Arkansas, 1997

Tornado in Arkansas, March 1, 1997

March 1, 1997 · NWS LZK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The same thunderstorm that produced the tornadoes in Arkadelphia and in Little Rock spawned another tornado in Lonoke County. The tornado touched down about 2 miles north of Furlow near the intersection of Highways 89 and 236.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
3
Property damage
$150,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS LZK wrote it up.

The same thunderstorm that produced the tornadoes in Arkadelphia and in Little Rock spawned another tornado in Lonoke County. The tornado touched down about 2 miles north of Furlow near the intersection of Highways 89 and 236. The tornado traveled northeastward, downing trees and removing sections of roofing from a couple of homes. One frame home was destroyed and a large utility tower was also blown down. Much of the damage along the tornado's path was F0 and F1. However, damage to the utility tower was consistent with an F2 rating.

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Lonoke

When
March 1, 4:02 PM CST to 4:04 PM CST
Where
Lonoke County, Furlow to 2 mi NNE of Furlow
Rating
F2
Path length
2.3 mi
Path width
100 yd
Injuries
3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$150,000
Coordinates
34.870, -91.980

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 1997Warnings in Arkansas, March 1997

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: 5600781.