Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 11, 1979

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 11, 1979
Start: 1979-04-11T07:10
End: 1979-04-11T18:08
Location: Arkansas

April 11, 1979 · NWS ATA · 43 events in 34 counties and zones

26 thunderstorm wind, 15 tornado, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 21
Property damage: $10 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 43

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

26 thunderstorm wind, 15 tornado, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Conway

When: April 11, 7:10 AM CST
Where: Conway County
Rating: F2
Path length: 5.4 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.270, -92.800

Tornado, Stone

When: April 11, 8:42 AM CST
Where: Stone County
Rating: F1
Path length: 8.7 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.780, -92.300

Tornado, Washington

When: April 11, 10:02 AM CST
Where: Washington County
Rating: F2
Path length: 11.1 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.830, -94.380

Hail, Washington

When: April 11, 10:26 AM CST
Where: Washington County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.180, -94.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: April 11, 10:33 AM CST
Where: Benton County
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: April 11, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Washington County
Coordinates: 36.130, -94.230

Tornado, Sevier

When: April 11, 11:31 AM CST
Where: Sevier County
Rating: F2
Path length: 10 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.130, -94.470

Tornado, Polk

When: April 11, 11:39 AM CST
Where: Polk County
Rating: F2
Path length: 20.1 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Injuries: 17 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 34.250, -94.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Pope

When: April 11, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Pope County
Coordinates: 35.330, -93.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Buren

When: April 11, 1:55 PM CST
Where: Van Buren County
Coordinates: 35.500, -92.500

Tornado, Nevada

When: April 11, 2:10 PM CST
Where: Nevada County
Rating: F2
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.600, -93.370

Tornado, Faulkner

When: April 11, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Faulkner County
Rating: F2
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.300, -92.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Faulkner

When: April 11, 2:20 PM CST
Where: Faulkner County
Coordinates: 35.080, -92.450

Tornado, Saline

When: April 11, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Saline County
Rating: F2
Path length: 16.1 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 34.550, -92.330

Tornado, Pulaski

When: April 11, 3:10 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Rating: F2
Path length: 9.6 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.680, -92.100

Thunderstorm Wind, Fulton

When: April 11, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Fulton County
Coordinates: 36.270, -91.680

Tornado, Lonoke

When: April 11, 3:40 PM CST
Where: Lonoke County
Rating: F2
Path length: 14.6 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.770, -91.970

Thunderstorm Wind, White

When: April 11, 3:40 PM CST
Where: White County
Coordinates: 35.250, -91.750

Tornado, Fulton

When: April 11, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Fulton County
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 36.500, -91.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: April 11, 3:45 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Coordinates: 34.180, -91.880

Tornado, White

When: April 11, 3:50 PM CST
Where: White County
Rating: F1
Path length: 6.5 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250
Coordinates: 35.070, -91.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: April 11, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Union County
Coordinates: 33.200, -92.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Pulaski

When: April 11, 3:56 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates: 34.920, -92.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Ashley

When: April 11, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Ashley County
Coordinates: 33.130, -91.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: April 11, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jackson County
Coordinates: 35.630, -91.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Independence

When: April 11, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Independence County
Coordinates: 35.700, -91.450

Tornado, Ashley

When: April 11, 4:10 PM CST
Where: Ashley County
Rating: F2
Path length: 10.4 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 33.150, -91.950

Hail, Pulaski

When: April 11, 4:12 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.670, -92.270

Tornado, Lawrence

When: April 11, 4:35 PM CST
Where: Lawrence County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 36.120, -91.150

Thunderstorm Wind, Drew

When: April 11, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Drew County
Coordinates: 33.630, -91.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Craighead

When: April 11, 4:45 PM CST
Where: Craighead County
Coordinates: 35.830, -90.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Clay

When: April 11, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Clay County
Coordinates: 36.330, -90.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Chicot

When: April 11, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Chicot County
Coordinates: 33.520, -91.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Arkansas

When: April 11, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Arkansas County
Coordinates: 34.300, -91.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When: April 11, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Greene County
Coordinates: 36.070, -90.520

Tornado, Desha

When: April 11, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Desha County
Rating: F2
Path length: 3.6 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 33.580, -91.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When: April 11, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Lee County
Coordinates: 34.770, -90.750

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Francis

When: April 11, 5:30 PM CST
Where: St. Francis County
Coordinates: 35.130, -90.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Crittenden

When: April 11, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Crittenden County
Coordinates: 35.370, -90.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Cross

When: April 11, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Cross County
Coordinates: 35.270, -90.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Crittenden

When: April 11, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Crittenden County
Coordinates: 35.230, -90.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Sharp

When: April 11, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Sharp County
Coordinates: 36.300, -91.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Mississippi

When: April 11, 6:08 PM CST
Where: Mississippi County
Coordinates: 35.920, -89.920

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 1979 Every state in 1979 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Arkansas, 1979

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 9982398, 9982399, 9982400, 9982401, 9982402, 9982403, 9982404, 9982405, 9982406, 9982407, 9982408, 9982409, 9982410, 9982411, 9982412, 9982413, 9982414, 9982415, 9982416, 9982417, 9982418, 9982419, 9982420, 9982421, 9982422, 9982423, 9982424, 9982425, 9982426, 9981071, 9983278, 9983279, 9983496, 9983497, 9983498, 9983499, 9983500, 9983501, 9983502, 9983503, and more.