USA.com / Memphis Area / Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Memphis Metro Area Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Memphis Area is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Memphis Area is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #106
| Memphis Area | 0.99 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #129
| Memphis Area | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #197
| Memphis Area | 229.62 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 9,894 other weather extremes events from 1950 to 2010 were recorded in Memphis Area. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 13 | Dense Fog: | 0 | Drought: | 58 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,016 | Hail: | 3,211 | Heat: | 58 | Heavy Snow: | 63 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 3 | Ice Storm: | 25 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 69 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 4,984 | Tropical Storm: | 7 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 78 | Winter Weather: | 58 |
| Other: | 251 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Memphis Area.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Memphis Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 43.9 | 1981-02-08 | 3.9 | 5 | 35.62 | -89.6 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 81 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Memphis Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.4 | 1970-04-24 | 3 | 35°02'N / 90°02'W | 35°03'N / 89°44'W | 17.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby |
| 2.6 | 2008-02-05 | 2 | 34°59'N / 89°59'W | 35°03'N / 89°51'W | 8.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 3 | 13 | 100.0M | 0K | Shelby |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado continued northeast from DeSoto County, Mississippi. After the tornado crossed into Tennessee, several warehouses sustained damage. The DSC warehouse near Clarke Road was struck causing EF-2 damage. Three people were killed inside the warehouse. Hardy Bottling Company sustained substantial damage as well. Tractor-trailers were tossed about in the area. Windows were shattered in the Willow Lake Business Park and utility poles and trees were snapped in the area. A utility substation sustained severe damage along Clarke Road causing major power outages in the area. The tornado then continued northeast and struck homes along Maple Tree Drive and Pinbranch Court. Five homes received major damage and had to be condemned. Other homes sustained roof damage. The tornado continued northeast and struck the Hickory Ridge Mall causing a wall to collapse at the Sears Department Store. Six injuries occurred at the mall. This damage was estimated at EF-1. The tornado then struck a Taco Bell along Winchester Road before lifting. Thirteen people in all were transported to an area hospital due to injuries sustained from the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into West Tennessee. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours. | |||||||||||
| 3.1 | 1970-04-24 | 3 | 35°04'N / 89°59'W | 35°04'N / 89°48'W | 10.40 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby |
| 4.1 | 1970-04-24 | 3 | 35°00'N / 90°02'W | 35°01'N / 89°51'W | 10.40 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 13 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby |
| 6.3 | 2009-06-12 | 2 | 34°57'N / 89°50'W | 34°57'N / 89°47'W | 3.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 1 | 4.0M | 0K | De Soto |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down at the truck weighing scales on Highway 78 about 1 mile southeast of Goodman Road in Olive Branch. The tornado had a non continuous track to the east-northeast for 2.9 miles and ended a few hundred yards east of Hacks Cross Road about one half mile south of Goodman Road. The maximum estimated winds were 125 mph. There was widespread damage along the tornado track in Olive Branch. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. Four homes were destroyed while numerous other homes suffered some degree of damage. Streets that suffered the heaviest damage included Roberta Street, College Street, Blocker Street, Chickasaw Drive, Cherokee Drive, Sequoia Lane, Seminole Drive and Magnolia Drive. Several schools and public buildings were also damaged including the Olive Branch Elementary, Middle and High Schools, the Chickasaw Elementary School, the Olive Branch Community Center and the Olive Branch City Shop. The Olive Branch Middle School alone suffered $500,000 in damage. The tornado cleanup costs totaled $350,000 for the city of Olive Branch. There was one minor injury associated with the tornado in Olive Branch. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was located across the Mid-South during the day on June 12th, 2009. During the early morning hours, a mesoscale convective system developed over Eastern Oklahoma and tracked east into the Mid-South during the afternoon and evening hours. A derecho tracked across the Mid-South producing numerous reports of damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding. Wind speeds were reported as high as 80 mph. Isolated tornadoes occurred along the bow echo. In addition, scattered thunderstorms developed over ahead of the bow echo and produced large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding as well. | |||||||||||
| 7.3 | 1978-08-29 | 2 | 35°01'N / 90°00'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 26 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby | |
| 7.4 | 1968-09-17 | 2 | 35°00'N / 90°00'W | 0.30 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Shelby | |
| 7.6 | 1970-04-19 | 2 | 35°07'N / 89°48'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shelby | |
| 7.6 | 2008-02-05 | 2 | 34°58'N / 90°00'W | 34°59'N / 89°59'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 28.4M | 0K | De Soto |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down at Southaven High School and tracked northeast crossing into Shelby County, Tennessee, northeast of the intersection of Stateline Road and Airways Boulevard. Roughly 30 windows were blown out of the High School. The school also sustained minor roof damage. Damage at the high school was classified EF-0. Many homes in the Carriage Hills subdivision sustained minor damages as well. Further northeast, more significant damage occurred near the intersection of Stateline Road and Airways Boulevard in the warehouse area. Three warehouses were destroyed including the Cooper Lighting Plant. A gas station was damaged as well. Damage was classified as EF-2 in this area. Numerous trees, power poles, and lines were knocked down. Minor roof damage occurred along the path as well. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into North Mississippi. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours. | |||||||||||
| 8.8 | 2009-07-30 | 2 | 34°54'N / 89°49'W | 34°57'N / 89°44'W | 6.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 6.0M | 0K | De Soto |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down on Highway 305, four tenths of a mile south of College Road, southeast of Olive Branch. The tornado moved northeast on a non-continuous track. Several subdivisions had numerous trees and power lines knocked down. Some of which fell onto houses damaging them. The hardest hit area was in the Bethel Park Subdivison. Seven homes were destroyed, 15 homes sustained major damage while at least 113 other homes received minor damage including damage such as minor roof or shingle damage. In addition, one business sustained major damage and another business sustained minor damage. The tornado lifted just east of the intersection of Center Hill Road and Knightsbridge Road. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front approached the Mid-South during the afternoon hours of July 30th, 2009. A low pressure center developed along the front as the front moved into the area. The low pressure helped to spawn several tornadoes across the Mid-South. In addition, other storms produced damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding into the evening hours. | |||||||||||
| 9.9 | 1970-04-24 | 3 | 34°59'N / 90°03'W | 35°00'N / 90°02'W | 1.90 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 5 | 3K | 0 | De Soto |
| 10.0 | 1973-11-27 | 2 | 34°55'N / 90°02'W | 34°58'N / 90°00'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 50 | 250K | 0 | De Soto |
| 11.2 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°51'N / 89°50'W | 34°53'N / 89°49'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 9 | 1.9M | 0 | De Soto |
| Brief Description: The tornado began just southwest of Lewisburg in eastern De Soto county and moved northeast. Nineteen homes were destroyed and 119 homes were damaged. Numerous trees were also knocked down. | |||||||||||
| 11.7 | 1955-10-28 | 2 | 35°03'N / 89°40'W | 0.20 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shelby | |
| 13.2 | 1988-01-19 | 2 | 34°51'N / 90°07'W | 34°57'N / 89°59'W | 9.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | De Soto |
| 13.4 | 1968-05-16 | 2 | 34°49'N / 89°57'W | 34°51'N / 89°52'W | 5.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | De Soto |
| 13.7 | 1994-11-27 | 3 | 35°04'N / 89°50'W | 35°19'N / 89°39'W | 16.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 3 | 25 | 50.0M | 0 | Shelby And Fayette |
| Brief Description: The tornado started just southwest of Germantown and moved northeast through the eastern part of Shelby County and then continued into the northwest part of Fayette County. Three persons were killed in Germantown when the tornado struck a home where 16 people had gathered for a family reunion. Twenty-five persons were injured in the Germantown area. Overall, 28 homes were destroyed and 300 other homes were damaged. Houston High School was badly damaged and a nearby church sustained significant damage. Thirty utility poles were blown down along with a several trees. Two mobile homes were destroyed in Fayette County. M44H,M11H,M48H | |||||||||||
| 14.9 | 1952-03-21 | 4 | 34°52'N / 89°41'W | 35°00'N / 89°35'W | 10.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 9 | 24 | 250K | 0 | Marshall |
| 16.1 | 1968-04-03 | 2 | 34°41'N / 89°54'W | 34°54'N / 89°51'W | 15.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | De Soto |
| 16.7 | 1965-02-11 | 2 | 34°55'N / 90°16'W | 34°58'N / 90°02'W | 13.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | De Soto |
| 17.0 | 1984-04-21 | 3 | 35°07'N / 90°10'W | 35°09'N / 90°07'W | 3.00 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby |
| 17.9 | 1987-12-14 | 3 | 35°06'N / 90°14'W | 35°12'N / 90°04'W | 12.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 6 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Crittenden |
| 18.6 | 1987-12-14 | 3 | 35°12'N / 90°04'W | 35°21'N / 89°55'W | 13.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 21 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby |
| 18.7 | 1982-12-25 | 2 | 35°17'N / 89°58'W | 2.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shelby | |
| 19.6 | 1965-02-11 | 2 | 35°05'N / 89°32'W | 0.10 Mile | 7 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 20.5 | 1979-03-22 | 2 | 35°17'N / 90°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Shelby | |
| 21.3 | 1962-04-28 | 2 | 34°47'N / 90°12'W | 34°53'N / 90°08'W | 7.90 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | De Soto |
| 22.1 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 35°20'N / 89°46'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Shelby | |
| 23.1 | 1968-04-03 | 3 | 35°20'N / 89°55'W | 35°23'N / 89°52'W | 4.50 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Shelby |
| 23.8 | 2008-02-05 | 2 | 35°18'N / 89°45'W | 35°23'N / 89°40'W | 7.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 1.0M | 0K | Shelby |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down one quarter mile east of Brunswick Road interchange along Highway 385 in the Salem Estates Subdivision. The tornado tracked non-continuously northeast to the Tipton County line, near the Collierville-Arlington Road. Damage sustained in the Salem Estates subdivision was rated an EF-0. One roof of a home was partially removed along with several blown out windows. In addition, some minor tree damage occurred in this area. Further northeast, along Moose Road west of Beaver Creek, the tornado intensified and produced EF-2 damage. Significant tree damage occurred from the tornado in this area. In addition, two power line support towers were knocked down and one was twisted. Significant damage occurred further northeast along Osborntown Road as extensive tree damage was observed. Large trees were snapped and uprooted. In addition, two large well constructed new homes were heavily damaged. One home had more than half of its roof removed along with all windows blown out. Brick was also dislodged from portions of the structure. The second home received extensive damage with the entire second story being removed from the tornado. Inside walls were compromised and debris was deposited inside the home and in the front yard. One minor injury occurred from this segment of EF-2 rated damage. Additional damage occurred further northeast across Macedonia Road producing additional tree damage and minor damage to one home and one mobile home. Damage also occurred just south of where the tornado crossed into Tipton County where five homes sustained light to moderate damage along Collierville-Arlington Road. This damage has been rated EF-1. One of the homes sustained significant damage to portions of the roof and adjoining levels. The other four homes had damage to the roofs and windows. Large trees, some up to 3 feet in diameter were snapped and uprooted. The tornado then tracked into Tipton County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into West Tennessee. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours. | |||||||||||
| 24.9 | 1952-03-21 | 4 | 35°00'N / 89°35'W | 35°07'N / 89°17'W | 18.70 Miles | 427 Yards | 7 | 50 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 25.1 | 1964-03-04 | 2 | 35°18'N / 89°42'W | 35°24'N / 89°39'W | 7.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Shelby |
| 25.4 | 1989-06-04 | 2 | 35°21'N / 89°54'W | 35°26'N / 89°48'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Shelby |
| 26.4 | 1965-02-11 | 2 | 34°54'N / 90°22'W | 34°55'N / 90°16'W | 5.90 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Crittenden |
| 26.6 | 1968-04-03 | 2 | 35°06'N / 90°23'W | 35°16'N / 90°13'W | 14.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 15 | 25K | 0 | Crittenden |
| 26.9 | 1980-04-08 | 2 | 34°42'N / 90°08'W | 0.70 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tate | |
| 28.2 | 1971-05-24 | 2 | 35°17'N / 89°37'W | 35°22'N / 89°27'W | 10.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 22 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 28.5 | 1975-05-29 | 2 | 34°37'N / 89°57'W | 0.10 Mile | 13 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Tate | |
| 29.8 | 1982-04-17 | 2 | 34°46'N / 89°27'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Marshall | |||
| 30.2 | 1975-04-25 | 2 | 35°20'N / 90°15'W | 0.10 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crittenden | |
| 32.7 | 1970-04-19 | 3 | 35°00'N / 90°27'W | 1.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | St. Francis | |
| 33.1 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°32'N / 90°11'W | 34°40'N / 90°06'W | 9.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 500K | 0 | Tate |
| Brief Description: The tornado moved into the southwest part of Tate county from Panola county and lifted up northeast of Strayhorn. Numerous buildings were damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 34.0 | 1973-08-14 | 2 | 34°57'N / 90°28'W | 0.30 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | St. Francis | |
| 35.0 | 1968-04-03 | 3 | 35°23'N / 89°52'W | 35°39'N / 89°35'W | 24.30 Miles | 1760 Yards | 4 | 28 | 2.5M | 0 | Tipton |
| 35.4 | 1962-02-23 | 2 | 34°33'N / 89°38'W | 0 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Lafayette | |||
| 35.5 | 2006-04-02 | 3 | 35°11'N / 90°31'W | 35°14'N / 90°24'W | 7.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Crittenden |
| Brief Description: The tornado continued east from Cross County lifting 4 miles west of Crawfordsville. Two commercial buildings had minor damage. The tornado produced F0 damage while in Crittenden County. | |||||||||||
| 35.9 | 2008-05-02 | 3 | 35°14'N / 90°30'W | 35°26'N / 90°16'W | 19.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.0M | 0K | Crittenden |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado tracked northeast into Crittenden County from Cross County. The tornado produced a nearly continuous 12 mile track from the county line to Heafer. After crossing into Crittenden County, the tornado struck the town of Earle and produced extensive EF-3 damage. The tornado severely damaged a high school, a church and a number of homes. A large warehouse was also struck and sustained extensive damage. Additional significant damage to other structures occurred between Earle and Heafer. There were 4 serious injuries and several minor injuries reported in Earle. As the tornado moved into Heafer, the tornado produced EF-2 damage. Significant damage occurred to a number of homes in Heafer. Two mobile homes were destroyed as well. Several trees and power lines were also knocked down. The tornado continued to produce intermittent EF-0 damage as it moved out of Heafer and moved northeast between the towns of Gilmore and Turrell, eventually crossing into Mississippi County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front approached the Midsouth during the afternoon hours of May 2nd, 2008, Numerous showers and thunderstorms developed ahead and along the front. Storms quickly became severe and produced large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes. The severe weather continued into the early morning hours of May 3rd, 2008 with the passage of the front. | |||||||||||
| 35.9 | 1983-05-14 | 2 | 34°43'N / 90°23'W | 2.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Tunica | |
| 36.0 | 1964-03-04 | 2 | 35°28'N / 89°40'W | 35°33'N / 89°36'W | 6.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Tipton |
| 37.3 | 2002-11-09 | 2 | 35°31'N / 89°54'W | 35°36'N / 89°38'W | 17.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 6.0M | 0 | Tipton |
| Brief Description: The tornado moved into Tipton county from Mississippi county in Arkansas and moved northeast. The tornado produced significant damage across the county. One man was injured was injured by bricks blown down from the facade of a building in downtown Covington. Across the county, twenty-eight mobile homes, five houses and one business were destroyed. Approximately 275 homes and business were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. | |||||||||||
| 37.6 | 1962-04-28 | 2 | 34°26'N / 90°24'W | 34°47'N / 90°12'W | 26.70 Miles | 1760 Yards | 1 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Tunica |
| 37.7 | 2002-11-09 | 2 | 35°20'N / 90°33'W | 35°26'N / 90°12'W | 17.60 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 600K | 0 | Crittenden |
| Brief Description: The tornado moved into Crittenden county from Cross county and continued to move northeast. The tornado produced some damage near the town of Heafer. A mobile home and 2 farm shops were destroyed. A church and parsonage, three mobile homes and five houses were also damaged. The tornado then continued across the county and reached the town of Gilmore. Fourteen mobile homes were destroyed or suffered major damage. Nineteen houses and several cars were also damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. The tornado eventually moved out of the county near Menesha and entered Mississippi county. | |||||||||||
| 38.6 | 1971-02-21 | 2 | 34°46'N / 89°16'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Benton | |||
| 38.8 | 2008-02-05 | 3 | 35°22'N / 89°22'W | 35°24'N / 89°19'W | 4.00 Miles | 167 Yards | 1 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Fayette |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down near Akin Road. Shortly after touchdown, the tornado crossed Yum Yum Road. A man sitting in his truck in a shed was killed when the tornado struck the shed. The truck tumbled at least 40 feet and was severely damaged. Other vehicles were tossed about from the tornado. Substantial damage to large trees in the area occurred as well. The tornado continued northeast and crossed into Haywood County, Tennessee. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into West Tennessee. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours. | |||||||||||
| 39.1 | 1954-02-16 | 3 | 35°31'N / 90°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 4 | 25K | 0 | Mississippi | |
| 40.1 | 2001-11-24 | 2 | 34°27'N / 90°12'W | 34°33'N / 90°09'W | 7.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 12 | 2.0M | 0 | Panola |
| Brief Description: The tornado moved into the far western part of Panola county from Quitman county and tracked northeast eventually moving into Tate county. One girl was killed when the mobile home where she was staying was destroyed. A cluster of homes and a Baptist church were destroyed. In all 35 homes damaged or destroyed. F10MH | |||||||||||
| 40.8 | 2002-11-09 | 2 | 35°27'N / 90°13'W | 35°42'N / 90°03'W | 14.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10K | 0 | Mississippi |
| Brief Description: The tornado moved into Mississippi county from Crittenden county and continued northeast and eventually moved into Tipton county in Tennessee. Some trees were knocked down near the Crittenden county border. | |||||||||||
| 41.4 | 1976-04-24 | 2 | 34°25'N / 89°57'W | 34°26'N / 89°43'W | 13.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Panola |
| 42.0 | 1973-11-27 | 2 | 35°25'N / 89°30'W | 35°35'N / 89°19'W | 15.40 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 42.6 | 2010-05-02 | 2 | 34°29'N / 89°30'W | 34°30'N / 89°29'W | 1.00 Mile | 75 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0K | Lafayette |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down just southwest of Abbeville and tracked northeast hitting the south side of Abbeville. The tornado lifted along County Road 215. One fatality occurred when a single family home was destroyed. A double wide mobile home was also destroyed. Three other homes sustained major damage. Numerous trees were also uprooted along the path. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level disturbance slowly approached the Mid-South during the evening of April 30th, 2010 as a cold front became stationary to the west. This pattern remained in place through the evening hours of May 2nd, 2010. South to southwest winds pumped warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and created a very unstable atmosphere. Showers and thunderstorms developed in association with the front during the early evening hours and moved east into Eastern Arkansas shortly before midnight. Additional thunderstorms occurred in association with the upper level disturbance. Due to the unstable atmosphere, thunderstorms quickly became severe producing large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding. The severe weather evolved into an outbreak by May 1st and 2nd. Historic rainfall and flash flooding in addition to large hail and damaging winds occurred during the early morning hours of May 1st with several tornadoes occurring during the afternoon hours of May 1st to early morning hours of May 2nd. | |||||||||||
| 43.2 | 2002-11-09 | 2 | 35°21'N / 90°32'W | 35°21'N / 90°31'W | 1.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cross |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down just southwest of Twist and moved northeast and later moved into Crittenden County. Some farm buildings were damaged. Several trees and power poles were blown down. | |||||||||||
| 43.5 | 1971-02-21 | 4 | 34°31'N / 89°24'W | 35°00'N / 88°57'W | 42.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Marshall |
| 44.5 | 1985-04-30 | 2 | 35°32'N / 89°27'W | 35°31'N / 89°18'W | 8.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Haywood |
| 44.9 | 1976-04-24 | 2 | 34°26'N / 89°43'W | 34°29'N / 89°15'W | 26.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Lafayette |
| 45.1 | 1975-02-22 | 2 | 34°33'N / 90°29'W | 34°36'N / 90°25'W | 5.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Tunica |
| 45.3 | 2010-05-02 | 3 | 34°48'N / 89°11'W | 34°54'N / 89°01'W | 12.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 2 | 7 | 1.0M | 0K | Benton |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down near Highway 5 approximately 2 miles south of Ashland. The tornado traveled northeast crossing into Tippah County. Eleven homes and mobile homes were destroyed with six receiving major damage. Twenty-three homes sustained minor damage. Numerous trees were snapped and debarked along the path. Power lines were also knocked down. A free standing transmission tower collapsed and was severely twisted as well. Two deaths and one critical injury occurred when a double wide mobile home was destroyed just east of Ashland. Four additional injuries, three of them critical, occurred when a mobile home was picked up by the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level disturbance slowly approached the Mid-South during the evening of April 30th, 2010 as a cold front became stationary to the west. This pattern remained in place through the evening hours of May 2nd, 2010. South to southwest winds pumped warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and created a very unstable atmosphere. Showers and thunderstorms developed in association with the front during the early evening hours and moved east into Eastern Arkansas shortly before midnight. Additional thunderstorms occurred in association with the upper level disturbance. Due to the unstable atmosphere, thunderstorms quickly became severe producing large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding. The severe weather evolved into an outbreak by May 1st and 2nd. Historic rainfall and flash flooding in addition to large hail and damaging winds occurred during the early morning hours of May 1st with several tornadoes occurring during the afternoon hours of May 1st to early morning hours of May 2nd. | |||||||||||
| 45.4 | 2008-02-05 | 3 | 34°24'N / 89°31'W | 34°30'N / 89°27'W | 7.00 Miles | 1000 Yards | 0 | 14 | 35.0M | 0K | Lafayette |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down in the Lafayette County Industrial Park on County Road 166 north of Oxford. The tornado destroyed the Ability Works Incorporated plant and tracked northeast hitting a county owned speculation warehouse and the Caterpillar Plant. The Elliot Lumber Company was also heavily damaged. The tornado then tracked northeast crossing County Road 101 near the County Road 104 intersection. In this area the Harvest Ministries Church, a mobile home and a veterinary clinic were all destroyed. Tree damage was noted as the tornado crossed Highway 7. The tornado continued northeast inflicting heavy damage along County Road 291 where 12 homes and mobile homes were destroyed. The tornado then damaged 2,500 acres of the Holly Springs National Forest before lifting about 2 miles east of Abbeville. A total of about 70 structures were damaged or destroyed. Eleven homes were destroyed and about 15 suffered heavy damage. About 10 mobile homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. Nine commericial structures were destroyed with another 6 suffering heavy damage. The rest of the structures had minor to moderate damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into North Mississippi. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours. | |||||||||||
| 46.0 | 1994-06-26 | 2 | 35°20'N / 89°09'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 6 | 500K | 0 | Grundy | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down several just west of Altamont. One house and several mobile homes were destroyed. Numerous trees were uprooted. | |||||||||||
| 46.0 | 1975-03-12 | 2 | 34°22'N / 90°00'W | 2.50 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Panola | |
| 46.3 | 1981-10-17 | 2 | 35°15'N / 89°06'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hardeman | |
| 46.6 | 1952-03-21 | 3 | 35°32'N / 90°25'W | 35°37'N / 90°17'W | 9.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Poinsett |
| 46.7 | 1959-09-26 | 3 | 35°36'N / 90°18'W | 35°37'N / 90°17'W | 1.30 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Poinsett |
| 46.9 | 1991-03-22 | 3 | 34°43'N / 89°10'W | 34°55'N / 89°00'W | 10.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Benton |
| 46.9 | 1972-04-07 | 2 | 35°42'N / 89°58'W | 0.10 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mississippi | |
| 47.1 | 1971-12-15 | 2 | 35°31'N / 90°25'W | 35°34'N / 90°25'W | 3.40 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Poinsett |
| 47.3 | 1954-06-13 | 3 | 35°41'N / 90°06'W | 2.50 Miles | 833 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mississippi | |
| 48.4 | 1959-09-26 | 3 | 35°37'N / 90°17'W | 35°43'N / 90°09'W | 10.20 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Mississippi |
| 49.4 | 2008-02-05 | 2 | 35°24'N / 89°19'W | 35°33'N / 89°04'W | 17.00 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0K | Haywood |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado crossed into Haywood County from Fayette County. The tornado produced EF-2 damage in Dancyville. One home was destroyed and another suffered severe damage. A church also had major damage and numerous large trees were uprooted. The tornado continued northeast and caused destruction in Hillville. Two mobile homes were totally destroyed and one house had major damage. A convenience store also suffered roof damage. In addition, an outbuilding was completely flattened and large trees were uprooted or snapped. Several other homes had minor damage along the path. The tornado continued northeast eventually crossing into Madison County. Cleanup costs incurred by Haywood County totaled $168,980. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into West Tennessee. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours. | |||||||||||
| 49.5 | 1999-01-17 | 3 | 35°25'N / 89°11'W | 35°27'N / 89°07'W | 7.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 100K | 0 | Haywood |
| Brief Description: The tornado started southeast of Eurekaton in Haywood County and travelled northeast crossing into Madison County eventually reaching the north part of the city of Jackson. In Haywood county, seven houses, five mobile homes, five barns and seven sheds were destroyed. In Madison county, the tornado damaged or destroyed several homes in Mercer and Denmark. While moving toward Jackson, the tornado struck the south side of McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport damaging the ASOS equipment located at the airport. The new Tennessee National Guard armory and a hangar were flattened. Two UH-60 helicopters and two other helicopters were destroyed with four additional helicopters damaged. In Jackson, a total of 38 apartments were destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 49.7 | 1952-08-03 | 2 | 34°22'N / 89°31'W | 0.30 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lafayette | |
| 49.8 | 1978-01-07 | 3 | 35°09'N / 90°52'W | 35°16'N / 90°35'W | 17.90 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Cross |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.