Tornado in Arkansas, April 22, 1996

Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Arkansas during the late evening of April 21st and early morning of April 22nd. The storms spawned 3 tornadoes in northwest Arkansas, and also produced damaging winds and large hail.The first two tornadoes were produced by the same supercell thunderstorm which moved out of eastern Oklahoma across northwest Arkansas. The first tornado formed just across the Arkansas border in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, and quickly crossed the Arkansas River into the city of Fort Smith at 2212CST. The tornado moved northeast through Fort Smith and entered Crawford County and the town of Van Buren at 2218CST. The tornado continued northeast and lifted at 2228CST 1 mile south of Rudy. 2 young children were killed in Fort Smith, 40 people were injured in Sebastian County, and 49 people were injured in Crawford County.In Sebastian County, 35 homes were destroyed, 120 homes sustained major damage, 1133 homes had minor damage, and 88 businesses were damaged or destroyed. Several brick buildings in downtown Fort Smith were either damaged or destroyed. In Crawford County, 463 homes were destroyed, 500 homes sustained major damage, 142 homes had minor damage, 246 apartment units were damaged, and 10 businesses were damaged or destroyed. The tornado was on the ground for a total of 10 miles and reached a maximum width of 0.6 miles in both Fort Smith and Van Buren. The maximum intensity of the tornado was rated as F2 in Sebastian County and F3 in Crawford County.The second tornado touched down at 2315CST 3 miles south of St. Paul and moved northeast for 15 miles before lifting at 2340CST 2 miles northeast of Venus. A man and his son were killed south of St. Paul when their mobile home was destroyed by the tornado, and 6 people were injured in Madison County by the tornado. The tornado destroyed 8 homes and damaged a church, and reached a maximum width of 0.6 miles. The maximum intensity of the tornado was rated as F3.The third tornado touched down at 0108CST in the town of Natural Dam and remained on the ground for 1 mile before lifting at 0110CST 1 mile east of Natural Dam. Several homes were damaged by the 100 yard tornado, and the tornado was rated as F1 in intensity.Damaging straight-line winds also occurred with the storms. Strong thunderstorm winds destroyed 1 home and 1 trailer house near Venus, injuring 2 people, and a trailer house was blown over in Venus. Strong winds destroyed a mobile home in Pettigrew and damaged a mobile home 2 miles west of St. Paul. A barn was destroyed, two houses were blown off their foundations, and a roof was blown off a house 2 miles north of Witter, and a roof was blown off a barn in Witter. Trees were downed and a roof was blown off a house 2 miles north of Rudy, and large tree limbs were downed and a roof was blown off a house 1 mile east of St. Paul. A roof was blown off a home at a cemetery in St. Paul, and trees and large tree limbs were also blown down in St. Paul, resulting in a gas line being broken. Fallen tree limbs damaged a boat and a vehicle in St. Paul.Windows were blown out of a home in Van Buren, and thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew the front porch off a home on High Street in Fort Smith and downed numerous signs and large tree limbs in Fort Smith. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 60 miles an hour in Eureka Springs.Large hail also accompanied the storms. Softball size hail fell 3 miles west of Combs and near Combs, baseball size hail fell at Combs and at St. Paul, and 2 inch diameter hail fell 1 mile east of St. Paul. The hail broke 4 or 5 car windshields in St. Paul. Golfball size hail in Fayetteville caused 9 million dollars damage to homes and vehicles. 2000 homes and 2500 vehicles were damaged by the hail in Fayetteville. Golfball size hail destroyed a roof in Hindsville, and golfball size hail also fell at Farmington, at Prairie Grove, and at Greenland. Quarter size hail fell in Japton and 2 miles southwest of Japton, and dime size hail fell in Fort Smith.