Before dawn on the 16th, scattered thunderstorms developed near the Missouri border and produced some severe weather. Severe storms were much more widespread across the southern and western counties later in the afternoon and evening.
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.
Before dawn on the 16th, scattered thunderstorms developed near the Missouri border and produced some severe weather. Severe storms were much more widespread across the southern and western counties later in the afternoon and evening.
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 Jul 15, 11:16 PM CST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1216 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 .AVIATION... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS THIS MORNING...AND SPREAD SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. KEPT VCTS IN MOST TAFS SITES THROUGH THE PERIOD. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT...EXCEPT IN AREAS OF PRECIPITATION. LIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BEFORE BECOMING SOUTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 729 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2009/ UPDATE... HAVE UPDATED THIS EVENING TO REMOVE HEAT ADVISORY...BUT HUMID CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HOWEVER...WILL HAVE TO MONITOR FUTURE MODEL RUNS...AS THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. THE NAM SHOWS RAINFALL DEVELOPING DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND MOVING INTO THE STATE...BRINGING MORE CLOUDS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER...THE GFS IS SHOWING HIGH PRESSURE KEEPING DRY CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE STATE...WITH HOT TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN. WILL WATCH FOR DEVELOPMENT LATER TONIGHT...BUT HAVE UPDATED TO RAISE HIGHS ON THURSDAY A COUPLE OF DEGREES. THIS ALSO MEANS ANOTHER HEAT ADVISORY WILL MAY HAVE TO BE ISSUED THURSDAY FOR AT LEAST SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. WILL LET MID SHIFT LOOK AT LATER MODELS TO MAKE THE CALL ON THE HEAT ADVISORY AND RAIN CHANCES THURSDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 89 70 87 62 / 50 40 30 10 CAMDEN AR 98 74 93 69 / 20 50 40 20 HARRISON AR 89 68 87 59 / 40 50 20 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 97 73 92 67 / 20 50 30 20 LITTLE ROCK AR 95 73 90 66 / 30 50 30 20 MONTICELLO AR 97 74 92 70 / 20 50 50 20 MOUNT IDA AR 97 73 92 66 / 20 40 30 20 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 87 68 86 60 / 50 50 20 10 NEWPORT AR 90 71 87 63 / 50 40 30 10 PINE BLUFF AR 96 73 91 69 / 20 50 40 20 RUSSELLVILLE AR 95 71 90 63 / 30 40 30 10 SEARCY AR 92 71 89 64 / 40 40 30 10 STUTTGART AR 94 72 90 67 / 30 50 40 20 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && AVIATION...60
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1030 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2009 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-161000- 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- 1030 AM CDT WED JUL 15 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM SOUTHWEST MISSOURI INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO TRIGGER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AS IT SLIDES INTO NORTHERN ARKANSAS OVERNIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE IN THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. THE MAIN CONCERNS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND PENNY SIZE HAIL OR LARGER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE THAT HAS BROUGHT HOT WEATHER TO ARKANSAS RECENTLY WILL RELOCATE TO THE WESTERN UNITED STATES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. CLOCKWISE FLOW AROUND THE HIGH WILL CREATE A NORTHWEST WIND FLOW ALOFT. THE FLOW ALOFT WILL DRIVE THE FRONT IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS SOUTHWARD. ALONG THE FRONT...PRECIPITATION WILL BE ONGOING THURSDAY MORNING...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POPPING UP FARTHER SOUTH DURING THE AFTERNOON. AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...A STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG THE FRONT IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE SYSTEM WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INTO ARKANSAS FROM OKLAHOMA THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE...WITH AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN. SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT FOR THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE FORECAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATER TONIGHT IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS...AND THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 51/46
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1229 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 ARZ012-013-022-023-160615- NEWTON-POPE-SEARCY-VAN BUREN- 1229 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NEWTON...POPE...SEARCY AND VAN BUREN COUNTIES UNTIL 115 AM CDT... AT 1228 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MARSHALL...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE BOTKINBURG AND DENNARD. 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. 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1258 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 ARZ003-160700- BOONE- 1258 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BOONE COUNTY UNTIL 200 AM CDT... AT 1258 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR OAK GROVE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE OMAHA...DIAMOND CITY AND LEAD HILL. 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. 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. 44
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:12 UTC.
27 thunderstorm wind, 4 lightning, 4 hail, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A roof was blown off of a mobile home. Several trees were down.
Tree limbs were down.
Shingles were off a roof and a sign was blown over.
Tree limbs were down.
Street flooding occurred at Bull Shoals State Park.
Lightning knocked out power to about 10,000 customers in the Hot Springs area.
An electric utility worker was injured by lightning while putting equipment in his truck.
A large tree fell and blocked the street.
A lightning strike set a house on fire on Polk County Road 93.
A tree fell on a house on Polk County Road 95.
Tree and power lines were down on Fairgrounds Road.
A large tree was down.
A vehicle was flooded near the Mid America Museum.
A tree was down on U.S. Highway 71.
Large limbs were down.
Airport Road in Hot Springs was flooded.
Several trees were blown down in the area around Caney.
Trees were down in Murfreesboro.
Trees were down.
Trees were down in Manning.
Trees were down west of Manning.
Trees were down in Sparkman.
A few trees were down.
A tree was down on Dallas County Road 103 at Jones Rogers Road.
Trees and power lines were down at Tri-County Lake.
Lightning set several trees on fire. It also struck a couple of transformers.
Trees were down in Tinsman.
Trees and power lines were down in Hampton.
Trees and power lines were down in Rison.
Trees were down on Arkansas Highway 8.
A tree fell on a car near Wilmar.
Trees were down in Monticello.
Trees were down on Arkansas Highway 160 near Hermitage.
Trees were down in the area.
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, July 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: 182734, 182735, 182736, 182737, 181426, 188230, 182768, 182730, 188229, 182732, 182731, 182741, 182744, 182745, 182762, 181424, 182746, 182763, 181425, 182747, 182757, 182743, 182759, 182748, 182750, 182758, 182765, 182766, 182753, 182742, 182754, 182755, 182756, 182749, 182751, 182752, 182760, 182761.