SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a DeSoto County flood advisory as heavy Election Night thunderstorms dump rain on the area. The advisory, issued at 8:14 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, covers DeSoto County in northwest Mississippi and Shelby County, Tennessee, and is in effect until 11:15 p.m.
Forecasters said Doppler radar showed heavy rain from thunderstorms, and that 1 to 1.5 inches of rain had already fallen when the advisory was issued. The weather service expects urban and small stream flooding.
Where the DeSoto County Flood Advisory Applies
The weather service listed Southaven and Olive Branch among the places that may see flooding, along with Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Millington, Lakeland and Arlington in Shelby County. Expected impacts include:
Minor flooding in low-lying areas and places with poor drainage
Water over roadways
Rising water in small streams and ditches
A flood advisory is the lowest of the weather service’s flood alerts. It means flooding is expected to be a nuisance but is not expected to be life-threatening. If conditions get worse, forecasters can upgrade it to a flood or flash flood warning.
Safety Tips for Drivers Tonight
The weather service repeated its standard advice: “Turn around, don’t drown.” Most flood deaths happen in vehicles, and it takes only a few inches of moving water to sweep a car off the road. Drivers heading home from polling places and watch parties tonight should:
Avoid driving through water covering a road, even if it looks shallow
Slow down and leave extra room on I-55, I-69, I-269 and Goodman Road, where heavy rain can cause hydroplaning
Watch for ponding at underpasses and low spots
Be careful after dark, when it is hard to see how deep water is
What Comes Next
Earlier Tuesday, the weather service said a line of strong storms would cross the Mid-South over about 18 hours, with 1 to 2 inches of rain in about 12 hours and locally higher totals possible. It also placed the area under a marginal (level 1 of 5) risk of severe storms through midnight, with gusts up to 60 mph and a low tornado chance. Rain is expected to clear Wednesday, followed by drier and cooler weather.
As of this report, there were no official reports of flood damage or road closures in DeSoto County. It is not yet known whether the advisory will be extended past 11:15 p.m. Residents can get the latest alerts at weather.gov/memphis. For the earlier forecast, see our Election Day storm update.
