Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1998
Tornado Warning 54, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 9, 1998, 6:27 PM CDT for Greene County, Lawrence County, Arkansas. It was in force for 48 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 9, 1998, 6:27 PM CDT (23:27 UTC)
- Expired
- May 9, 1998, 7:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 48 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Greene County, AR, Lawrence County, AR
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 6:35 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Walnut Ridge, AR | A tornado touched down near Walnut Ridge and moved northeast. One mobile home was destroyed and several others were damaged. Several houses had roof damage. |
| May 9, 6:40 PM CDT | Tornado F1 | Light, AR | A tornado crossed in from Lawrence county and moved northeast toward the town of Light. Several houses were damaged or destroyed. A few trees and power lines were knocked down. |
| May 9, 6:55 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Paragould, AR | A cellular phone tower as well as a few trees and power lines were blown down just west of Paragould. |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
| May 9, 6:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 160 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1496 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 74 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 323 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
408 WFUS1 KMEM 092326 RRA TORMEM ARC055-075-100015- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 627 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... GREENE COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS EXTREME NORTHEASTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS * UNTIL 715 PM CDT * AT 625 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST NORTHEAST OF WALNUT RIDGE..MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE EVENING STAR AREA BY 645 PM. .IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SAFETY IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 9, 5:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-030-031-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>054-088>092-100600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 500 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998 THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI.. EXTREME SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A JONESBORO TO JACKSON TO SAVANNAH LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT TO MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ELSEWHERE IN THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL..NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE. TORNADO WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT EARLY THIS EVENING FOR THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. WATCHES WILL EXPIRE IN RANDOLPH AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS AT 6 PM CDT..AND AT 8 PM IN ALL OTHER AREAS. A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING BRINGING ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. AN ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE..SERVING AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL..STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW DAMAGING TORNADOES. IN ADDITION..LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS OF THE MID SOUTH SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL RADIO..TV OR CABLE TV FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 9, 5:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-030-031-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>054-088>092-100600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 500 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998 THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI.. EXTREME SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A JONESBORO TO JACKSON TO SAVANNAH LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT TO MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ELSEWHERE IN THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL..NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE. TORNADO WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT EARLY THIS EVENING FOR THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. WATCHES WILL EXPIRE IN RANDOLPH AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS AT 6 PM CDT..AND AT 8 PM IN ALL OTHER AREAS. A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING BRINGING ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. AN ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE..SERVING AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL..STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW DAMAGING TORNADOES. IN ADDITION..LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS OF THE MID SOUTH SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL RADIO..TV OR CABLE TV FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 9, 5:30 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-030-031-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>054-088>092-100600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 530 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998 THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI.. EXTREME SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A JONESBORO TO JACKSON TO SAVANNAH LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT TO MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ELSEWHERE IN THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL..NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE. TORNADO WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT EARLY THIS EVENING FOR THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. WATCHES WILL EXPIRE IN RANDOLPH AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS AT 11 PM CDT..AND AT 8 PM IN ALL OTHER AREAS. A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING BRINGING ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. AN ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE..SERVING AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL..STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW DAMAGING TORNADOES. IN ADDITION..LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS OF THE MID SOUTH SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL RADIO..TV OR CABLE TV FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, May 9, 5:30 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017- 020>024-030-031-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>054-088>092-100600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 530 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998 THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI.. EXTREME SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A JONESBORO TO JACKSON TO SAVANNAH LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT TO MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ELSEWHERE IN THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL..NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE. TORNADO WATCHES WERE IN EFFECT EARLY THIS EVENING FOR THE ENTIRE MIDSOUTH. WATCHES WILL EXPIRE IN RANDOLPH AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS AT 11 PM CDT..AND AT 8 PM IN ALL OTHER AREAS. A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING BRINGING ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO ACROSS THE MID SOUTH. AN ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS AND WEST TENNESSEE..SERVING AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOP THIS EVENING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL..STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW DAMAGING TORNADOES. IN ADDITION..LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. RESIDENTS OF THE MID SOUTH SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO..COMMERCIAL RADIO..TV OR CABLE TV FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 12:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead | 34 min |
| May 9, 5:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lawrence, Randolph | 46 min |
| May 9, 6:00 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Randolph | 50 min |
| May 9, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lawrence | 49 min |
| May 9, 6:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead | 62 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes in 1998
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.