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Here is a blurb from the January 1900 issue on Winter Thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms in midwinter are not unknown in the Lower Mississippi Valley,but it seldom happens that such an
electrical disturbance as that of December 10th occurs even in summer. During the past ten years nine thunderstorms
have been recorded at Vicksburg during the month of December, in some cases two in one month. 1892, 1895, and 1896 alone
escaped a visit from these intruders of the summer months, and upon only one occasion has more rain fallen in
twenty-four hours in the month of December than fell in this storm. The records covering a period of twenty-nine years
give but eight cases where over 5 inches of precipitation occurred in twenty-four hours, and but four cases where it
was heavier than on December 10th. The storm was particularly noticeable at Vicksburg where the thunder and lightning
held sway throughout the day and into the night. The street railway tracks were washed out in many places. South of Jackson
the tracks of the Illinois Central R.R. were washed out, and many other cases of damage of a less extensive character were
reported. Heavy Rain had been falling since early in the morning of the 10th and continued almost without intermission
throughout the day, accompanied at times by vivid lightning and terrific peals of thunder. The climax was reached about
5 p.m. when the rain fell in torrents and the thunder and lightning was extremely severe. This storm was by no means
limited to Vicksburg. A review of the reports for that day show it to have been rather widespread, but the greatest
precipitation was confined to the southwestern counties of the State. The line of 8 inches for the storm passes through
eastern Wilkinson, across Franklin, western Copiah, north of Edwards in Hinds, and thence southwestward across southern
Warren County, the heaviest being 8.79 inches at Woodville, Edwards 8.22 inches, Port Gibson 8.83 inches, and Fayette at
7.85 inches. The major portions of these amounts fell on Sunday the 10th between 10 am and 10 pm.
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