Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 57, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 4, 1999Benton County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 4, 1999, 1:54 PM CDT for Benton County, Arkansas. It was in force for 51 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 4, 1999, 1:54 PM CDT (18:54 UTC)
Expired: May 4, 1999, 2:45 PM CDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties

County Benton County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 117 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:47 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 4, 2:25 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Monte Ne, AR	A manufactured home was damaged by a falling tree.
May 4, 2:30 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Gentry, AR	A large tree was blown down.
May 4, 2:50 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Gentry, AR	Several large tree limbs were blown down.

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 4, 11:00 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 74 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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.

999 
WFUS54 KTSA 041857 RRA
TORTUL
ARC007-041945-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
154 PM CDT TUE MAY 4 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR
  BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 245 PM CDT

* AT 154 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG
  ROTATION 10 MILES SOUTH OF LOWELL. MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH...
  THIS DANGEROUS STORM COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME.
  ANOTHER INTENSIFYING STORM WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST BENTON COUNTY
  INTO THE GRAVETTE AREA. 

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... WAR EAGLE   
LOWELL AND THE BEAVER LAKE AREA.

IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW IF NO
UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS

VERY HEAVY RAIN MAY MAKE THIS TORNADO INVISIBLE - TAKE COVER NOW IF
YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR IT COMING IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO
A SAFE PLACE.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. GO TO A SAFE
PLACE NOW

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.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 4, 11:20 AM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 11:20 AM CDT, 2 hours 34 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

Local storm report, May 4, 9:20 AM CDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
920 AM CDT TUE MAY 04 1999

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

0740 AM    4 N HOMINY                OK    TORNADO
05/04/99   OSAGE                           SPOTTERS REPORTED A
                                           BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN.

0830 AM    1 S PANAMA                OK    .75 INCH HAIL
05/04/99   LE

0912 AM    5 W HOMINY                OK    60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/04/99   OSAGE

0916 AM    5 W HOMINY                OK    .75 INCH HAIL
05/04/99   OSAGE

Local storm report, May 4, 12:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1248 PM CDT TUE MAY 04 1999

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

1220 PM    4 S KEOTA                 OK    WIND DAMAGE
05/04/99   HASKELL                         BARNS DESTROYED...POWER
                                           LINES DOWN... AND
                                           NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
                                           ALONG HWY 26 BETWEEN
                                           MCCURTAIN AND KEOTA.

Special weather statement, May 4, 1:00 PM CDT, 54 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.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 4, 2:46 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Benton	44 min
May 4, 8:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Sebastian	68 min
May 4, 9:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Franklin	39 min
May 4, 9:56 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll, Madison	34 min
May 4, 12:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Crawford, Washington	46 min
May 4, 1:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Washington	41 min
May 4, 2:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford	51 min
May 4, 2:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton, Washington	45 min
May 4, 3:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Sebastian	52 min
May 4, 3:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford	37 min
May 4, 3:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Franklin	47 min
May 4, 3:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Madison	47 min
May 4, 5:04 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TSA	Benton	86 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1999 Every tornado warning in 1999 Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.