5/01/2010 NOW: TX/AR/TN/MS

[Jonathan Whitehead]

TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN DESOTO Co & SOUTHERN SHELBY Co. This includes parts of Memphis Metro. This is a very high dollar populated area. NQA radar detects low level couplet on radar. Take precautions NOW!!!

www.wreg.com streaming LIVE

 

[Jonathan Whitehead]

FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY IN MEMPHIS, TN

wreg.com reports high water rescue in extreme northern Shelby Co east of Millington

The Med hospital in downtown Memphis is reporting first floor flooding and is directing incoming ER patients to other hospitals. and that is one of Memphis' major trauma hospitals

Highway 54 and 51 in Tipton Co is CLOSED due to high water flooding

Weatherbug weathernet stations across Memphis reporting 3-5" of rain already since Midnight and much more is to come

 

[George Tincher]

Just thought I'd relay a report from Dave Marshall in chat for anyone approaching the threat area from the East:

(12:42 PM) Dave Marshall-PA: Guys, spread the word if you can. I-40 is closed, all lanes both directions at mile 59 in Tennessee between Jackson, TN and Memphis
(12:43 PM) Dave Marshall-PA: most surface streets are becoming impassible

It appears the flooding situation keeps worsening and will certainly play a major role in navigating the threat area today. Be safe everyone.

 

[Jonathan Whitehead]

I been monitoring a bow echo over the last half hour from Fayette Co, TN thats now moved into Madison and Hardeman Co.
Impressive inbound-outbound sig on velocity

Its worth noting that Weatherbug weathernet station in Jackson has reported 5" of rain since midnight and this bow is just going to exacerbate the flash flooding situation along with the damaging wind threat

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Man, that's a strong, large couplet from GWX on the supercell NW Of Tupelo right now! Latest mesoanalysis data support a strong tornado potential with the convection in MS at this time, with Sig Tor values in the 5-6 range, 0-1km SRH > 400 m2/s2, and 0-1 km shear on the order of 40 kts. There's not a lot of heating ahead of that convection, but the cap is weak and the maritime moisture (Tds > 70) has spread well inland.

Looks like perhaps two areas of strong rotation on that wet-looking supercell:
CLICK HERE FOR SRV1/BR1 image valid 1845 UTC
Near the time of the image above:
AT 200 PM CDT...NEW ALBANY POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED ROOFS REMOVED
FROM HOUSES AND DOWNED TREES ALONG THE PATH OF THE TORNADO BETWEEN
RIPLEY AND DUMAS.

 

[Jeff Piotrowski]

Brian Stertz and I are eastbound into LIT area...possible CI on boundary sw of LIT andx on edge of strong cap behind first departing wave. Long day ahead as sfc low tracks virtually up the I-30 corridor thru tonight. Looks like multiple rounds of dangerour supercells capable of baseball hail and potentially Ef3 + tornadoes. The most serious environment will lie along the I-40 corridor from LIT to MEM

 

[Mike Johnston]

Outflow boundary analyzed on radar, just SE of Little Rock - looks practically stationary, maybe drifting just slowly southward. Could be a focus of initiation over the next few hours.

 

[Andrew Stoller]

Looks like a parcel/cumulus tower has finally popped through with an echo around Hot Springs. Expect convection to explode within the next few hours across AR.

:edit: towers are really exploding along the boundary Mike Johnston mentioned.

 

[Jeff House]

First two cells along I-30 and I-40 respectively appear to have struggled with what remains of the cap, as of 5pm local. Probably looking at another hour until some sups get rooted well and go nuts at or shortly after 6pm local. Sfc winds have increased to the Goldilocks speed near 20 knots, perfect for good inflow before the sups locally increase inflow even more. Happy chasing and hope they stay away from populated areas.

 

[jeremy wilson]

Sitting in Pine Bluff playing the waiting game. Looks like some nice towering cu going up in south AR and north LA fairly rapidly. Expect things to explode within the next hour. Gonna sit here and cherry pick my supe as they head my way.

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

haven't seen the diurnal heating taking place here in Nashville that was expected to help these storms fire however Visible Satellite Imagery shows clearing off to the west of Memphis which could raise the the potential threat level for wrn TN and Mid-TN into the night.

a friend of mine from Jackson was leaving memhpis this morning and shot this from his jeep. Video imagery is of 40E coming out of memphis heading towards Jackson. reports out of memphis have noted as much as 15" of rain have fallen since last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ-l5ZKKwmw

 

[DHJohnson]

I'm working as weather observer here at Shreveport Regional Airport this evening. Towering cumulus is going up fairly rapidly about 25 miles NW and NE and will be approaching the LA/AR border shortly. Clouds to my south are struggling, probably in part due to a fairly stout cap ~ 700MB that has yet to erode.

 

[Chad Cowan]

Lots of discrete updrafts becoming established along the front from Memphis to Texarkana and also way out into the warm sector in northern Louisiana. A large area of strong surface heating with the first real tropical airmass of the year (89/73 in SHV) beneath a 70kt mid level jet means lots of supercells... throw in a rapidly strengthening LLJ out of the south and we've got the perfect setting for multiple strong tornadoes. It's going to be a very long night.

 

[Gabe Garfield]

Just saw a possible tornado (funnel 2/3 to the ground) under a 35-40 dBz echo 5-10 WSW of Wynne, AR. I cannot believe how fast it produced! Heading SW toward LZK.

 

[Jonathan Whitehead]

Im really liking the HOT storm, I bet it mesos here shortly, best storm on radar in the region.