Arkansas, 2004Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004
April 21, 2004 · NWS LZK · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 21, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
230 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004
.DISCUSSION...
A WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT. THIS WILL SEND A SERIES
OF SHORT WAVES TOWARDS ARKANSAS. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS MANY AREAS OF
ARKANSAS TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. THERE IS A MODERATE
RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WESTERN SECTIONS TONIGHT
THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY...THEN THE AREA OF MODERATE RISK GROWS TO
COVER MOST OF ARKANSAS THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THERE IS
ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE SURROUNDING THE MODERATE RISK AREA
WHICH COVERS ALL OF ARKANSAS FOR DAY 1 AND MOST OF THE STATE ON DAY
2. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BY DAY 3.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
LITTLE ROCK AR 60 77 63 75 / 60 40 40 40
HARRISON AR 55 69 56 68 / 80 50 60 60
HOT SPRINGS AR 61 76 63 75 / 60 30 40 40
PINE BLUFF AR 62 78 64 79 / 50 30 30 40
MOUNTAIN HOME AR 57 70 57 70 / 70 50 60 60
MONTICELLO AR 63 79 65 81 / 50 30 20 30
SEARCY AR 60 77 61 75 / 70 40 40 40
MOUNT IDA AR 60 75 63 74 / 60 40 40 50
RUSSELLVILLE AR 60 74 60 74 / 70 40 40 50
&&
.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&
38
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 21, 10:08 AM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1108 AM CDT WED APR 21 2004
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-221000-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
1108 AM CDT WED APR 21 2004
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN
ARKANSAS TONIGHT.
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REMAINDER OF
ARKANSAS TONIGHT.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH
CENTRAL ARKANSAS THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS...AND WILL WEAKEN
AS THEY PUSH INTO THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES. THERE WILL BE A LULL LATER
THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOP TONIGHT.
A SYSTEM ALOFT WILL HEAD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON.
THE SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH A DRY LINE IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...OR A
BOUNDARY SEPARATING MOIST AIR TO ITS EAST FROM MUCH DRIER AIR TO ITS
WEST. THE INTERACTION WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH SEVERE STORMS LIKELY.
STORMS THAT DEVELOP IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA WILL TRACK INTO
WESTERN ARKANSAS TONIGHT. STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE WILL PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.
THE STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTHEAST...AND WILL ARRIVE IN THE
NORTHERN COUNTIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. WITH A STALLED FRONT NEAR THE
ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI BORDER...THE FRONT WILL ACT AS A FOCUS FOR
HEAVY RAINFALL. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN MAY OCCUR...WITH LOCALLY
HEAVIER AMOUNTS.
THE REGION MOST PRONE TO SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT
INCLUDES AREAS NORTH AND WEST OF MENA...MORRILTON AND HARDY.
ELSEWHERE ACROSS ARKANSAS...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE SCATTERED
WITH LESS OF A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN.
HOWEVER...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS MAY STILL OCCUR...WITH MAINLY LARGE
HAIL POSSIBLE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
STORMS THAT DEVELOP TONIGHT WILL EXIT THE STATE INTO MISSOURI
THURSDAY MORNING. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER LULL THURSDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH MORE STORMS IN THE FORECAST THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL NOT CHANGE THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY. A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS. GIVEN
THIS...STORMS THAT DEVELOP THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE MOST
LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE.
THE STORMS THAT ARE EXPECTED WILL OCCUR MAINLY AT NIGHT...WITH
STORMS MENTIONED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER
WILL REMAIN A POSSIBILITY...WITH AREAS OF HEAVY TO EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL. FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR IN SOME SPOTS.
THE PATTERN WILL FINALLY CHANGE THIS WEEKEND. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH
THROUGH THE REGION FROM THE WEST SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...WITH
COOLER AND DRIER AIR TO FOLLOW MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT IN NORTHERN AND
WESTERN ARKANSAS.
46
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 21, 12:03 PM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
103 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 AM LIGHTNING CONWAY 35.09N 92.45W
04/21/2004 FAULKNER AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
*** 1 FATAL *** 17 YEAR-OLD MALE WAITING FOR A BUS WAS
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. TIME OF EVENT IS APPROXIMATE.
&&
28Local storm report, Apr 21, 3:28 PM CST, 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
428 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0312 PM HAIL CAULKSVILLE 35.30N 93.87W
04/21/2004 1.00 INCH LOGAN AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
0400 PM HAIL NEW SPADRA 35.43N 93.52W
04/21/2004 1.00 INCH JOHNSON AR EMERGENCY MNGR
0403 PM HAIL NEW BLAINE 35.28N 93.42W
04/21/2004 2.75 INCH LOGAN AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
28Local storm report, Apr 21, 3:47 PM CST, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
447 PM CDT WED APR 21 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0431 PM HAIL FLAT ROCK RECREATION AR 35.35N 93.33W
04/21/2004 0.75 INCH JOHNSON AR EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
28Tornado, Pope
- When
- April 21, 4:00 PM CST to 4:05 PM CST
- Where
- Pope County, 8 mi SSW of Pottsville
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 2.5 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 35.150, -93.100
A weak tornado moved from Yell County into southern Pope County. The tornado tracked through the Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, and pushed over several trees. The tornado dissipated a little over 8 miles south of Pottsville.
- 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.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, April 21, 2004$3.0 million · F0 · 132 events
- Lightning Strike in Arkansas, April 21, 20041 death · 1 event
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, April 21 to 22, 2004$102,000 · F1 · 62 events
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004F1 · 1 event
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004F1 · 1 event
- Tornado in Arkansas, April 21, 2004F1 · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, April 21 to 22, 2004$5,000 · 1.75 in hail · 16 events
- Strong Wind in California, April 21 to 22, 2004$17,000 · 68 kt wind · 3 events
- Lightning Strike in South Dakota, April 21, 20041 injured · $2,000 · 1 event
- Hail in Kansas, April 21, 20041.75 in hail · 9 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Lake Erie, April 21, 20044 events
- Hail in Texas, April 21, 20041.75 in hail · 4 events
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: 5392012.