Tropical depression Ida tracked just southeast of the Mid-South during August 30-31, 2021. Heavy rain and gusty winds were common across Northeast Mississippi and parts of West Tennessee.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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.
Tropical depression Ida tracked just southeast of the Mid-South during August 30-31, 2021. Heavy rain and gusty winds were common across Northeast Mississippi and parts of West Tennessee. Wind gusts to 40 mph knocked down a few trees and powerlines.
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 30, 3:09 PM CST, 51 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
409 PM CDT Mon Aug 30 2021
.DISCUSSION...
Tropical Depression Ida's surface low was centered over west
central MS at midafternoon. GOES IR imagery showed a midlevel low
to the east, over east central MS, with dry air entrained from
west. An extensive diffluent upper cloud shield has limited
surface instability over northeast MS, which has limited the
tornado threat. Over the next hour or two, will need to the
north/south feeder bands along and parallel to the MS/AL border,
feeding into northeast MS over the next several hours. But even
this area remains marginal with respect to tornado threat.
Persistent east-west bands of moderate rain will continue a flash
flood threat over northeast MS. Flash flood watch has been
trimmed along the western periphery of the rain shield, where
forecasted rain amounts prevailed below an inch. This includes the
Memphis metro. Locally-higher rain amounts in excess of 1 inch
remain possible, which could create some minor urban flooding.
TD Ida will lift into north central AL, southern Middle TN by
early Tuesday afternoon. In deference to wrap-around rainfall
depicted by the ECMWF, the Flash Flood Watch was maintained for
areas near the TN River Tuesday afternoon. This remaining portion
of the Flash Flood Watch may be cancelled early on Tuesday.
Benign weather is forecast midweek and beyond. A cold frontal
passage will bring drier air to the Midsouth on Wednesday, under
moderately strong northwest flow aloft. This northwest flow will
be displaced by an upper ridge late week and over the weekend.
Temps will warm above normal, as rainfall chances remain nil.
The upper ridge will retrograde to the southern plains by the
middle of next week, as northwest flow returns to the Midsouth.
Another cold frontal passage will likely bring a chance of storms
and cooler temps by Wednesday the 9th of September.
PWB
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS
Remnant circulation of IDA will continue to churn to the NNE
through north Mississippi into early Tuesday. Strong gusty surface
winds expected. Low Level Wind Shear is a concern with 2K winds
around 55 kts at TUP and a bit lower at the other TAF sites.
Probability of TS with this tropical system too low to include in
the TAF at this time. Improving conditions from west to east
during the day on Tuesday.
Belles
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...None.
MO...None.
MS...Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for Calhoun-Lafayette-
Marshall-Panola-Quitman-Tallahatchie-Tate-Yalobusha.
Wind Advisory until 7 AM CDT Tuesday for Alcorn-Benton MS-
Calhoun-Chickasaw-Coahoma-DeSoto-Itawamba-Lafayette-Lee MS-
Marshall-Monroe-Panola-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-
Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Yalobusha.
Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday evening for Alcorn-Itawamba-
Prentiss-Tishomingo.
Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for Benton MS-
Chickasaw-Lee MS-Monroe-Pontotoc-Tippah-Union.
TN...Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for Fayette.
Wind Advisory until 7 AM CDT Tuesday for Fayette-Hardeman-Hardin-
McNairy-Shelby.
Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday evening for Benton TN-Carroll-
Chester-Decatur-Hardin-Henderson-Henry-McNairy.
Flash Flood Watch through Tuesday morning for Hardeman-Madison.
&&Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 339 PM CDT Mon Aug 30 2021 ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-312245- 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- 339 PM CDT Mon Aug 30 2021 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas... the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Rainfall from Tropical Depression Ida may cause flash flooding tonight over north central and northeast Mississippi, and portions of west Tennessee. The flood flood potential will be greatest over northeast Mississippi. Wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph will be possible over north Mississippi and west Tennessee tonight. These winds, when combined with saturated soils, may result in downed trees. Isolated short-lived tornadoes will be possible over northeast Mississippi and portions of southwest Tennessee near the Tennessee River through midevening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday There is a Marginal Risk of flash flooding Tuesday, near the Tennessee River in west Tennessee. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed through late tonight. PWB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds knocked down a few trees across Lee County.
Tree down blocking Highway 30 and County Road 256.
Trees were knocked down across the road in the Liberty Community.
A large tree was knocked down on Black Zion Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Mississippi in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, August 2021
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: 980083, 980089, 980092, 980095.