2 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 29, 2:35 AM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA 335 AM CDT WED MAY 29 2002 UPPER LOW THIS MORNING CONTINUING TO DRIFT SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. HEAVY RAIN THREAT HAS SHIFTED GENERALLY INTO ARKANSAS ZONES THIS MORNING AND WILL REDEFINE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THOSE ZONES INCLUDING JUST A FEW FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA ZONES ALONG THE STATE LINE. SYSTEM EXPECTED TO BE CENTERED NEAR THE FAR SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE BY MIDDAY...THEN GENERALLY IN THE AR/LA/TX REGION BY 00Z. BEYOND TODAY WILL CONTINUE THE DOWNWARD TREND IN PRECIP CHANCES...BUT WILL PROBABLY HOLD ON TO AT LEAST SOME LOW POPS FOR MOST ALL AREAS INTO TONIGHT. LOW POPS STILL LINGERING IN SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS INTO THURSDAY....THEN THINGS SHOULD DRY OUT FOR LATE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. UPPER RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE AREA WILL GIVE US A TASTE OF SUMMER BY THE WEEKEND WITH DAYTIME TEMPS SATURDAY/SUNDAY/MONDAY APPROACHING 90 DEGREES. WILL ALSO REMAIN QUITE WARM DURING THE NIGHTS. NEXT FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY...BUT FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP TUESDAY DRY. FCSTID = 4 TUL 80 62 85 62 / 30 20 21 10 FSM 75 63 80 63 / 70 40 30 10 MLC 79 63 83 63 / 40 30 20 10 BVO 81 61 86 61 / 30 20 10 10 FYV 75 60 79 60 / 70 40 20 10 BYV 74 59 78 59 / 70 40 20 10 MIO 78 61 82 61 / 40 30 20 10 MKO 78 63 83 63 / 40 30 20 10 F10 79 63 84 63 / 40 30 20 10 HHW 78 64 83 64 / 40 40 30 10 .TSA... AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 400 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES ARZ001>002...ARZ010>011...ARZ019>020...ARZ029. OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 400 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES OKZ069... OKZ072...OKZ076.
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:58 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused severe street flooding in Pettigrew.
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused flooding throughout the county. Street flooding was reported in Charleston, Altus, Branch and Etna. A few highways between these towns were also flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, May 2002
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: 5293885, 5293886.