Arkansas, 1999Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, January 21, 1999
January 21, 1999 · NWS TSA · 17 events in 2 counties and zones
Summary of events for January 21 1999:Three rounds of severe thunderstorms moved across west-central Arkansas during the evening of January 21. The first severe thunderstorm moved across southern and eastern Sebastian County, eventually exiting Franklin County just north of Altus from 630 to 745 PM.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 17
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.
Summary of events for January 21 1999:Three rounds of severe thunderstorms moved across west-central Arkansas during the evening of January 21. The first severe thunderstorm moved across southern and eastern Sebastian County, eventually exiting Franklin County just north of Altus from 630 to 745 PM. Along the way, this storm produced golfball-sized hail and a brief tornado touchdown. The second severe storm followed a similar path but just a little further south from 730 to 845 PM. This storm produced hail as large as baseballs at Milltown. The final severe thunderstorm was more like a short line, causing two reports of nickel-sized hail from opposite ends of Sebastian County and a report of strong winds as it passed through from 1000 to 1045 PM.While severe thunderstorms in January are unusual, the right conditions came together when a dryline moved into very unstable air and then a powerful upper level jet approached the area. The report of baseball-sized hail was the first time that hail that large had ever been reported in the modernized Tulsa County Warning Area during the month of January.
Event by event
13 hail, 2 funnel cloud, 1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 6:35 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Hackett
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 35.180, -94.420
The Sebastian County Sheriffs Office reported quarter-sized hail in Hackett, while the general public reported golfball-sized hail.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 6:53 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, 1 mi W of Greenwood
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 35.220, -94.280
Quarter-sized hail covered the ground. Location of this report: off of AR Hwy 10 Spur west of Greenwood. One home just east of Greenwood lost several windows to the large hail.
Funnel Cloud, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 6:57 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, 1 mi E of Greenwood
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 35.199, -94.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Funnel Cloud, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 7:05 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Ft Chaffee
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 35.199, -94.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Tornado, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 7:11 PM CST to 7:12 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, 2 mi W of Bloomer
- Rating
- F0
- Path length
- 0.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.300, -94.180
Several HAM Radio spotters simultaneously reported a tornado touchdown in an open area near the intersection of AR Hwys 22 and 96. Calls to the area revealed no damage.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 7:15 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, 1 mi N of Bloomer
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.320, -94.150
Hail, Franklin
- When
- January 21, 7:40 PM CST
- Where
- Franklin County, 3 mi SE of Ozark
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 35.470, -93.800
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 7:42 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Hartford
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 35.020, -94.380
Hail, Franklin
- When
- January 21, 7:45 PM CST
- Where
- Franklin County, Altus
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.450, -93.770
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, 2 mi SW of Greenwood
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.200, -94.300
Nearby at Midland, large hail dented several cars.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 8:15 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Witcherville
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.130, -94.270
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 8:18 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, 5 mi SE of Greenwood
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.170, -94.200
Hail of unknown size broke out car windows along Milltown Road 5 miles southeast of Greenwood.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 8:20 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Milltown
- Measured
- 2.75 in hail
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.150, -94.150
Hail, Franklin
- When
- January 21, 8:30 PM CST
- Where
- Franklin County, Charleston
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.300, -94.030
Large hail caused minor roof damage to the Charleston Post Office. Hail covered the ground in Charleston.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Mansfield
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 35.070, -94.230
Thunderstorm Wind, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 10:25 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Barling
- Property damage
- $13,000
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 35.330, -94.300
A barn was blown away by thunderstorm winds. Power lines were also blown down.
Hail, Sebastian
- When
- January 21, 10:30 PM CST
- Where
- Sebastian County, Ft Smith
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 35.380, -94.420
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- 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.
- 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.
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 19993 deaths · 72 injured · F3 · 1 event
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 19992 deaths · 29 injured · F3 · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, January 21 to 22, 199910 injured · $9.8 million · F4 · 36 events
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 19992 deaths · 2 injured · F2 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in Ohio, January 21 to 22, 19992 deaths · 1 injured · 7 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, January 21 to 23, 19992 deaths · 1.75 in hail · 6 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, January 21, 1999$760,000 · F3 · 13 events
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 19991 death · 2 injured · F2 · 1 event
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, January 21 to 22, 19991 death · $290,000 · 4 events
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 19992 injured · F3 · 1 event
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999F3 · 1 event
- Tornado in Arkansas, January 21, 1999F3 · 1 event
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5678600, 5678601, 5678606, 5678605, 5678602, 5678604, 5678603, 5678607, 5678615, 5678608, 5678614, 5678613, 5678609, 5678610, 5678611, 5678616, 5678612.