Afternoon heating and lots of moisture was enough to trigger hit and miss showers and thunderstorms on the 18th.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 episode as NWS LZK wrote it up.
Afternoon heating and lots of moisture was enough to trigger hit and miss showers and thunderstorms on the 18th.
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 Aug 18, 1:54 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 254 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION CONTINUES ACROSS THE CWA...WITH THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY NOTED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST SECTIONS. THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY APPEARS TO BE LOCATED ACROSS AN AREA OF LOCALIZED LOW LEVEL FORCING...AND GREATER INSTABILITY. AGAIN EXPECT SCATTERED CONVECTION FOR WEDNESDAY...WITH A PRONOUNCED DIURNAL COMPONENT. A MORE FOCUSED CONVECTIVE EVENT IS EXPECTED FOR LATE THURSDAY...AS THE UPPER AIR PATTERN AMPLIFIES OVER THE U.S...AND ALLOWS FOR A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY SHOULD BE SEVERAL CATEGORIES BELOW NORMAL. && .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY UPPER TROUGH WILL BRING NORTHWEST FLOW TO THE AREA...WITH DRIER AND COOLER CONDITIONS. BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK...UPPER RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO MOVE EAST...KEEPING DRY WEATHER IN THE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE AT OR JUST BELOW NORMAL. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 73 89 73 87 / 30 40 30 30 CAMDEN AR 74 92 74 92 / 30 30 30 20 HARRISON AR 71 89 72 84 / 30 40 40 40 HOT SPRINGS AR 74 92 74 90 / 30 40 30 30 LITTLE ROCK AR 74 91 75 90 / 30 40 30 30 MONTICELLO AR 75 91 75 93 / 30 30 30 20 MOUNT IDA AR 73 92 73 90 / 30 40 30 30 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 71 88 71 85 / 30 40 40 40 NEWPORT AR 74 89 74 88 / 30 40 30 30 PINE BLUFF AR 75 91 75 92 / 30 30 30 30 RUSSELLVILLE AR 73 90 73 87 / 30 40 30 30 SEARCY AR 74 90 74 89 / 30 40 30 30 STUTTGART AR 75 91 75 91 / 30 30 30 30 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...55 / LONG TERM...58
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 920 AM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-191000- 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- 920 AM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN AN VERY UNSTABLE...AND MOISTURE RICH AIR MASS. FORECAST VERTICAL PROFILES OF WIND...TEMPERATURE...AND MOISTURE SUGGEST THAT THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. ALSO...THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING INTENSE RAINFALL...AND THEREFORE WILL BE A THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY WITH HIGH LEVELS OF INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE EXPECTED ACROSS THE NATURAL STATE. SOME STORMS WILL BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...BUT NO WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF MOISTURE...AND WITH THUNDERSTORMS BEING SLOW MOVING DUE TO WEAK FLOW ALOFT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS ARKANSAS WITH THE AID OF A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE SURGING SOUTH IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH HAIL AND HIGH WINDS THE MAIN THREATS. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE. CALMER WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR LATE FRIDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS DRIER...MORE STABLE AIR FILTERS IN BEHIND THE FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON...BUT MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS WEEK. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 55
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 104 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ006-007-181830- FULTON-SHARP- 104 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FULTON AND SHARP COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM CDT... AT 104 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MAMMOTH SPRING TO 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF HORSESHOE BEND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. WIND GUSTS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO EXPECT REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO THE VERY HEAVY RAIN. 55
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 333 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ031-032-039-044-182110- CONWAY-FAULKNER-PERRY-PULASKI- 333 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CONWAY...FAULKNER...PERRY AND PULASKI COUNTIES UNTIL 410 PM CDT... AT 332 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WYE MOUNTAIN...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL OTHERWISE IMPACT BIGELOW...GRAYTOWN...NEW DIXIE AND PLEASANT VALLEY. FREQUENT...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 336 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ016-024-025-033-182105- CLEBURNE-INDEPENDENCE-JACKSON-WHITE- 336 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CLEBURNE...INDEPENDENCE...JACKSON AND WHITE COUNTIES UNTIL 405 PM CDT... AT 337 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SWIFTON TO 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF NEWARK TO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF MOOREFIELD TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CONCORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE MAGNESS...TUCKERMAN...PLEASANT PLAINS AND OIL TROUGH. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN LITTLE ROCK 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 344 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ARZ032-033-044-045-182125- FAULKNER-LONOKE-PULASKI-WHITE- 344 PM CDT TUE AUG 18 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FAULKNER...LONOKE...PULASKI AND WHITE COUNTIES UNTIL 425 PM CDT... AT 343 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR VILONIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL OTHERWISE IMPACT OTTO AND VILONIA.. TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO EXPECT REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO THE VERY HEAVY RAIN. 56
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:16 UTC.
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Several streets in Batesville were barricaded due to high water.
Street flooding occurred on Dripping Springs Road just off of Arkansas Highway 157. A rain gage nearby measured 2.24 inches of rain in one hour.
Street flooding occurred across Maumelle Blvd.
A car stalled due to high water in Morgan.
Flooding occurred on Arkansas Highway 16.
Lightning struck a radio station, destroying the satellite receiver and damaging several other pieces of electronic equipment.
Trees were down at Military Road and Cooper Road.
Trees were down on Arkansas Highway 51.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2009
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: 185767, 185776, 185778, 185770, 185775, 189277, 185783, 185780.