Tropical Storm in Arkansas, September 14, 2008

Name: Tropical Storm in Arkansas, September 14, 2008
Start: 2008-09-14T03:00
End: 2008-09-14T08:00
Location: Arkansas

September 14, 2008 · NWS MEG · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Tropical Storm Ike moved across Northeast Arkansas into Southern Missouri. The storm weakened to a tropical depression as it moved northeast.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 1
Injuries: 3
Property damage: $882,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

Tropical Storm Ike moved across Northeast Arkansas into Southern Missouri. The storm weakened to a tropical depression as it moved northeast. Tropical storm force winds occurred over Northeast Arkansas as a result. Substantial damage occurred from downed trees and power lines. Some structural damage occurred as well.

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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 14, 2:45 AM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 2:45 AM CST, 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
345 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008

.DISCUSSION...
TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE WAS CENTERED OVER NORTH CENTRAL AR AT
DISCUSSION TIME... SLIGHTLY FARTHER ALONG IN ITS NORTHEASTWARD TRACK
THAN EARLIER FORECAST. KLZK/KNQA RADARS SHOWED A CONVECTIVE BAND
LIFTING NORTH THROUGH THE EASTERN AR/WESTERN MS DELTA...INTO THE
MEMPHIS METRO. LIGHTNING DETECTION HAD THUS FAR NOT PICKED UP ANY
GROUND STRIKES WITH THIS ACTIVITY DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...
INDICATIVE OF THE WEAK TO MARGINAL INSTABILITY. HOWEVER... 0 TO
3KM HELICITY VALUES WERE IMPRESSIVE...NEAR 500 M2/S2.

LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY SHOULD INCREASE FOLLOWING SUNRISE. BY THIS
TIME...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE WILL BE CENTERED OVER
WEST CENTRAL IL. OVER THE MIDSOUTH...SURFACE WINDS OVER THE DELTA
REGION WILL VEER BEHIND A TROF AXIS BY 10 AM...LOWERING HELICITY
VALUES SIGNIFICANTLY. THERE WILL LIKELY BE A NARROW WINDOW OF HIGH
HELICITY AND WEAK TO MODERATE INSTABILITY OVER WEST TN...WELL EAST
OF MEMPHIS...IN THE MID TO LATE LATE MORNING. THIS AREA HAS BEEN
INCLUDED IN THE UPDATED SPC DAY1 OUTLOOK.

THIS AFTERNOON...THE BEST AREA OF LIFT WILL MOVE QUICKLY OFF TO
THE EAST...WITH SUBSIDENCE SWEEPING THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH BEHIND A
COLD FRONT. LOW END ADVISORY WIND SPEEDS MAY BE OBSERVED BEHIND
THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE OPTED TO KEEP THE WIND ADVISORY
THROUGH 4 PM CDT AND HAVE EXPANDED IT INTO THE TN RIVER VALLEY.
THIS ADVISORY MAY NEED EARLY CANCELLATION WEST OF THE MS RIVER.

WINDS WILL DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER ALL OF THE MIDSOUTH THIS
EVENING... ACCOMPANIED BY CLEARING SKIES AND NOTICEABLY LESS HUMID
AIR.

THE UPCOMING WORKWEEK PROMISES TRANQUIL...AUTUMN LIKE WEATHER FOR
THE MIDSOUTH. WITH LOW DEWPOINTS...WEAK WINDS AND LIMITED CLOUDS...
EXPECT FAIRLY LARGE DIURNAL TEMPERATURE RANGES.

PWB

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM  82  60  76  56 /  70  10  10   0
MKL  80  56  76  53 /  80  10  10   0
JBR  80  58  75  55 /  90   0  10   0
TUP  84  62  77  55 /  60  10  10   0

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR CLAY-CRAIGHEAD-
     CRITTENDEN-CROSS-GREENE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-
     PHILLIPS-POINSETT-RANDOLPH-ST. FRANCIS.

MO...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT.

MS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR ALCORN-BENTON MS-
     COAHOMA-DESOTO-LAFAYETTE-MARSHALL-PANOLA-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-
     TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-YALOBUSHA.

TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR CARROLL-CHESTER-
     CROCKETT-DECATUR-DYER-FAYETTE-GIBSON-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-
     HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-MADISON-MCNAIRY-
     OBION-SHELBY-TIPTON-WEAKLEY.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 13, 2:55 PM CST, 12 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
355 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-142300-
ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA-
CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER-
FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY-
ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON-
MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT-
PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY-
ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-
UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA-
355 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE WESTERN PORTIONS
OF THE MID SOUTH THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT. THE SLIGHT RISK
AREA WILL BE ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM UNION CITY TENNESSEE TO
HOLLY SPRINGS TO COFFEEVILLE MISSISSIPPI. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE
MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN AREA. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL
BE ISOLATED TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH OUTER RAIN BANDS AS THE
REMNANTS OF IKE MOVE CLOSER TO THE AREA.

WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE LATE TONIGHT...AS THE REMNANTS OF IKE
MOVES INTO NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS. SUSTAINED WINDS BETWEEN 25 AND
30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY OVER NORTHEAST
ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...AND FAR
WEST TENNESSEE OVERNIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
THESE AREAS.

IN ADDITION TO THE WIND AND ISOLATED TORNADO THREATS...PORTIONS OF
THE MID SOUTH MAY SEE UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS. THIS MAY LEAD TO A LOCALIZED THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING
LATE TONIGHT. DUE TO THE SPEED AT WHICH IKE WILL LIFT THROUGH LATE
TONIGHT...A WIDESPREAD THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THE THREAT FOR STRONG WINDS...ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND LOCALIZED
FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MID SOUTH INTO SUNDAY.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER FROM SUNDAY
NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT OVER
THE WESTERN HALF OF THE MID SOUTH AND OVER MUCH OF THE REGION ON
SUNDAY. PLEASE REPORT ANY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...FLOODING OR
TORNADOES TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
MEMPHIS.

JLH

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 tropical storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Randolph

When: September 14, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Randolph forecast zone
Property damage: $103,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.342, -91.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Randolph County. Winds were estimated at 45 to 65 mph. The barometric pressure reportedly dropped to 29.29 inches as the center of Ike passed near Randolph County. Numerous large trees and tree limbs were knocked down. Power lines were knocked down across the county. A tree fell onto the roof of the Pocahontas Presbyterian Church causing damage to the church.

Tropical Storm, Lawrence

When: September 14, 3:00 AM CST to 6:00 AM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Property damage: $62,000
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 36.041, -91.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Lawrence County. The Walnut Ridge AWOS reported sustained winds of 34 knots between 355 am LST and 600 am LST. The AWOS reported a peak wind of 55 knots. In fact, wind gusts of 50 knots or greater occurred at the Walnut Ridge AWOS for an hour and a half. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county from the winds. The rice crop was also affected from the storm.

Tropical Storm, Craighead

When: September 14, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Craighead forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $285,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.831, -90.633 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Craighead County. The strongest winds occurred between 500 am LST and 700 am LST. Jonesboro ASOS reported sustained winds of 35 knots during that time with a peak wind of 54 knots. Numerous trees and power lines were reported down across the county. Several homes were damaged as well in the county. One mobile home was destroyed. Gas lines and gas mains were also affected by the storm. One injury occurred from the storm.

Tropical Storm, Poinsett

When: September 14, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Poinsett forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 35.574, -90.663 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Poinsett County. One fatality occurred north of Fisher as a tree fell onto a mobile home from the winds. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down from the winds as well as utility poles. One house and several cars were damaged in Trumann.

Tropical Storm, Clay

When: September 14, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $124,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.368, -90.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Clay County. Winds were estimated between 40 and 50 knots. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. Two injuries were reported in Piggott. One woman was injured from a falling board. Another man was injured from touching a power line when cleaning up debris.

Tropical Storm, Greene

When: September 14, 4:00 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Property damage: $188,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.118, -90.559 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Greene County. Winds were estimated between 40 and 50 knots. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. Several houses were damaged as well. A roof of a trailer was blown off.

Tropical Storm, Mississippi

When: September 14, 5:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST
Where: Mississippi forecast zone
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 35.764, -90.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds from Tropical Storm Ike affected Mississippi County. Blytheville ASOS reported wind gusts of greater than 30 knots between 500 am LST and 800 am LST. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. A roof was also blown off a trailer in Blytheville. A tree also fell on a house in Luxora.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tropical Storm, Poinsett	2008-09-14	29	Male	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct

What these are

Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, September 2008 The 2008 hurricane season

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: 134929, 134933, 134926, 134927, 134930, 134931, 134948.