Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Arkansas, January 23 to 24, 2002

Name: Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Arkansas, January 23 to 24, 2002
Start: 2002-01-23T22:30
End: 2002-01-24T01:05
Location: Arkansas

January 23 to 24, 2002 · NWS MEG · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: $150,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 23, 8:15 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 23, 8:15 PM CST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
815 PM CST WED JAN 23 2002

WITH SIGNIFICANT LINE OF CONVECTION STILL TO WEST OF CWA...HAVE
OPTED TO EXTEND FLOOD WATCH IN BOTH AREAL AND TEMPORAL EXTENT.
CELLS ARE TRAINING ALONG LINE...AND AREAS COULD SEE A VERY QUICK
ONE TO TWO INCHES. ON TOP OF THE RAIN OVERNIGHT LAST NIGHT...THIS
WOULD PRODUCE FLOODING IN QUITE A FEW AREAS.

STILL POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVERNIGHT. LIFTED OF -2 TO -4
AHEAD OF FRONT WITH CAPES NEAR 1000 J/KG. WATCH NUMBER 3 RUNS
UNTIL 04Z...AND ANTICIPATE AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL WATCH TO
REPLACE CURRENT WATCH.

HAVE ALSO MADE MINOR WORDING CHANGES TO 2ND AND 3RD PERIODS.
UPDATE FOR FLOOD WATCH ALREADY OUT...AND EXPECT ADDITIONAL UPDATES
DURING THE EVENING. 10

.MEG...FLOOD WATCH ENTIRE CWA UNTIL NOON (18Z) THURSDAY.

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 139 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When: January 23, 10:30 PM CST to 10:35 PM CST
Where: Lawrence County, Black Rock
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.100, -91.100

A few trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When: January 23, 10:45 PM CST to 11:05 PM CST
Where: Greene County, Evening Star
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.183, -90.700

A barn was blown down near Lafe. A 100 foot antenna was twisted. Several trees were knocked down.

Lightning, Cross

When: January 24, 12:39 AM CST to 12:40 AM CST
Where: Cross County, Wynne
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.296, -90.771 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A lightning strike punched a hole through a roof.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cross

When: January 24, 1:00 AM CST to 1:05 AM CST
Where: Cross County, Wynne
Measured: 85 kt (98 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 35.233, -90.800

One trailer was destroyed. Two homes and 28 other structures were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.

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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, January 2002

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: 5280145, 5280146, 5280147, 5280144.