ACR TURBOPROP DIVERT FROM MEI TO MEM DUE TO SEVERE TURB AND ADVERSE WX.

Narrative

I WAS THE CAPT ON A FLT FROM PINEBELT; MS; TO MERIDIAN; MS. ABOUT 30 MI OUT; PREPARING FOR AN ILS RWY 1 APCH IN MERIDIAN; WE NOTICED WX ON OUR RADAR AND DECIDED TO DEVIATE RATHER THAN FLY THE APCH. UPON DEVIATING; WE STARTED PICKING UP MODERATE TURB; WHICH BECAME SEVERE. OUR RADAR DID NOT SHOW ANY RETURNS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. I CONTACTED DISPATCH TO COORDINATE WHAT I SAW ON MY RADAR TO WHAT HE SAW. HE WAS NO HELP; TELLING ME NOTHING; BUT TO DIRECT TO MEMPHIS. STILL IN SEVERE TURB; WE ASKED THE CTR CTLR IF WE COULD GET HIGHER. A CLB TO 8000 FT WAS REQUESTED AND GRANTED. HE ALSO ADVISED US OF SOME CLEARER WX E OF OUR POS; WHICH WE HEADED FOR. TRYING TO CLB TO 8000 FT; WE ENCOUNTERED EXTREME TURB WITH THE ACFT BEING VIOLENTLY TOSSED AROUND; RESULTING IN THE STALL CLACKER GOING OFF. UNABLE TO CLB AT MAX PWR; WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING WE COULD TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE RIGHT SIDE UP. FINALLY AT 9500 FT; AFTER WE REQUESTED A CLB TO 10000 FT; TURB SUBSIDED. WE HAD NO PIREPS OF SEVERE TURB IN OUR AREA AND WERE NOT AWARE OF IT; BUT WE DID EVERYTHING IN OUR PWR TO REMAIN CLR OF THE WX WE DID SEE ON OUR RADAR. LNDG AT MEMPHIS; OUR ALTERNATE; WAS UNEVENTFUL.