Strong surface heating produced unstable conditions across the Mid-South by the mid-afternoon on August 30, 2024. Numerous thunderstorms developed across north Mississippi and West Tennessee.
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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.
Strong surface heating produced unstable conditions across the Mid-South by the mid-afternoon on August 30, 2024. Numerous thunderstorms developed across north Mississippi and West Tennessee. A few storms were severe with damaging winds.
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, 11:31 AM CST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 1231 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 129 AM CDT Fri Aug 30 2024 A wetter and cooler pattern has arrived across the Midsouth. Finally no Heat Advisories or Excessive Heat Warnings expected over the next seven days. Highs should be in the 80s. Rain and thunderstorms will be widespread today through Sunday as a couple of late Summer cold fronts move through the region. Conditions look a bit drier early next week with showers and thunderstorms returning by midweek. && .DISCUSSION... (Today through Thursday) Issued at 129 AM CDT Fri Aug 30 2024 We remain in very much a summertime pattern featuring surface high pressure across the Deep South and a ridge aloft. The surface high has nudged a bit east of the Midsouth over the last 24 to 36 hours allowing Gulf moisture to return to the region featuring dewpoints in the middle 70s and PW's up to 2.25 inches. As a result, expect showers and thunderstorms to become more widespread this afternoon and follow a diurnal enhancement trend Saturday and Sunday. A cold front will approach the Midsouth Saturday afternoon. This feature will help to focus lift across much of West Tennessee resulting in the potential of a few strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening hours. Damaging wind will be the primary threat from storms and the threat should diminish after sunset. The Storm Prediction Center has included most of West Tennessee(not including the Memphis Metro) in a Marginal Risk for Severe Storms. Due to the high moisture content, WPC has included much of east Arkansas, the Missouri Bootheel in a Marginal Risk for Excessive rainfall in their Day1 and Day 2(Saturday) Outlooks. Widespread rainfall totals between one half and 1.25 inches are expected, but local amounts could easily double those values. Latest Short term high resolution guidance, along with the NBM has backed off a bit on rainfall totals. Based on what we saw yesterday in north Mississippi and an even moister airmass, will maintain consistency and lean toward the wetter values. The ECMWF is the preferred model over the weekend maintaining its wetter forecast. The front late Saturday is expected to stall along the I-40 Corridor, but a shortwave migrating through a broad trough over the Ohio Valley/Great Lakes should give it a nudge south early Sunday. Another cold front associated with a stronger shortwave over the Ohio Valley will usher a stronger cold front through the Midsouth late Sunday. Slightly cooler temperatures behind the initial front should limit the severe potential Sunday although widespread showers and thunderstorms will likely continue until the passage of the second front Sunday night. Monday looks dry, but the Gulf should begin to open back up late Tuesday as high pressure shifts along the East Coast. Expect the coverage of showers and thunderstorms to increase through at least midweek. The NBM has trended a bit warmer early next week, but it still looks like most of the region should remain at or below 90 degrees for the next 7 days. 30/Sirmon && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1231 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2024 A ceiling at 20 kft has persisted throughout the morning with some clearing being observed on satellite imagery. This has somewhat delayed expected cumulus development by a couple of hours, from which thunderstorms are possible. Nonetheless, VCTS was introduced in MEM/MKL/TUP through 04z tonight. Some fog is possible tomorrow morning at JBR/MKL/TUP, but exact visibility impacts are difficult to discern at this time due to relatively high forecast uncertainty. && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. && PUBLIC FORECAST...JDS AVIATION...JAB
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
259 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2024
TNZ054-055-302030-
Henderson TN-Decatur TN-
259 PM CDT Fri Aug 30 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN HENDERSON AND
DECATUR COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM CDT...
At 259 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Decaturville, or 12 miles southwest of Linden, moving northwest at 10
mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 30 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Parsons, Decaturville, Reagan, Darden, Montgomery, Scotts Hill,
Busseltown, Jeannette, Haney, Rock Hill, Pleasant Grove, Mount Tabor,
Red Walnut, Cozette, Lick Skillet, Perryville, Gumdale, Warrens
Bluff, Wilkinstown, and Bath Springs.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3539 8799 3539 8802 3542 8806 3540 8810
3554 8847 3584 8805 3577 8798 3572 8803
3566 8802 3562 8804 3551 8797 3549 8798
3547 8803 3544 8804 3543 8803 3541 8797
TIME...MOT...LOC 1959Z 126DEG 8KT 3553 8804
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH
AEHThe Ft Campbell radar (KHPX), 157 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:15 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were knocked down near the intersection of Three Way Road and Bobs Landing Road. A few were down across the roadway.
A tree was knocked down at the intersection of Country Club Lane and Southern Avenue. Another tree was knocked down at the intersection of South Parkway and Cooper Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2024
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: 1210993, 1210994.