Flood, Le Flore
- When
- May 21, 12:00 PM CST to May 22, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Le Flore forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Flood in Oklahoma, May 21 to 22, 2001
The Poteau River near Panama rose above its flood stage of 29 feet at 1 pm cdt on May 21. 9 feet at 5 am cdt on May 22 before falling below its flood stage at 8 pm cdt that same day.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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 TSA wrote it up.
The Poteau River near Panama rose above its flood stage of 29 feet at 1 pm cdt on May 21. The river crested at 30.9 feet at 5 am cdt on May 22 before falling below its flood stage at 8 pm cdt that same day.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 21, 10:15 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 21, 10:15 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1115 AM CDT MON MAY 21 2001 SATELLITE SHOWS CLEARING SKIES WORKING INTO NORTHWEST PART OF FORECAST AREA. INDICATIONS ARE THIS CLEARING WILL SPREAD TO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. PRECIP AREA FROM MIAMIA TO TULSA AND BRISTOW IS MOVING EAST RATHER QUICKLY AND MATCHES WELL WITH THE CLEARING. EXPECT THE PRECIP TO END OVER MOST OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY EARLY AFTERNOON...THEN IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY AROUND 21Z. PRECIP ALREADY ENDING OVER OSAGE AND PAWNEE COUNTIES BY 16Z. WILL ADJUST WORDING FOR THESE MINOR CHANGES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A LITTLE TRICKY. SUNSHINE LATER THIS AFTERNOON SHOULD ALLOW SOME WARMING...SO WILL REMOVE WORDING FOR FALLING TEMPS. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA. WILL MAINTAIN CAUTION FOR AREA LAKES...BUT WILL NOT ISSUE WIND ADVIDORY AT THIS TIME. FORECAST WINDS ALOFT DURING THE AFTERNOON ONLY AROUND 26-30 KNOTS AT 3K FEET...WHICH SHOULD BE LESS NEARER THE GROUND. MESOETA SURFACE WIND FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON SEEMS TO CONFIRM THAT. HOWEVER...WILL MONITOR WINDS FOR POSSIBLE UPDATE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. FCSTID = 02 .TSA... AR...NONE. OK...NONE.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 21, 7:47 AM CST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
847 AM CDT MON MAY 21 2001
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0850 AM WISTER OK WIND DAMAGE
05/20/01 LE FLORE ROOFS BLOWN OFF SEVERAL
BUILDINGS. TREES DOWN
JUST NORTH OF WISTER.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
0450 PM 5 NW HANNA OK TORNADO
05/20/01 MCINTOSH DAMAGE REPORTED AT
INDIAN NATION TURNPIKE
TOLL BOOTH.
0522 PM 2 S STIDHAM OK TORNADO
05/20/01 MCINTOSH SAME
TORNADO...CONTINUING ENE
0535 PM 7 SW BURBANK OK 67 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 OSAGE MESONET MEASUREMENT
0548 PM VIVIAN OK 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 MCINTOSH
0550 PM 2 N BROKEN ARROW OK 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 TULSA
0556 PM 2 N FAIRFAX OK 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 OSAGE REPORTED BY POLICE DEPT
0607 PM SAND SPGS OK 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 TULSA AMATEUR RADIO REPORT
0630 PM 1 S PAWHUSKA OK TORNADO
05/20/01 OSAGE AMATEUR RADIO REPORT
0639 PM 5 W PAWHUSKA OK 65 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 OSAGE ESTIMATE BY AMATEUR RADIO
0654 PM 1 NW STIGLER OK TORNADO
05/20/01 HASKELL EMERGENCY MGMT REPORT
0655 PM WHITEFIELD OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 HASKELL EMERGENCY MGMT REPORT
0655 PM 3 WNW STIGLER OK 92 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 HASKELL MESONET MEASUREMENT
0657 PM STIGLER OK TORNADO
05/20/01 HASKELL TV CHASE TEAM REPORTED
20 SECOND TOUCHDOWN
0657 PM STIGLER OK TORNADO
05/20/01 HASKELL TV CHASE TEAM REPORT.
18 BUILDINGS DAMAGED...
1 BUSINESS DESTROYED...
1 HOME DESTROYED
0721 PM VERA OK .88 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 WASHINGTON AMATEUR RADIO REPORT
0755 PM ASHLAND OK 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 PITTSBURG PUBLIC REPORT
0755 PM 2 W SPIRO OK TORNADO
05/20/01 LE FLORE EMERGENCY MGMT REPORT
0802 PM FT SMITH AR 4.5 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN EMERGENCY MGMT REPORT
0813 PM 4 S LOCUST GROVE OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 MAYES EMER MGMT REPORT
0817 PM FT CHAFFEE AR 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN EMER MGMT REPORT
0835 PM PEGGS OK .88 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 CHEROKEE EMER MGMT REPORT
0851 PM 3 W BRANCH AR TORNADO
05/20/01 FRANKLIN EMER MGMT REPORT
0851 PM 4 NE CLIFTY AR TORNADO
05/20/01 MADISON REPORTED BY CARROLL
COUNTY LAW ENF
0904 PM BRANCH AR 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 FRANKLIN EMER MGMT REPORT
0920 PM 3 S HEAVENER OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 LE FLORE EMER MGMT REPORT
0930 PM 6 S MANSFIELD AR 60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN ESTIMATED BY SPOTTERLocal storm report, May 21, 11:27 AM CST, 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1227 PM CDT MON MAY 21 2001
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0610 PM PRATTVILLE OK 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 TULSA HAM REPORT
0630 PM ENTERPRISE OK TORNADO
05/20/01 HASKELL SPOTTER REPORT
0650 PM 4 W HOMINY OK 60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 OSAGE PUBLIC REPORT
0650 PM 4 W HOMINY OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 OSAGE PUBLIC REPORT
0654 PM 2 N VERA OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 WASHINGTON HAM REPORT
0657 PM WYNONA OK 60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 OSAGE HAM REPORT
0658 PM 4 W PRYOR OK TORNADO
05/20/01 MAYES EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT
0711 PM 10 W WATOVA OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 NOWATA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT
0725 PM VERA OK .75 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 WASHINGTON HAM REPORT
0745 PM SPIRO OK .88 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 LE FLORE LE FLORE EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT
0811 PM HICHITA OK 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 MCINTOSH HAM REPORT
0813 PM CLIFTY AR TORNADO
05/20/01 MADISON TREES DOWN REPORTED BY
SPRINGDALE ASP
0825 PM 12 S EUREKA SPGS AR TORNADO
05/20/01 CARROLL SPOTTER REPORT
0825 PM 1 S FT SMITH AR WIND DAMAGE
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN SEVERAL TREES DOWN
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT
0914 PM WISTER OK 60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 LE FLORE HAM REPORT
0915 PM WISTER OK 60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 LE FLORE SPOTTER REPORT
0920 PM 3 N CAMERON OK 60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 LE FLORE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT
1144 PM 1 SW FT SMITH AR 75 MPH TSTM GUST
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN HAM REPORT
1144 PM 1 SW FT SMITH AR 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN HAM REPORT
1145 PM FT SMITH AR .88 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 SEBASTIAN HAM REPORT
1156 PM POTEAU OK 1 INCH HAIL
05/20/01 LE FLORE HAM REPORT
1228 AM 1 N POTEAU OK WIND DAMAGE
05/21/01 LE FLORE NUMEROUS POWER LINES
DOWNED. HAM REPORT
1250 AM CLAYTON OK WIND DAMAGE
05/21/01 PUSHMATAHA SEVERAL LARGE TREE
LIMBS DOWN. CLAYTON PD
REPORTSpecial weather statement, May 21, 12:00 PM CST, 0 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-221100- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT MON MAY 21 2001 THE COLD FRONT WHICH MOVED SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA LAST NIGHT WAS LOCATED FROM CENTRAL ARKANSAS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AT NOON. THE AIR BEHIND THE FRONT IS QUITE COOL AND STABLE. ENOUGH MOISTURE REMAINS FOR AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM TO PRODUCE SOME RAIN THIS AFTERNOON AS IT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST AND SOUTH OF THE AREA THIS EVENING AND SKIES SHOULD CLEAR. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE THE DOMINANT FEATURE THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE WEATHER FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE MILD AND DRY.
Event by event
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Michigan, May 21, 2001
- Tornadoes in Michigan, May 21, 2001
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Ohio, May 21, 2001
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Ohio, May 21 to 22, 2001
- Flooding in Iowa, May 21 to 28, 2001
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 21, 2001
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, May 21, 2001
- Dense Fog in Virginia, May 21, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, May 21, 2001
- Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, May 21, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Kentucky, May 21, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 21, 2001
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, May 2001
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: 5246907.