Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 17, 2002

Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 17, 2002
Start: 2002-03-17T16:00
End: 2002-03-17T18:30
Location: Arkansas

March 17, 2002 · NWS MEG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, 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: $251,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 Mar 17, 3:30 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 17, 3:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
330 PM CST SUN MAR 17 2002

FRONT IN SE PART OF CWA NOW. IT IS EXPECTED TO WOBBLE ABOUT IN THE
AREA TONIGHT AND MONDAY. IT SHOULD MOVE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT
MONDAY NIGHT AND THEN EDGE IN FROM THE WEST AGAIN SUNDAY. THE FRONT
SHOULD SWEEP THROUGH THE REST OF THE MIDSOUTH FINALLY TUESDAY
NIGHT.

ALL MODELS CALL FOR A CONTINUED STREAM OF MOISTURE UP OVER THIS AREA
WITH RAIN OFF AND ON THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. SOME STORMS COULD
PRODUCE HEAVY AMOUNTS. RADAR INDICATES MANY PLACES HAVE HAD OVER 4
INCHES OF RAIN SINCE THIS WET SPELL BEGAN. THUS...FLOOD WATCH
CONTINUED THROUGH MONDAY.

.MEG...NONE.

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 42 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Crittenden

When: March 17, 4:00 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where: Crittenden County, West Memphis
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.208, -90.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads were under water.

Thunderstorm Wind, Phillips

When: March 17, 5:30 PM CST to 5:35 PM CST
Where: Phillips County, West Helena
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.550, -90.633

Four businesses were damaged. Four homes were also damaged. Some trees and power lines were knocked down.

What these are

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.
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.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, March 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: 5286507, 5286508.