Arkansas, 2002Flash Flood in Arkansas, March 19 to 20, 2002
March 19 to 20, 2002 · NWS TSA · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
- 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 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 Mar 19, 4:00 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 4:00 PM CST, 40 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
400 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002
WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. WITH MORE RAIN EXPECTED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
FOR THAT AREA HAS BEEN EXTENDED INTO TONIGHT.
A BOUNDARY REMAINS STATIONARY JUST TO OUR SOUTH WITH AN UPPER SYSTEM
OVER THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES. THE UPPER SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST
INTO TEXAS BY LATE TONIGHT AND THEN TOWARD ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA BY
TOMORROW EVENING. THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN TO MOVE SOUTHEAST
AS THE UPPER SYSTEM PASSES TO THE SOUTH TOMORROW. EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL GRADUALLY BECOME FURTHER REMOVED FROM
THE MOISTURE AND LIFT LATE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW BRINGING AN END TO
THE RAIN. THE RAIN SHOULD BE PRETTY MUCH OVER ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA BY SUNRISE. THE RAIN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AROUND THE
LONGEST IN THE FORT SMITH AND HUGO AREAS.
TOMORROW NIGHT SHOULD BE CLEAR WITH LIGHT WINDS. DID NOT MENTION IN
THE ZONES BUT COULD HAVE A FOG PROBLEM TOMORROW NIGHT.
THE NEXT MAJOR WEATHER CHANGE WILL BE THE PASSAGE OF A STRONG COLD
FRONT THURSDAY. THE FRONT SHOULD HAVE A DRY PASSAGE BUT BRISK NORTH
WINDS WILL USHER IN SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER TEMPERATURES. WILL SEE A
WIDESPREAD FREEZE THURSDAY NIGHT. FRIDAY WILL STILL BE COOL FOR
THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT THE RETURN OF SOUTH WINDS SHOULD LEAD TO
WARMER WEATHER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
THE NEXT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOULD COME MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH THE
APPROACH OF AN UPPER TROUGH AND THE EVENTUAL PASSAGE OF ANOTHER COLD
FRONT.
FCSTID = 17
TUL 45 60 40 48 / 80 20 10 10
FSM 49 58 40 50 / 100 50 10 10
MLC 48 60 42 51 / 100 30 10 10
BVO 43 60 38 47 / 80 20 10 10
FYV 45 56 37 47 / 100 30 10 10
BYV 45 56 37 47 / 100 30 10 10
MIO 44 56 38 47 / 80 20 10 10
MKO 47 60 41 50 / 100 30 10 10
F10 45 60 40 48 / 80 20 10 10
HHW 51 62 42 53 / 100 50 10 10
.TSA...
AR...FLAHS FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES
ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011...ARZ019>020...ARZ029.
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT FOR ZONES
OKZ049...OKZ053...OKZ068>076.
ABBAS
In the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 19, 10:45 AM CST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1045 AM CST TUE MAR 19 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0955 AM PITTSBURG OK FLOOD
03/19/02 PITTSBURG HIGHWAY 63 COVERED BY
WATER. SHERIFFS OFFICE
REPORT.
1020 AM 7 N SOPER OK FLOOD
03/19/02 CHOCTAW BRIDGE WASHED OUT.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
1017 AM PANAMA OK FLOOD
03/19/02 LEFLORE COUNTY ROAD COVERED BY
WATER EAST OF PANAMA.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1012 AM ANTLERS OK FLOOD
03/19/02 PUSHMATAHA SEVERAL COUNTY ROADS
COVERED BY WATER. SOME
CLOSED. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT REPORT.
1005 AM 8 W HUGO OK FLOOD
03/19/02 CHOCTAW HIGHWAY 70 COVERED BY HIGH
WATER. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT.
0950 AM 1 N WILBURTON OK FLOOD
03/19/02 LATIMER HIGHWAY 2 COVERED BY
RUNNING WATER. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT REPORT.
MANNINGLocal storm report, Mar 19, 11:46 AM CST, 4 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1146 AM CST TUE MAR 19 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1052 AM OZARK AR FLOOD
03/19/02 FRANKLIN FLOODING CAUSED SMALL
MUDSLIDE CLOSING A COUNTY
ROAD. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT.
MANNINGSpecial weather statement, Mar 19, 1:00 PM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-201200-
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002
...FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING ARE LIKELY THROUGH EARLY
WEDNESDAY...
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOR TODAY AND THE WATCH
WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED INTO TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
FLOOD STATEMENT /OKCFLSTUL/ FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THIS
MORNING...AND THIS WILL AGAIN BE THE FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. IN ADDITION AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WAS MOVING INTO WEST
TEXAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE UPPER SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE
AREA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD END AT THAT
POINT. HOWEVER...2 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN OVER THE
LAST 24 HOURS...WHICH HAS CREATED FLOODING PROBLEMS. ANOTHER 1 TO 3
INCHES OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS. THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING SHOULD END BY
WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT RIVER FLOODING MAY PERSIST INTO THURSDAY.
PLEASE REFER TO /OKCFLWTUL/ FOR INFORMATION ON RIVER FLOODING.
.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS
AND STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS ON THIS HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT.
.OTHER HAZARDS...
IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN...A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THROUGH
TONIGHT. LIMITED INSTABILITY WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORMS WELL BELOW
SEVERE LIMITS.
RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA
ARKANSAS BASIN RIVER FORECAST CENTER - SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOOD
OUTLOOK CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/ABRFC/FOP/ABRFCFOP.HTML
Local storm report, Mar 19, 2:13 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
213 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1052 AM OZARK AR FLOOD
03/19/02 FRANKLIN FLOODING CAUSED SMALL
MUDSLIDE CLOSING A COUNTY
ROAD. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORT.
0210 PM 3 W MCALESTER OK FLOOD
03/19/02 PITTSBURG STATE HIGHWAY 31 CLOSED
DUE TO HIGH WATER. REPORTED
BY HIGHWAY PATROL
0210 PM 4 W HAILEYVILLE OK FLOOD
03/19/02 PITTSBURG STATE HIGHWAY 63 CLOSED
DUE TO HIGH WATER. REPORTED
BY HIGHWAY PATROL
MANNINGFlash Flood, Madison
- When
- March 19, 4:40 PM CST to March 20, 3:00 AM CST
- Where
- Madison County, Countywide
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 36.011, -93.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy rain fell on and off from the evening of the 18th to the early morning hours of the 20th. The cumulative effects of this heavy rainfall was flash flooding and flooding. County roads and low water crossings were first reported to have flooding at 440 pm. This flooding continued into the early morning hours of the 20th.
- 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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 19, 200240 injured · $7.1 million · F2 · 10 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, March 19 to 20, 20021 death · $269,000 · 1 in hail · 34 events
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, March 19, 200215 injured · $650,000 · F1 · 5 events
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, March 19, 2002$16 million · F1 · 17 events
- Damaging Winds in Texas, March 19, 20022 injured · $600,000 · 59 kt wind · 2 events
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, March 19, 20021 injured · $650,000 · F0 · 5 events
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 19, 2002$600,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 19, 2002$300,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Winds in Texas, March 19, 2002$250,000 · 57 kt wind · 2 events
- Damaging Winds in Texas, March 19, 2002$200,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 events
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 19, 2002$200,000 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 19, 2002$150,000 · 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5286875.