Memphis, Tennessee, Weather Turns Severe Early in January

The cold front that has swept the country since last week finally hit the Mid South early this week, producing severe thunderstorms and the threat of tornadoes.

Winds over 20 miles per hour have been beating against Mid South homes for the last couple of days. The cold front entered the South encountering 70 degree weather in Memphis, even heat up to 73 degrees at Memphis International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. This clash caused increased winds and the ominous clouds that have been hanging around the last two days released their rain and stirred up a few strong storms in the area.

The storms were strong, producing hail, strong winds, and heavy rains. Memphis and the rest of West Tennessee was under a severe thunderstorm warning and tornado watch today as winds scattered tree branches and other debris throughout the streets of the city.

Nothing is unusual about severe weather in Memphis and the Mid South, the only thing unusual about this event is the fact that it occurred in January.

Still, Memphis may have been more prepared for this line of storms than other areas of the country, such as the residents of Wisconsin who were surprised by a tornado.

According to NBC Nightly News, one person in Arkansas and three in Missouri have been killed by the storms. This string of storms is part of a long line that has caused over 35 tornadoes and a countless amount of damage.

The storms moved quickly out of the Memphis area. The strong storms were moving 50 to 65 miles per hour and moved past the area leaving damage, Flash Flood Warnings, and Wind Advisories behind.

Thankfully the heavy rains and strong winds did not cause severe damage in Memphis or Shelby County, but the tornadoes produced significant damage in Arkansas and Dyer and Lauderdale County, Tennessee.

The storms thankfully did not hit Shelby County badly but they did cause minor problems for me, preventing a trip due to the possibility of tornadoes. Not traveling during the afternoon storms is only one precaution taken because of the severe weather in Memphis. It was better to stay at home and wait all afternoon for the storms to pass rather than risk the tornado and straight winds that destroyed houses and overturned semi trucks in Arkansas and other areas of Tennessee.

Now that the storms have moved out of the region, residents will assess the damage and start to rebuild. Like always local communities will come together to help those hardest hit by the storms. This early severe weather will bring the Mid South together and prepare us for what is shaping up to be a strong and violent storm season.