Memphis woke up steamy and a little soggy on Wednesday, with muggy, partly cloudy skies and temperatures hovering around 68°F after overnight rounds of severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rain across the Mid-South. The line of storms packed strong wind gusts and triggered localized flooding that shut parts of Highway 51 in DeSoto County and scattered branches and debris across some neighborhood streets. Drivers out before dawn ran into slow spots and standing water on low-lying surface roads.
This Morning's Impact
Overnight, the National Weather Service in Memphis issued multiple flash flood warnings and a Tornado Watch as storms rolled through. Forecasters warned that “damaging winds and spin-up tornadoes are the primary concerns.” According to NWS Memphis, radar showed intense rain rates and several reports of ponding and roadway flooding across Shelby and DeSoto counties.
DeSoto County officials say Highway 51 was briefly closed, and the Southaven Community Safe Room at 7312 Highway 51 N was opened for residents who needed shelter, per DeSoto County News.
Today And The Week Ahead
Conditions should gradually dry out through the day, with mostly cloudy to partly sunny skies and a high near 73°F, along with north northwest winds around 10 mph. A slight chance of showers lingers on Wednesday night, and scattered light rain is possible on Friday, but no severe storms are expected later in the week. The weekend looks dry and pleasant with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s before a warmup early next week.
Stay Safe
Avoid driving through flooded roadways and follow local advisories if you encounter standing water or downed lines. For updates on closures and local sheltering, see DeSoto County News and our round two of storms and the broader storm threat.
