Alert archive / Arkansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1999

Flash Flood Warning 42, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 4, 1999Benton County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this flash flood warning at May 4, 1999, 5:04 PM CDT for Benton County, Arkansas. It was in force for 86 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
May 4, 1999, 5:04 PM CDT (22:04 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 1999, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
86 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Benton County, AR

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 116 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:08 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 65 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1999-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 145 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1999-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 7 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
145 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-410 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1235 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KTUL 042209
FFWTUL
ARC007-042330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
504 PM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
  BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 504 PM CDT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH FLOODING
OCCURRING ACROSS MUCH OF BENTON COUNTY.  RECENT HEAVY RAINS WILL
CONTINUE TO RUN OFF INTO CREEKS AND STREAMS DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON HOURS.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING AND THE
FLOODING SHOULD SUBSIDE AROUND 630 PM CDT.

GARFIELD...BELLA VISTA...HIWASSE...CAVE SPRINGS...GATEWAY...PEA
RIDGE...LOWELL...ROGERS AND BENTONVILLE AND ADJACENT COMMUNITIES MAY
BE AFFECTED BY FLASH FLOODING.

LAT...LON 3650 9440 3622 9432 3628 9386 3650 9389

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 4, 11:20 AM CDT, 5 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 11:20 AM CDT, 5 hours 44 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1120 AM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

RUNNING WAY BEHIND THIS MORNING.  HAVE ISSUED UPDATED ZONES TWICE...
ONCE TO UP POPS TO CATEGORICAL NORTH AND LIKELY SOUTH AND ISSUE
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL ZONES...AND SECOND TO HEADLINE THE NEW
TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4PM FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.  IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST
TORNADIC THREAT WILL BE IN THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA WHERE
ATMOSPHERE IS LESS WORKED OVER...WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING
THE BIGGEST THREAT IN THE NORTH.  SEVERE HAIL LOOKS TO BE A
POSSIBILITY JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE.

DID NOT TOUCH SECOND PERIOD AS TIMING OF DRYLINE STILL NOT CERTAIN.
MAY PROLONG SEVERE...HEAVY RAIN THREAT INTO THE EVENING ESPECIALLY
IN EASTERN ZONES WITH FUTURE UPDATES IF NEEDED.

FCSTID = 19

.TUL...
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY ALL ZONES.
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY ALL ZONES.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 1:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-051100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMAAND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS UNTIL 4 PM...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS UNTIL 600 PM...

NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN
OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT AREA WILL SHIFT
TO FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING.

.SYNOPSIS...
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE CURRENTLY SITUATED OVER COLORADO
AND NEW MEXICO WILL DEEPEN AND LIFT NORTHEAST INTO KANSAS BY THIS
EVENING. AN UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WAS CURRENTLY
OVER EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. AT THE SURFACE...A DRYLINE MOVING INTO
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING EAST THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.

.DISCUSSION...
THE UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK CURRENTLY ROTATING AROUND THE LOW WILL
CONTINUE TO ACT AS SOURCE OF LIFT FOR THE FORMATION OF THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. AS A RESULT
OF THE POSITIONING OF THIS FEATURE...NUMEROUS SEVERE STORMS WILL BE
EXPECTED.  VERTICAL WIND PROFILES AND THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY WILL
RESULT IN THE POSSSIBILITY OF TORNADIC SUPERCELLS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
A FEW STRONG TORNADOES.  IN ADDITION...THE PROLONGED THREAT OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...INCREASING
THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING.

THE PROGRESSION OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW AND SURFACE DRYLINE WILL SERVE AS
THE FOCUS FOR A FEW SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL
SHIFT TO FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY THIS EVENING.
THE DRYLINE WILL BE EAST OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY MORNING THUS ENDING
THE SEVERE THREAT OVER ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SHOULD KEEP INFORMED OF THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS.  SPOTTER GROUPS
NOT ALREADY ACTIVATED SHOULD PREPARE FOR ACTIVATION AT ANYTIME THIS
AFTERNOON ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
Local storm report, May 4, 2:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
222 PM CDT TUE MAY 04 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0135 PM    8 S PRAIRIE GROVE         AR    WIND DAMAGE
05/04/99   WASHINGTON                      HOUSE DESTROYED AND
                                           NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.

0205 PM    SPRINGDALE                AR    1 INCH HAIL
05/04/99   WASHINGTON
Local storm report, May 4, 2:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
222 PM CDT TUE MAY 04 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0135 PM    8 S PRAIRIE GROVE         AR    WIND DAMAGE
05/04/99   WASHINGTON                      HOUSE DESTROYED AND
                                           NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.

0205 PM    SPRINGDALE                AR    1 INCH HAIL
05/04/99   WASHINGTON
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
300 PM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

OKZ054>068-070-071-073-042015-

TORNADO WATCH 208 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN

EASTERN OKLAHOMA...
   CHEROKEE       CREEK         CRAIG            DELAWARE
   MAYES          MCINTOSH      MUSKOGEE         NOWATA
   OKFUSKEE       OKMULGEE      OSAGE            OTTAWA
   PAWNEE         PITTSBURG     ROGERS           TULSA
   WAGONER        WASHINGTON
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
300 PM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

OKZ054>068-070-071-073-042015-

TORNADO WATCH 208 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN

EASTERN OKLAHOMA...
   CHEROKEE       CREEK         CRAIG            DELAWARE
   MAYES          MCINTOSH      MUSKOGEE         NOWATA
   OKFUSKEE       OKMULGEE      OSAGE            OTTAWA
   PAWNEE         PITTSBURG     ROGERS           TULSA
   WAGONER        WASHINGTON

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053-069-072-074>076-042015-
TORNADO WATCH 210 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN

EASTERN OKLAHOMA...
   ADAIR          CHOCTAW          HASKELL          LATIMER
   LE FLORE       MCCURTAIN        PUSHMATAHA       SEQUOYAH

NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS...
   BENTON         CARROLL          CRAWFORD         FRANKLIN
   MADISON        SEBASTIAN        WASHINGTON
Special weather statement, May 4, 3:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
354 PM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

OKZ049-053-069-072-074-075-042130

TORNADO WATCH 210 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
IN

EASTERN OKLAHOMA...
   ADAIR          CHOCTAW          HASKELL
   LATIMER        PUSHMATAHA       SEQUOYAH

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ076-042130-
TORNADO WATCH 210 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES IN

EASTERN OKLAHOMA...
   LE FLORE       MCCURTAIN

NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS...
   BENTON         CARROLL          CRAWFORD         FRANKLIN
   MADISON        SEBASTIAN        WASHINGTON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 2:46 AM CDTTornado WarningTSABenton44 min
May 4, 8:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASebastian68 min
May 4, 9:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin39 min
May 4, 9:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACarroll, Madison34 min
May 4, 12:59 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACrawford, Washington46 min
May 4, 1:34 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAWashington41 min
May 4, 1:54 PM CDTTornado WarningTSABenton51 min
May 4, 2:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford51 min
May 4, 2:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSABenton, Washington45 min
May 4, 3:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASebastian52 min
May 4, 3:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford37 min
May 4, 3:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin47 min
May 4, 3:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMadison47 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arkansas, 1999Every flash flood warning in 1999

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.