Mississippi, 2023

Damaging Winds in Mississippi, July 18, 2023

July 18, 2023 · NWS MEG · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

Multiple mesoscale convective systems developed in northwest flow aloft and tracked across the Mid-South. The first tracked from southeast Missouri and southwest Kentucky into West Tennessee during the early-mid afternoon on July 18th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$60,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

Multiple mesoscale convective systems developed in northwest flow aloft and tracked across the Mid-South. The first tracked from southeast Missouri and southwest Kentucky into West Tennessee during the early-mid afternoon on July 18th. The second mesoscale convective system developed over southern Missouri and tracked across northeast Arkansas, the Memphis metropolitan area, and north Mississippi. These systems were supported by a very moist and unstable airmass with surface-based convective available potential energy values exceeding 6000 J/kg and precipitable water values greater than 2 inches. Adequate amounts of wind shear aloft helped to organize storms as well. Numerous severe storms occurred across the Mid-South with a few reports of large hail and many reports of damaging wind. The Memphis area was among the hardest hit with power outages to over 130,000 utility customers in Shelby County.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 18, 1:57 PM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 1:57 PM CST, 3 hours 18 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
257 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2023

...New SYNOPSIS, DISCUSSION...

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 250 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2023

A complex of showers and thunderstorms will affect portions of the
Mid-South mostly across portions of west Tennessee near the
Tennessee River into this evening with a few strong to severe
thunderstorms possible through early evening. Additional showers
and thunderstorms are possible Wednesday and Thursday mainly north
of I-40, then gradually spreading across the remainder of the
Mid-South for Friday into Saturday as a weak cold front moves into
the Lower Mississippi Valley. Very hot and humid conditions will
persist ahead of the approaching cold front with heat index values
ranging between 105 to 115 degrees on Wednesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This evening through next Monday)
Issued at 250 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2023

GOES-16 Satellite trends depict a mature Mesoscale Convective
System (MCS) over portions of southeast Missouri and western
Kentucky. KNQA/KPAH WSR-88D radar trends show the leading edge of
convection over portions of the Missouri Bootheel and Northwest
Tennessee gradually propagating east-southeast with time.
Otherwise, a hot and humid airmass is in place across the Mid-
South with surface temperatures mainly in the lower 90s with
surface dewpoints in the 70s to lower 80s as low-level moisture
pools ahead of a quasi-stationary boundary located along the I-70
corridor. Strong to severe thunderstorm and heat concerns remain
the primary focus in this afternoon's forecast issuance.

The aforementioned MCS will continue to propagate east-southeast
into the Tennessee Valley through this evening. Additional showers
and thunderstorms are possible along the southern periphery of
this system for areas mainly north and east of a line from
Blytheville, AR to Jackson and Savannah, TN. Surface-based CAPE
values around 5000 J/kg, moderately-steep 700-500 mb layer mid-
level lapse rates around 6.5 C/km, 0-6 km Bulk Shear values around
40 kts may support a strong to severe thunderstorm threat for the
remainder of the afternoon into perhaps early evening. Damaging
winds will be the primary threat for any thunderstorms that become
severe. QPF values across portions of northwest Tennessee near the
Tennessee River may receive 1 to 2 inches of rain through late
tonight. Confidence is low that these areas will exceed Flash
Flood guidance and subsequently held off on any flood watches for
the time being.

Elsewhere, the Heat Advisory and Excessive Heat Warning for areas
around and southwest of Memphis along the Mississippi River will
continue through early this evening. Lows tonight will remain
quite warm this evening. A very hot and humid airmass is expected
to build across the Mid-South on Wednesday as temperatures rise
into the middle to upper 90s. These very hot temperatures combined
with surface dewpoints pooling across the region will result in
heat index values rising to between 105 to 115 degrees with the
warmest readings occurring mostly along and west of the
Mississippi River. An Excessive Heat Warning was issued for areas
along and west of the Mississippi River and a Heat Advisory for
the remainder of the forecast area from noon through 8 PM
Wednesday. Additional showers and thunderstorms will be possible
Wednesday and Thursday with the

Latest mid to long range model solutions indicate the surface
boundary will begin to move south into the Lower Mississippi
Valley Friday into Saturday as mid-level heights weaken and a
series of shortwaves move through the northwest flow aloft. This
will bring a better chance for showers and thunderstorms for most
of the forecast area. Cooler and slightly drier air will build in
for late weekend into early next week.

CJC

&&

.AVIATION...(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1229 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2023

Highly uncertain forecast this afternoon and evening as we watch a
thunderstorm complex move east southeast across Missouri.
Confidence is highest that MKL will see on station thunderstorms
and lowest at TUP and JBR. Included a tempo for TSRA at both MEM
and MKL based on HRRR timing. Brief MVFR to IFR conditions due to
heavy rain can be expected with on station thunderstorms along
with gusty wind, most likely from the west to northwest.

Overnight, thunderstorms should diminish in both coverage and
intensity. LLWS is expected after midnight tonight at JBR and MKL
and may last through mid morning especially at JBR. Gradient winds
tomorrow are expected to increase to around 10kts with gusts
around 20kt.

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Excessive Heat Warning from noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday for
     ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058.

     Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for ARZ035-036-048.

     Excessive Heat Warning until 8 PM CDT this evening for ARZ049-
     058.

MO...Excessive Heat Warning from noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday for
     MOZ113-115.

MS...Excessive Heat Warning from noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday for
     MSZ001-007-008-010>012-020.

     Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for MSZ001-002-008-012-
     013-020>022.

     Excessive Heat Warning until 8 PM CDT this evening for MSZ007-
     010-011.

     Heat Advisory from noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday for MSZ002>006-009-
     013>017-021>024.

TN...Excessive Heat Warning from noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday for
     TNZ001-019-048-049-088.

     Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT this evening for TNZ088-089.

     Heat Advisory from noon to 8 PM CDT Wednesday for TNZ002>004-
     020>022-050>055-089>092.

&&

PUBLIC FORECAST...CJC
AVIATION...JDS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 18, 4:15 PM CST, 1 hour before
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Local storm report, Jul 18, 4:30 PM CST, 45 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 18, 4:31 PM CST, 44 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 5:09 PM CST, 6 minutes before
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The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, De Soto

When
July 18, 5:15 PM CST to 5:16 PM CST
Where
De Soto County, 0.57 mi W of Olive Branch Arpt
Measured
54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.980, -89.790

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When
July 18, 5:50 PM CST to 5:55 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, 3.08 mi NNW of Mack
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Storm Chaser
Coordinates
34.870, -89.495

Power lines were knocked down blocking Highway 311.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When
July 18, 5:55 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Benton County, 1.16 mi W of Ashland
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.827, -89.190

Power lines were knocked down near the intersection of Highways 4 and 5 west of Ashland.

Thunderstorm Wind, Tippah

When
July 18, 6:06 PM CST to 6:11 PM CST
Where
Tippah County, Blue Mtn
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
34.670, -89.030

A large tree was uprooted in Blue Mountain.

Thunderstorm Wind, Prentiss

When
July 18, 6:31 PM CST to 6:36 PM CST
Where
Prentiss County, 2.05 mi S of Geeville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
34.551, -88.695

A carport was blown over on County Road 6071 in southwest Prentiss County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Prentiss

When
July 18, 6:39 PM CST to 6:44 PM CST
Where
Prentiss County, 1.79 mi SW of Marietta
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$7,000
Reported by
Storm Chaser
Coordinates
34.480, -88.490

Trees and power lines were knocked down on County Road 5491 near Marietta.

Thunderstorm Wind, Prentiss

When
July 18, 6:41 PM CST to 6:46 PM CST
Where
Prentiss County, 1.49 mi SSW of Marietta
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
34.480, -88.480

Trees were knocked down between Natchez Trace and Marietta along Highway 371, blocking the road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Itawamba

When
July 18, 6:55 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Itawamba County, 0.48 mi S of Fairview to 1.71 mi E of Fairview
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$35,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
34.363, -88.320

Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down in the Fairview Community. A barn sustained roof damage. Some of the more significant damage was on Saddle Club Road.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Mississippi in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Mississippi, July 2023

Sources

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: 1125808, 1125777, 1125773, 1125779, 1125788, 1125799, 1125803, 1125806.