On July 22, 2003, a progressive derecho with straight-line winds in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) struck Crittenden, DeSoto, Fayette, and Shelby Counties, including the city of Memphis.

Two individuals were left dead as a direct result of the storm, with several more deaths due to fires caused by unattended candles or generator accidents.

As the storm crossed the Mississippi River into Downtown Memphis, a barge recorded an unofficial wind reading of 108 mph (174 km/h).

Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton said in a CNBC interview that he was "Feeling a bit lonely, because it seems that from a national perspective it never happened.

In 2009, the United States Department of Homeland Security claimed that the city of Memphis owed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) $2 million.