9007 3535 9010 3519 9050 3535 9061
TIME...MOT...LOC 0103Z 239DEG 48KT 3532 9046Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
809 PM CST MON NOV 5 2018
TNZ003-004-021-022-060300-
Carroll TN-Weakley TN-Benton TN-Henry TN-
809 PM CST MON NOV 5 2018
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 900 PM CST
FOR...
Northeastern Carroll County in western Tennessee...
Southeastern Weakley County in western Tennessee...
Northern Benton County in western Tennessee...
Henry County in western Tennessee...
At 809 PM CST...a strong thunderstorm producing winds at least 40 mph
was located near McKenzie, moving northeast at 45 mph.
Very heavy rain along with continuous cloud to ground lightning are
also possible with this thunderstorm.
People in northeastern Carroll...southeastern Weakley...northern
Benton and Henry Counties should monitor this storm closely.
LAT...LON 3599 8857 3634 8859 3650 8818 3650 8806
3647 8805 3644 8806 3643 8804 3637 8800
3635 8798 3627 8794 3622 8795 3620 8794
TIME...MOT...LOC 0209Z 245DEG 41KT 3620 8847The Memphis radar (KNQA), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:12 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 1 heavy rain, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees down on power lines on the east side of Marks.
Water pooling to 1-2 feet deep around fire station and excessive water causing some road problems around town.
Street flooding across the county.
A few trees down across the city of Oxford.
The tornado developed in far eastern Pontotoc County along Lee Line Road. The tornado knocked down a few trees before moving into Lee County.
The tornado developed in far eastern Pontotoc County along Lee Line Road. The tornado then caused EF-0 and EF-1 damage to homes and trees just west and north of the Tupelo Airport. As it approached Colonial Estates Road the tornado intensified and damaged numerous homes. Two homes had roofs completely removed and non-brick exterior walls collapsed on one of them. Several homes saw partial roof damage. As the tornado crossed McCullough Blvd., several businesses were damaged including one which had the roof partially removed. The tornado weakened and continued on snapping trees and causing some slight structural damage as it crossed I-22 where it hit buildings just south of Barnes Crossing Mall. The tornado intensified again as it crossed Bog Oaks Golf Club and approached an assisted living center. The tornado caused considerable roof damage to the assisted living center. The final damage seen before it lifted was observed along County Road 851.
Strong wind gusts blew over power poles.
The tornado developed near the bottoms of Twentymile Creek. As the tornado approached Highway 371 south of Kirkville, it uprooted and snapped trees and substantially damaged a metal garage building. After crossing Highway 371 the tornado continued to uproot and snap off numerous trees and caused minor damage to several mobile homes. The last damage observed was east of Ramey Road northeast before dissipating.
Tree down on house on Golden Road in town.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2018Warnings in Mississippi, November 2018
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: 790544, 790545, 790547, 790548, 793689, 790549, 790550, 790551, 790552.