Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, May 17, 1999

Name: Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, May 17, 1999
Start: 1999-05-17T02:00
End: 1999-05-17T18:00
Location: Arkansas

May 17, 1999 · NWS TSA · 30 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $214,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 30

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 TSA wrote it up.

Summary of events for May 17 1999:A large bow echo, a radar signature associated with high winds, moved out of eastern Oklahoma and across northwest Arkansas early on the morning of May 17. Indeed, this line of storms produced widespread wind gusts strong enough to knock down trees and tree branches. By late morning, scattered thunderstorms re-developed across northwest Arkansas, one of which showed strong rotation and produced a brief tornado touchdown in Washington County. By mid-afternoon, an outflow boundary established itself along the Arkansas River valley and acted as a focus for more thunderstorm development. Training of thunderstorm cells along the outflow boundary led to heavy rainfall, though there were some marginally severe thunderstorms that developed along the outflow boundary.

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 hail, 1 tornado, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Gentry
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.480

Around 300 AM CDT in Gentry, winds left uprooted trees, downed power lines, and blocked roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Siloam Spgs
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.180, -94.530

Around 300 AM CDT in Siloam Springs, a 60-70 foot tall tree blew onto a parked motor home on Oak Crest Drive.

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: May 17, 2:15 AM CST
Where: Crawford County, Natural Dam
Property damage: $500
Reported by: POST OFFICE
Coordinates: 35.650, -94.400

A church sign was blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 2:15 AM CST to 2:20 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Harmon to Tontitown
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.150, -94.280

High winds uprooted several trees and damaged power lines in Harmon around 315 AM CDT. The wind snapped nine poles and damaged at least three transformers. In Tontitown, around 320 AM CDT, a restaurant had its awning blown off, and a tree fell onto a mobile home. Several other trees were blown down in Tontitown.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 2:20 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Gravette
Property damage: $6,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.420, -94.450

A U-Haul trailer was blown over, and power lines were blown down in Gravette.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 2:25 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Cincinnati
Property damage: $600
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.030, -94.500

Several large trees were uprooted, and many large tree limbs were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 2:25 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Prairie Grove
Property damage: $500
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.980, -94.320

Trees were blown down in Prarie Grove.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Highfill
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.350

High winds blew over an 84,000-square-foot airplane hangar under construction at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. There was also minor damage to an existing hangar at the airport. The ASOS at the airport measured a peak wind gust of 46 knots (53 mph).

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Fayetteville
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.070, -94.170

High winds blew the roof off of a clothing store in the 2300 block of College Avenue in Fayetteville. The ASOS at the Fayetteville Regional Airport (Drake Field) measured a peak wind gust of 47 knots (54 mph).

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 2:40 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Rogers
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.330, -94.120

At least a half-dozen trees were blown down in Rogers. County road crews had to clear at least 50 trees and tree limbs that were blown into roads throughout Benton County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 2:45 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Elkins
Property damage: $500
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.000, -94.000

Trees and tree limbs were blown down near Elkins.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 2:47 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Wareagle
Property damage: $500
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.270, -93.930

Several trees were blown down in War Eagle.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: May 17, 2:53 AM CST
Where: Franklin County, Fern
Property damage: $500
Reported by: PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates: 35.620, -94.030

Trees were blown down across highways in Fern.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: May 17, 2:57 AM CST
Where: Carroll County, Eureka Spgs
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.400, -93.730

Trees and power lines were blown down in Eureka Springs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: May 17, 3:03 AM CST
Where: Carroll County, Grandview
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.430, -93.620

Trees were blown down over a fence in Grandview.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: May 17, 3:05 AM CST
Where: Madison County, Huntsville to 5 mi of Huntsville
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.150, -93.730

Trees were blown down across highways in the Huntsville area. Several trees were also blown down in Withrow Springs State Park, 5 miles north of Huntsville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: May 17, 3:05 AM CST
Where: Madison County, 1 mi N of Clifty
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.250, -93.800

Winds toppled a large tree north of Clifty into a large power line, knocking out power to about 4,500 electric customers.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: May 17, 3:25 AM CST
Where: Carroll County, Berryville
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.370, -93.570

There were numerous reports of trees across roadways throughout Carroll County.

Tornado, Washington

When: May 17, 9:59 AM CST
Where: Washington County, 3 mi SW of Farmington
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $500
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.000, -94.280

There was a brief tornado touchdown in a rural area southwest of Farmington. Damage was limited to trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Fayetteville
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.070, -94.170

Siding was blown off several houses in Fayetteville. Tree limbs were also blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: May 17, 10:07 AM CST
Where: Madison County, 8 mi NE of Forum
Property damage: $500
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.270, -93.620

Trees were blown down near the Ozark Science Center.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: May 17, 10:10 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Elkins
Property damage: $500
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.000, -94.000

Trees and tree limbs were blown down in Elkins.

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When: May 17, 10:15 AM CST
Where: Crawford County, Van Buren
Property damage: $100
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.430, -94.350

Tree limbs were blown down in Van Buren.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carroll

When: May 17, 10:30 AM CST
Where: Carroll County, 8 mi NE of Green Forest
Property damage: $100
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.400, -93.350

Several large tree limbs were blown down northeast of Green Forest.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 17, 10:51 AM CST
Where: Benton County, Rogers
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.330, -94.120

A tree was blown onto power lines near 14th and West Oak Streets in Rogers, knocking out power to 2,000 electric customers.

Lightning, Crawford

When: May 17, 11:30 AM CST
Where: Crawford County, 2 mi N of Alma
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.589, -94.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A bolt of lightning knocked the door and several bricks off of a house north of Alma. The bolt ultimately lit fire to and destroyed the house. The house was located in the 7500 block of Mote Road off of US Hwy 71 north of Alma.

Flash Flood, Sebastian

When: May 17, 2:20 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Sebastian County, Countywide
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.199, -94.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood waters seeped into the basement of the Greenwood city hall around 325 PM CDT. High water forced the closing of AR Hwy 60 east of AR Hwy 252 around 645 PM CDT. Several streets in Fort Smith were closed by high water around 500 PM CDT. The northeastern part of downtown Fort Smith was especially hard-hit by high water, where Phoenix Avenue and the Jenny Lind Road intersection nearly had to be closed.

Hail, Franklin

When: May 17, 2:38 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, Branch
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: POST OFFICE
Coordinates: 35.300, -93.950

Flash Flood, Franklin

When: May 17, 4:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, South Portion
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.512, -93.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A bridge washed out on Chaffee Road in Charleston when water covered the road to four feet deep.

Hail, Madison

When: May 17, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Huntsville
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.080, -93.730

What these are

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.
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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Arkansas, 1999 Warnings in Arkansas, May 1999

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: 5700261, 5700262, 5700126, 5700184, 5700125, 5700124, 5700185, 5700257, 5700258, 5700263, 5700173, 5700264, 5700172, 5700127, 5700128, 5700171, 5700265, 5700170, 5700176, 5700178, 5700179, 5700177, 5700174, 5700175, 5700260, 5700259, 5700182, 5700181, 5700183, 5700180.