The Mid Southern Outbreak of 2019 was a major outbreak that hit areas mainly in the Memphis Metro Area, but also effected the Eastern suburbs of Little Rock, the Northern suburbs of Birmingham, the Western suburbs of Nashville and the extreme southern parts of the Paduch Metro. It lasted 1 day ,
Information is listed below:
- Tornado Count: EF0: 77, EF1: 52, EF2: 33, EF3: 15, EF4: 3, EF5: 1
- Strongest Tornado: EF5, Desoto Tornado, 216 MPH
- Death Count: 99
- Damage Estimates: 20.4 billion
May 28th[]
The NHC on the early morning of May 28th issued a Moderate Risk for parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Missouri Bootheel, all around the Memphis Area. They looked at the Shear, CAPE and Instabilty, and saw that it was at a very abnormal high. The CAPE was measured at 10832, and there was way above normal amounts of shear and instabilty. The NHC upgraded the Moderate Risk to a High Risk, and they also expanded it to include parts of the Little Rock Metro and Alabama, the first one in the area since the 2008 Super Tuesday Outbreak.
The first major tornado of the outbreak formed around 11:22 AM, in West Memphis, Arkansas. The tornado quickly intensified to a EF3, then an EF4. The NWS in Memphis issued a Tornado Emergency for Crittenden County, Northern Shelby County and parts of Tipton county. The tornado then crossed the Mississippi River into Tipton County. It quickly died out, but it did cause some damage to the Morgan-Shelby Forest.
The second major tornado formed in Desoto County, MS, at 1:10 PM. It breifly crossed over into Shelby County, before going in a circle and going back into Desoto County. As it approched the city of Walls, it intensified at lighting speed. In 5 minutes, it went from being a EF1 to a high-end EF4. It hit the city of Walls, completly destorying the city. It became a EF5 a few minutes later. A Tornado Emergency was issued for parts of Shelby County and almost all of Desoto County. The tornado then hit the city of Lake Comorat and completly destoryed it. It then entered the city of Horn Lake, shredding it to pieces almost. It then entered the city of Southaven as it went along I-55, causing severe damage to major highways and roads such as Goodman Road and I-55. It hit Southaven High School and destoryed it. It died out just before reaching Memphis.