Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 24, 2003

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 24, 2003
Start: 2003-04-24T13:35
End: 2003-04-24T21:51
Location: Arkansas

April 24, 2003 · NWS JAN · 9 events in 2 counties and zones

4 tornado, 3 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 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: $763,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 24, 12:30 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 12:30 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
130 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

UPDATED ZONES FOR NEW TORNADO WATCH IN SE AR. HAVE ALSO LOWERED
TEMPERATURES IN SEVERAL ZONE GROUPS...PARTICULARLY NE MS WHERE
COOLER MORE STABLE AIR SEEMS TO BE LOCKED IN. CLOSELY MONITORING
DEVELOPING CLUSTER OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS OVER NORTH CENTRAL LA FOR
THREAT TO SE AR...NE LA AND NW MS ZONES FOR NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
JAN   63  80  53 77 54  80 30 00
MEI   62  80  53 75 53  80 20 00

.JAN...
AR...NONE.
LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT LAZ015-016-023>026.
MS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT MSZ042>066-072>074.

08

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 24, 5:59 AM CST, 7 hours 36 minutes before

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
251200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
659 AM CDT THU APR 24 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

...THUNDERSTORMS...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS AND MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE BEST
CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE NORTH OF A LINE FROM WINNSBORO
LOUISIANA TO JACKSON MISSISSIPPI TO MERIDIAN. ISOLATED SEVERE
STORMS ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF THIS LINE. THE PRIMARY SEVERE
WEATHER RISK THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE LARGE HAIL. DAMAGING
WIND GUSTS AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THE
LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERE STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE HIGHEST FROM THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

DEEP GULF MOISTURE WILL BE FORCED INTO THE REGION BEHIND A WARM
FRONT THAT WILL LIFT NORTHWARD ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY.
WEATHER  DISTURBANCES IN UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL
INTENSIFY THE LIFT NECESSARY FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. UPPER
JET FLOW WILL ALSO INTENSIFY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING TO
PROMOTE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR STRONG CONVECTION. THE COMBINATION
OF MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR AND STRONG FORCING FROM ACTIVE WEATHER
FEATURES WILL RESULT IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT TODAY AND TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY FROM THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH MIDNIGHT.

...FLOODING...
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEAST
LOUISIANA... SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI TODAY AND
TONIGHT. FLOODING RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
AND SECTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM DELHI LOUISIANA TO YAZOO CITY MISSISSIPPI TO
DEKALB. OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI...WHERE PONDING WATER MAY OCCUR ON
ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS.

DEEP MOISTURE WILL MOVE INTO PLACE ACROSS NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS AND MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI IN THE WAKE OF A WARM
FRONT THAT WILL STALL ACROSS NORTH AND EAST MISSISSIPPI TODAY.
MOISTURE WILL BE MOST ABUNDANT SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED
FROM THE AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT AS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOP OVER THE REGION. THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
ACROSS THE SAME AREAS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS WILL INCREASE THE
POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

...DAYS TWO AND THREE...
THE CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING OVER CENTRAL AND EAST SECTIONS OF
MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 55 AND NORTH OF A LINE
FROM HAZLEHURST TO QUITMAN.

THE WEATHER SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERE STORM DEVELOPMENT TODAY
AND TONIGHT WILL FINALLY MOVE EAST OF MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY NIGHT.
UNTIL THE SYSTEM PASSES...THE AIR MASS OVER THE REGION WILL
REMAIN HUMID AND UNSTABLE...PARTICULARLY OVER EASTERN SECTIONS OF
MISSISSIPPI. THE CHANCE OF SEVERE STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR AREAS EAST OF INTERSTATE 55
AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM HAZLEHURST TO QUITMAN.

SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WILL END FROM THE WEST FRIDAY EVENING AS
THE COLD FRONT FINALLY DRAGS EAST OF THE AREA.

...DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 24, 12:56 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
156 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0120 PM    PACHUTA                   MS   60 MPH WIND GUST
04/24/03   CLARKE                         PUBLIC REPORT

Local storm report, Apr 24, 1:01 PM CST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
201 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1256 PM    JACKSON                   MS   0.88 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   HINDS                          REPORTED BY SKYWARN
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Apr 24, 1:04 PM CST, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
204 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0102 PM    JACKSON                   MS   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   HINDS                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 24, 1:04 PM CST, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT....CORRECTED TIME OF REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
204 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0202 PM    JACKSON                   MS   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   HINDS                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 24, 1:22 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
222 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0208 PM    5 N BRANDON               MS   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   RANKIN                         REPORTED BY ROSS BARNETT
                                          RESERVOIR TOWER.

Local storm report, Apr 24, 1:32 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
232 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0215 PM    FARMHAVEN                 MS   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   MADISON                        REPORTED BY MADISON
                                          COUNTY EMA.

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 189 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 tornado, 3 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Ashley

When: April 24, 1:35 PM CST
Where: Ashley County, 3 mi NE of Crossett
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.191, -91.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Ashley

When: April 24, 1:45 PM CST
Where: Ashley County, Crossett
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.133, -91.967

Hail, Chicot

When: April 24, 1:45 PM CST
Where: Chicot County, Cosgrove
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.300, -91.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Ashley

When: April 24, 1:50 PM CST
Where: Ashley County, Crossett
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.133, -91.967

Several trees down in Crossett, with numerous trees down across the county.

Tornado, Ashley

When: April 24, 7:55 PM CST to 7:56 PM CST
Where: Ashley County, 7 mi N of West Crossett
Rating: F1
Path length: 0.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.233, -91.983

This tornado moved into Ashley county from Bradley county. The tornado was just W of Lake Georgia Pacific and only snapped and downed numerous trees.

Tornado, Ashley

When: April 24, 8:44 PM CST to 8:51 PM CST
Where: Ashley County, 2 mi E of Hamburg
Rating: F1
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 125 yd
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.233, -91.783

This tornado destroyed 1 large barn and 2 small sheds. Six houses sustained minor roof damage. A few hundred trees were snapped or uprooted.

Tornado, Chicot

When: April 24, 9:27 PM CST to 9:33 PM CST
Where: Chicot County, 3 mi S of Cosgrove
Rating: F0
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 75 yd
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.250, -91.400

A large tin barn had its roof caved in along with several trees having branches snapped. A mobile home had a portion of its roof pealed back. Another large tin shed was twisted down with some of the tin roof thrown into a pond.

Hail, Chicot

When: April 24, 9:32 PM CST
Where: Chicot County, 5 mi NW of Lake Vlg
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.383, -91.350

Tornado, Chicot

When: April 24, 9:47 PM CST to 9:51 PM CST
Where: Chicot County, Eudora
Rating: F0
Path length: 2.5 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 33.117, -91.267

This tornado touched down on the N side of Eudora and moved E for 2.5 miles. This tornado mainly snapped trees and uprooted a few trees that fell onto houses. Four homes sustained major roof damage, due to fallen trees, with 11 other homes sustaining minor damage.

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Arkansas, 2003 Warnings in Arkansas, April 2003

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: 5349934, 5349932, 5349933, 5349931, 5349930, 5349848, 5349849, 5349847, 5349850.