Alert archive / Arkansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Little Rock, AR

May 20, 20156 counties in Arkansas

NWS Little Rock, AR issued this flash flood warning at May 20, 2015, 6:14 AM CDT for 6 counties in Arkansas. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 20, 2015, 6:14 AM CDT (11:14 UTC)
Expired: May 20, 2015, 9:00 AM CDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Little Rock, AR
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Johnson County, AR, Logan County, AR, Pope County, AR, Scott County, AR, Van Buren County, AR, Yell County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:17 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 00:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 184 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1208 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 136 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 205 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 20, 4:17 AM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 4:17 AM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 5:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
500 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-211000-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
500 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING EASTWARD
ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH THE CHANCES OF
ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN LOW...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL
HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...INCREASING THE THREAT OF FLASH
FLOODING IN SOME AREAS.

THE ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND SHIFT EAST OF ARKANSAS BY
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

WE CAN EXPECT A BRIEF RESPITE IN THE UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN ON
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION.

THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM EVENTUALLY SHIFT EAST OF
ARKANSAS LATER ON FRIDAY. MEANWHILE...A NEW STORM SYSTEM WILL FORM
TO THE SOUTHWEST.

THE NEW SYSTEM WILL BE SLOWED BY A STRENGTHENING UPPER RIDGE TO THE
EAST...ALLOWING MOISTURE TO BUILD FROM KANSAS TO TEXAS.
EVENTUALLY...THIS MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO WORK INTO THE AREA OVER
THE WEEKEND. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL GO UP...AND RAIN COULD BE
HEAVY AT TIMES.

THIS POTENTIAL HEAVY RAIN EVENT WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY. THE
GROUND IS NEARLY SATURATED AND RIVERS ARE RUNNING HIGH. IF THE EVENT
MATERIALIZES...FLASH FLOODING AND MORE RIVER FLOODING WILL BECOME
CONCERNS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

&&

VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND
CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

44

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 3:38 AM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
338 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

ARZ031-038-039-041>043-200925-
CONWAY AR-GARLAND AR-MONTGOMERY AR-PERRY AR-SALINE AR-YELL AR-
338 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN YELL...EXTREME
NORTHWESTERN SALINE...WESTERN PERRY...MONTGOMERY...WESTERN GARLAND
AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CONWAY COUNTIES UNTIL 430 AM CDT...

AT 336 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DANVILLE TO 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FOURCHE VALLEY TO 5 MILES EAST OF
MUDDY CREEK WMA TO 3 MILES NORTH OF MAULDIN TO 5 MILES WEST OF
MIMOSA...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MT IDA...             LAKE OUACHITA...      DANVILLE...
  PLAINVIEW...          PETIT JEAN RIVER WMA...
  OLA...                NORMAN...             NIMROD LAKE...
  MIMOSA...             MEYERS...             MAULDIN...
  LENA LNDG REC AREA... LAKE OUACHITA SP...   GAP CREEK REC AREA...
  WING...               WASHITA...            SUNLIGHT BAY PARK...
  STORY...

THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!

LAT...LON 3512 9294 3490 9289 3477 9304 3463 9315
      3445 9328 3443 9390 3465 9374 3477 9365
      3486 9351 3505 9348
TIME...MOT...LOC 0839Z 266DEG 31KT 3502 9340 3486 9339
          3478 9353 3463 9363 3448 9379

44

Special weather statement, May 20, 4:20 AM CDT, 1 hour 54 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
420 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

ARZ031-038-039-041>044-054-201005-
CONWAY AR-GARLAND AR-HOT SPRING AR-MONTGOMERY AR-PERRY AR-PULASKI
AR-SALINE AR-YELL AR-
420 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN YELL...NORTHWESTERN
SALINE...EXTREME NORTHWESTERN PULASKI...PERRY...EASTERN MONTGOMERY...
EXTREME NORTHERN HOT SPRING...GARLAND AND SOUTHWESTERN CONWAY
COUNTIES UNTIL 500 AM CDT...

AT 417 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR PETIT JEAN
RIVER WMA TO 6 MILES SOUTH OF NIMROD LAKE TO 2 MILES SOUTH OF LENA
LNDG REC AREA TO 5 MILES WEST OF MEYERS...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  PERRYVILLE...         MORRILTON...          LAKE OUACHITA...
  LAKE HAMILTON...      HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE...
  HOT SPRINGS...        PINEY...              WILLIAMS JUNCTION...
  SEQUOYA PARK...       ROCKWELL...
  PETIT JEAN STATE PARK...
  PETIT JEAN RIVER WMA...                     PERRY...
  OPPELO...             OLA...                NIMROD LAKE...
  MOUNTAIN PINE...      MEYERS...

THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!

LAT...LON 3516 9271 3491 9264 3468 9269 3442 9295
      3442 9353 3465 9331 3488 9327 3507 9329
TIME...MOT...LOC 0920Z 266DEG 31KT 3506 9319 3488 9316
          3463 9322 3447 9341

44

Special weather statement, May 20, 5:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
501 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

ARZ022-031-032-038-039-042>044-054-055-201045-
CONWAY AR-FAULKNER AR-GARLAND AR-GRANT AR-HOT SPRING AR-PERRY AR-POPE
AR-PULASKI AR-SALINE AR-YELL AR-
501 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME NORTHEASTERN YELL...
SALINE...WESTERN PULASKI...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN POPE...EASTERN
PERRY...NORTHEASTERN HOT SPRING...NORTHWESTERN GRANT...SOUTHEASTERN
GARLAND...SOUTHWESTERN FAULKNER AND SOUTHERN CONWAY COUNTIES UNTIL
545 AM CDT...

AT 458 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR PETIT JEAN
STATE PARK TO 2 MILES NORTH OF LAKE SYLVIA TO 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
LAKE WINONA TO 4 MILES EAST OF LAKE BALBOA TO 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
HOT SPRINGS...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WEST LITTLE ROCK...   SW LITTLE ROCK...     PERRYVILLE...
  MORRILTON...          MAUMELLE...           LAKE MAUMELLE...
  CONWAY...             BRYANT...             BENTON...
  LAKE CATHERINE...     WOOSTER...            WILLIAMS JUNCTION...
  TULL...               TRASKWOOD...          TOAD SUCK...
  SHANNON HILLS...      SEQUOYA PARK...       ROLAND...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 30 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 100 AND 133.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 105 AND 151.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 430 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 12.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 630 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 3 AND 7.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!

LAT...LON 3521 9243 3496 9231 3479 9229 3469 9232
      3441 9255 3440 9308 3463 9292 3478 9288
      3490 9290 3516 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 1002Z 267DEG 30KT 3511 9289 3491 9279
          3478 9276 3465 9281 3448 9296

44

Special weather statement, May 20, 5:38 AM CDT, 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
538 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

ARZ031>033-039-043>045-055-056-201125-
CONWAY AR-FAULKNER AR-GRANT AR-JEFFERSON AR-LONOKE AR-PERRY
AR-PULASKI AR-SALINE AR-WHITE AR-
538 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN WHITE...SOUTHEASTERN
SALINE...PULASKI...EXTREME NORTHEASTERN PERRY...NORTHWESTERN
LONOKE...NORTHWESTERN JEFFERSON...NORTHEASTERN GRANT...SOUTHERN
FAULKNER AND SOUTHEASTERN CONWAY COUNTIES UNTIL 630 AM CDT...

AT 536 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES EAST OF
MENIFEE TO NEAR MAYFLOWER TO 2 MILES NORTH OF WEST LITTLE ROCK TO
NEAR OTTER CREEK TO NEAR HASKELL...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WEST LITTLE ROCK...   SW LITTLE ROCK...     SHERWOOD...
  N LITTLE ROCK ARPT... NORTH LITTLE ROCK...  MAUMELLE...
  LITTLE ROCK AFB...    JACKSONVILLE...
  DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK...                     CONWAY...
  CABOT...              BRYANT...             BENTON...
  WRIGHTSVILLE...       WOOSTER...            VILONIA...
  TULL...               TRASKWOOD...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 30 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 115 AND 142.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 115 AND 171.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 430 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 12.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 440 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 14.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 530 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 19.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 630 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 7.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN!

LAT...LON 3523 9210 3497 9195 3483 9194 3470 9197
      3445 9215 3444 9269 3467 9255 3479 9252
      3495 9252 3519 9262
TIME...MOT...LOC 1038Z 267DEG 30KT 3514 9248 3495 9240
          3480 9239 3467 9244 3449 9260

44

Local storm report, May 20, 6:02 AM CDT, 12 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 20, 6:04 AM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
604 AM CDT WED MAY 20 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0540 AM     FLASH FLOOD      CAULKSVILLE             35.30N 93.87W
05/20/2015                   LOGAN              AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WATER OVER THE ROAD ON HWY 22 NEAR CAULKSVILLE.

&&

65

The office that day

Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 20, 1:54 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LZK	Logan, Scott	46 min
May 20, 2:38 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LZK	Scott, Yell	47 min
May 20, 2:56 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Polk, Scott	3 hr
May 20, 3:38 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LZK	Montgomery, Perry, Yell	47 min
May 20, 4:03 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Logan, Scott	3 hr
May 20, 4:20 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LZK	Garland, Perry	45 min
May 20, 5:01 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LZK	Pulaski, Saline	44 min
May 20, 5:38 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LZK	Faulkner, Pulaski	47 min
May 20, 5:43 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Pope, Van Buren	3 hr
May 20, 5:59 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Garland, Logan, Montgomery, Perry, Polk, Scott and 1 more	3 hr
May 20, 6:51 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Grant, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lonoke, Pulaski, Saline	3 hr
May 20, 8:19 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LZK	Conway, Perry	8 days
May 20, 8:30 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LZK	Yell	4 days
May 20, 8:37 AM CDT	River Flood Advisory	LZK	Faulkner, Perry	36 hr
May 20, 9:01 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LZK	Clark, Hot Spring	4 days
May 20, 9:07 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	LZK	Saline	54 hr
May 20, 4:34 PM CDT	River Flood Advisory	LZK	Jefferson, Lincoln	36 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Arkansas, 2015 Every flash flood warning in 2015

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.