Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 3 to 4, 2008

The report was received from downtown Hot Springs.

Street flooding was up to the bottom of a car door near Oaklawn Race Track in Hot Springs. Hughes Road, Rushfork Road, and South Harris Road were closed. Parts of Amity Road and Marion Anderson Road were flooded. Much of the downtown Hot Springs area was flooded.

A tornado began west of Haskell and continued on to just west of Benton. The tornado destroyed nine houses and three mobile homes, caused major damage to approximately 16 houses and one mobile home, and minor damage to approximately 40 houses and one mobile home. One house that was under construction had all its framing completed and was ready for shingles to be put on. The tornado blew all the framing lumber down a hillside, but the concrete safe room that had been constructed remained intact. Many power lines and some power poles were blown down. Thousands of trees were blown down.

A tornado began on the northeast side of Benton and ended on the northwest side of Bryant. The tornado caused major damage to four houses and minor damage to 20 houses. It also traveled through the Hurricane Lake Mobile Home Park, destroying 22 mobile homes, and causing major damage to 11 mobile homes, and minor damage to 10 mobile homes. Major damage occurred at a car dealership on Interstate 30, where more than 150 vehicles were damaged, many of which had windshields or rear windows blown out. Diagonally across the interstate from the car dealership, a lumber yard suffered substantial damage.

A tornado began northwest of Bryant and ended northwest of Alexander. The tornado caused major damage in the Hurricane Meadows subdivision, and then continued on to the northeast. Altogether, six houses were destroyed, and approximately 30 others suffered varying degrees of damage.

A tornado began in the western part of Little Rock, just west of the intersection of Interstate 630 and John Barrow Rd. It traveled through the Leawood subdivision of Little Rock and the city of Cammack Village, dropped off a bluff into Murray Park, crossed the Arkansas River, and ended in North Little Rock near the soccer fields in Burns Park. The vast majority of damage from this tornado was due to large trees falling on houses and vehicles. The approximate count of houses included six destroyed, 98 with major damage, and 170 with minor damage. In addition, four businesses had major damage and three had minor damage. Eleven apartments also suffered damage.

Nickel to golf ball sized hail fell on Reservoir Road.

A tornado began in North Little Rock, south of St. Joseph's Orphanage, near the intersection of Camp Robinson Rd. and Donovan Briley Blvd. It passed through the southeast corner of Camp Joseph T. Robinson, moved across the North Little Rock Airport, continued through parts of Sherwood and Sylvan Hills, and ended on the north side of Gravel Ridge. At the North Little Rock Airport, a number of the hangars suffered substantial damage. Virtually all of the small planes that had been tied down on the parking apron were overturned. A DC3 aircraft rolled about 1/4 mile from the parking apron, across a runway, and into a ditch. A small plane was trapped beneath the DC3 as it rolled along. At the National Weather Service, located at the airport, the staff took shelter for a few minutes in the office's concrete-reinforced safe room. Damage at the weather office was limited to a flagpole, birdhouse, and TV antenna being blown down. At Sylvan Hills High School, a considerable amount of roof damage occurred. The Sherwood Sports Complex, adjacent to the school, suffered substantial damage. Nearby, a tornado siren was blown down. The greatest amount of residential damage occurred in the Hidden Creek subdivision, and on to the northeast on Loop Rd., Kellogg Acres Rd., and Oakdale Rd.

A small tornado occurred off to the east of a larger tornado that tracked from North Little Rock to just north of Gravel Ridge. This smaller tornado blew down a number of trees, with one of the trees falling on a house and another on a mobile home.

A tornado formed in a remote area on the east side of Little Rock Air Force Base. It tracked north of the equestrian area on the base, and continued on to U.S. Highway 67/167. Most of the damage was limited to trees being blown down, but a large billboard on the highway was also knocked down.

A tornado began southwest of Cabot and was most intense as it traveled through industrial and business areas on the west side of the railroad tracks in Cabot. Business structures destroyed included a self-storage warehouse and two storage buildings. A truck repair building was badly damaged, and two large warehouses also suffered damage. Several vehicles on a used-car lot were damaged when a large canopy fell. A canopy was damaged at a gas station, and there was roof damage to several businesses. To the east of the railroad tracks, numerous houses sustained roof damage, both in the middle of Cabot and on northeast through the Shiloh subdivision. A few houses and vehicles were damaged by falling trees.

A tornado knocked down dozens of trees and damaged the roof of one house. Most of the damage was confined to a valley area.

Damage was limited to some trees being blown down. The tornado moved out of Lonoke County, north-northwest of Ward, and into White County, west of Beebe.

This tornado exited Lonoke County, north-northwest of Ward, and moved into White County, west of Beebe. Numerous trees were blown down. Roofs were damaged on several barns and outbuildings.

A large tree fell across Moose and Rock streets.

Trees and power lines were reported down on Holly Street and Cortez Street, and a transformer was blown down on Cortez Street as well.

A tornado blew down hundreds of trees. The tornado moved out of Garland County and into Hot Spring County in the Diamondhead area.

This tornado exited Garland County and moved into Hot Spring County in the Diamondhead area. The tornado blew down hundreds of trees.

Several residents near Ola were evacuated due to rising waters from a nearby creek. Flood waters reached the interior of one residence and a church in Ola. Arkansas Highway 28 between Rover and Plainview was closed due to rising waters from Porter Creek. Arkansas Highway 28 was closed between Rover and Briggsville due to a culvert being washed out. County roads and secondary roads in Danville were flooded.

Roads in Sharp County were washed out.

Roads in Sharp county were washed out.

Portions of several roads were under water. At least one motorist had to be rescued via boat by the Cane Creek Fire Department near Ico. A family in the Delta Circle area was also evacuated by boat. An area of Hickory Street in Tull was flooded.

Flash flooding damaged downtown buildings in Morrilton. Water reached about 5 feet at a furniture store's loading dock and warehouse at the bottom of a hill on Harding Street. Nearly a foot of water entered the rear of the building. Numerous county streets were flooded. A Dumpster was carried more than a block from its original location by moving water.

Numerous roads across the county were flooded.

A local ATV store had two feet of water in it.

Trees were down on the University of Central Arkansas campus.

There was flash flooding at Antioch Road northeast of Batesville. There was a washout on Misty Lane at the intersection of U.S. Highway 167.

Trees were blown down and there was roof damage to a few structures.

Interstate 30 was flooded at the Haskell exit.

Flooding occurred in downtown Newport.

Arkansas Highway 31 at Arkansas Highway 267 was flooded.

Arkansas Highway 157 near Arkansas Highway 258 was flooded.

Arkansas Highway 37 in Elgin was closed. Arkansas Highway 14 from Arkansas Highway 367 to the county line was closed.

Interstate 30 at exit 119 in Benton was flooded.

Interstate 30 at exit 123 in Bryant was flooded.

Ditches were full and water was over the road in Burns Park.

Rising water from Deciper Creek ruptured a three inch natural gas main one mile west of Arkadelphia. Parts of Arkansas Highways 7, 8, and 51 were closed due to high waters.

Street flooding occurred in Malvern. Road flooding occurred across the county.

Damage occurred to roadways due to flash flooding.