Powerful Hurricane Laura struck the Gulf Coast on August 26, 2020. The remnants of Laura moved through the Mid-South on August 27th and August 28th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Powerful Hurricane Laura struck the Gulf Coast on August 26, 2020. The remnants of Laura moved through the Mid-South on August 27th and August 28th. The first band of showers and thunderstorms tracked across eastern Arkansas during the evening hours of August 27th causing wind damage and a half dozen weak tornadoes. An additional band of showers and thunderstorms developed across north Mississippi during the morning hours of August 28th as the system was departing. A weak morning tornado was reported near Oxford followed by a couple of incidents of wind damage over northeast Mississippi during the afternoon and isolated flash flooding later that evening.
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 Aug 27, 5:50 PM CST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
650 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020
.UPDATE...
See the 00z aviation discussion.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 212 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020/
DISCUSSION...
The first band from tropical system Laura is now moving into
Southern portions of the Midsouth. Laura is expected to continue
to weaken as it tracks across East Arkansas tonight and into
Southeast Missouri around sunrise. It should lose most of its
tropical characteristics overnight but will still pose the threat
of flooding as well as short lived tornadoes. Winds overnight are
expected to be sustained between 20 and 30 mph with gusts 35-40
mph possible. Sustained strong winds along with saturated soil
from heavy rain may create conditions that allow trees to fall even
with below severe thunderstorm wind criteria. Additionally,the
East side of weakening tropical systems are notorious for
producing short lived tornadoes. A Tornado watch is in place for
portions of East Arkansas and Northwest Mississippi. Additional
watches are likely tonight and tomorrow. The Storm Prediction
center has much of North Mississippi in a slight risk for severe
thunderstorms tonight and much of the Midsouth tomorrow.
Shortly after sunrise Laura will turn to the East and begin to
track along the Kentucky, Tennessee state line. Even though Laura
is expected to continue to weaken, due to the proximity of its
surface low, winds could remain an issue through the day,
especially across Northern portions of the Midsouth. Wind
advisories remain in effect for much of the Midsouth through
tomorrow afternoon. Additionally locally heavy rain is possible.
The heaviest rain is expected to fall across East Arkansas, the
Missouri Bootheel and along the Tennessee/Kentucky state line. 2-4
inches is expected with isolated amounts up to 6 inches possible.
WPC has outlined much of the Midsouth for a slight or Marginal
risk of excessive rainfall. Flash flood watch remains in effect
through tomorrow evening.
Over the weekend into next week, we look to remain in a wet
pattern. Saturday a cold front is expected to approach to
Midsouth, likely stalling and lingering into early next week. Weak
Northwest flow will transition to zonal flow into early next week.
Several impulses transitioning through the mean flow will likely
result in multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms. High
temperatures should remain in the 80s over the weekend well into
next week.
30
&&
.AVIATION...
/00z TAFs/
Tropical Storm Laura continues to move north across AR and the
initial rainband is affecting portions of eastern AR and northwest
MS, approaching MEM. Gusty winds and spin-up tornadoes are
possible within these bands in addition to tempo IFR CIGS and
visibility. Ceilings are expected to deteriorate overnight and
continue between 1-3 kft through tomorrow afternoon. There will
likely be some breaks in the cloud deck, but confidence in
when/where this will occur is low.
Winds will continue to increase this evening, with gusts over 30
kts at JBR and MEM tonight and early Friday. East and southeast
winds will veer around the dial, eventually becoming southwest as
the remnant circulation moves across the northern portion of the
CWA. Wind shear will also be an issue through the period as winds
at 2000 ft are in the 40-50 kt range.
MJ
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Flash Flood Watch through Friday evening for Clay-Craighead-
Crittenden-Cross-Greene-Lee AR-Phillips-Poinsett-St.
Francis.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM CDT Friday for Lee AR-Phillips-St.
Francis.
Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM CDT Friday for Clay-
Craighead-Crittenden-Cross-Greene-Mississippi-Poinsett.
Flash Flood Watch through late Friday night for Mississippi.
MO...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM CDT Friday for
Dunklin-Pemiscot.
Flash Flood Watch through late Friday night for Dunklin-Pemiscot.
MS...Flash Flood Watch through Friday evening for Coahoma-Quitman-
Tallahatchie-Tunica.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM CDT Friday for Coahoma-Panola-Quitman-
Tallahatchie-Tate-Tunica.
Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM CDT Friday for
DeSoto-Marshall.
Flash Flood Watch through late Friday night for Alcorn-Benton MS-
DeSoto-Lafayette-Marshall-Panola-Prentiss-Tate-Tippah-
Tishomingo-Union.
TN...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 4 PM CDT Friday for Dyer-
Lake-Lauderdale-Obion-Shelby-Tipton.
Flash Flood Watch through late Friday night for Benton TN-
Carroll-Chester-Crockett-Decatur-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-
Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood-Henderson-Henry-Lake-Lauderdale-
Madison-McNairy-Obion-Shelby-Tipton-Weakley.
Wind Advisory from 7 AM to 7 PM CDT Friday for Carroll-Chester-
Crockett-Fayette-Gibson-Hardeman-Haywood-Henderson-Henry-
Madison-Weakley.
&&Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 233 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020 ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-282145- 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- 233 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020 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 Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms over the delta of east Arkansas and northwest Mississippi, through sunrise Friday. There is a Marginal Risk to the east and northeast of this area. The potential for short-lived tornadoes will increase over east central Arkansas this evening. The tornado potential will expand north and and slightly east during the overnight hours. In addition to the tornado risk, strong winds and flash flooding are expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday There is Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms for all the Midsouth on Friday. Short-lived tornadoes will be possible, accompanied by flash flooding and damaging winds. The tornado threat will expand from Memphis metro area Friday morning, through west Tennessee and north Mississippi during the afternoon. Additionally straight line winds are expected to be sustained between 20 and 30 mph with gusts over 35mph. Trees may be more vulnerable to falling because of saturated soils. Strong winds and flash flooding are also possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will be needed through Friday evening. Please pass storm reports to local law enforcement, SKYWARN communication channels or directly to the National Weather Service via the NWS Memphis webpage or via social media.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:03 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 strong wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds blew a power pole down on Dundee Road, approximately 3 miles northwest of the Dundee community.
A large tree was blown down on a home on Prichard Road in North Tunica.
A tornado touched down in northern portions of Oxford, northeast of the Oxford Airport. The brief tornado damaged trees west of Old Highway 7, but no structural damage was reported.
Thunderstorm winds damaged a store front and a radio tower. A large tree was blown down onto a home in Corinth.
Reports from social media of a large tree split by thunderstorm winds in Houlka.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding near Verona. Several roads were flooded in the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Mississippi, 2020Warnings in Mississippi, August 2020
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: 918550, 918559, 918673, 918674, 918675, 918677.