High pressure to the west nudged toward the center of the country. A warm front in the southern Plains lifted slowly into Arkansas.
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.
High pressure to the west nudged toward the center of the country. A warm front in the southern Plains lifted slowly into Arkansas. Winds around the front became southerly, and moisture increased readily. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms focused around the front on the 20th.
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 20, 5:19 AM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 619 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2009 .AVIATION... A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT THROUGH THE REGION TODAY WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOPING ALONG THE BOUNDARY THIS MORNING WITH THE BEST CHANCES AT KPBF AND KLLQ. ADDITIONAL CONVECTION MAY DEVELOP OVER THE WEST LATER TODAY AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH THE STATE FROM THE NORTH LATE IN THE PERIOD WITH KHRO AND KPBK HAVING THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING PRECIPITATION. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS EXCEPT IN AND NEAR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WHERE MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. NO AMENDMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AT KHOT DUE TO COMMUNICATION OUTAGE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2009/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WV IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS SHOWS DEEP TROF OVER THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH TROUGH AXIS STRETCHING FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION SOUTH INTO THE FL PANHANDLE. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IN PLACE FROM THE SW CONUS INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. UPPER LEVEL WAVES CONTINUE TO ROTATE AROUND THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS SCENARIO WILL BECOME A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE FORECAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. ISODROSOTHERMAL ANALYSIS REVEALS INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 60S ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS EARLY THIS MORNING AS A RESULT OF A RETURN OF SOUTHERLY SURFACE FLOW. TEMPERATURES HAVE REMAINED IN THE 60S STATEWIDE THIS MORNING...WITH SOME LOW 70S ACROSS SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. SHOULD SEE MORNING LOWS THIS MORNING A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN OVER THE WEEKEND FROM THE HIGHER MOISTURE. EXPECT MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY...WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF THE CWA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...WHICH WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STARTING MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MOST MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE RESOLVING THIS SCENARIO WELL...WITH GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NAM...GFS...AS WELL AS THE ECMWF. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT DISAGREEMENTS EXIST IN THE AMOUNT OF QPF EXPECTED AND SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN THE TIMING OF HEAVIEST PRECIP...BUT ARE STILL IN DECENT AGREEMENT. HAVE CHANCE POPS INCREASING STARTING THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN ARKANSAS...THEN SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE CWA DURING MUCH OF TUESDAY...WITH LIKELY POPS MIDDAY TUESDAY. HIGHEST QPF WILL BE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA...WITH AVERAGE STORM TOTAL QPF OF 1 TO 2 INCHES STATEWIDE...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL BE A CONCERN TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS SOME ISOLATED AREAS MAY SEE OVER 3 INCHES. SOME STORMS WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG...POSSIBLY SEVERE. HOWEVER...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME DUE TO MUCH OF THE INSTABILITY BEING ELEVATED IN NATURE. CHANCES OF RAIN DECREASE FROM WEST TO EAST WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE EXITS TO THE EAST. THE REST OF THE SHORT TERM LOOKS MAINLY DRY AT THIS TIME...WITH THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT CHANCE FOR RAIN NOT EXPECTED UNTIL THE LONG TERM PERIOD. TEMPERATURES IN THE SHORT TERM WILL BE IN THE 80S TO AROUND 90 THIS AFTERNOON...BUT IN THE 70S AND LOW 80S TUESDAY WITH THE CLOUD COVER AND RAINFALL EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BEGIN TO REBOUND WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...BUT CONTINUE TO REMAIN JUST BELOW NORMAL WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S TO AROUND 90. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MEDIUM RANGE MODELS IN GENERALLY DECENT AGREEMENT IN THE SYNOPTIC SCALE BUT CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES EXIST IN THE FINER DETAILS. WHILE MODELS AGREE IN AMPLIFYING THE UPPER FLOW THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH STRONG RIDGE OVER WESTERN NORTH AMERICA AND DEEP DOWNSTREAM TROFFING OVER THE GREAT LAKES...CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES SHOW UP IN THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF INDIVIDUAL SHORTWAVES. ECMWF CONTINUES TO SHOW THE BEST RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY BETWEEN ALL MEDIUM RANGE MODELS AND REMAINS THE PREFERRED SOLUTION THIS MORNING. PERIOD INITIATES WITH UPPER HIGH OVER THE WESTERN CONUS AND BROAD TROFFING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS. UPPER PATTERN AMPLIFIES WITH TIME WITH FORECAST AREA IN A PREDOMINATE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT THROUGH THE PERIOD. SEVERAL DISCRETE WAVES MOVING THROUGH THE PREVAILING FLOW JUSTIFY MAINLY DIURNALLY DRIVEN PRECIPITATION CHANCES ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING PRECIPITATION WILL BE SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY AS COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. FRONT APPEARS TO BE FAIRLY DYNAMIC AT THIS POINT BUT WILL ONLY KEEP POPS IN THE SCATTERED CATEGORY AS MODELS ARE SURE TO FLUCTUATE THIS FAR OUT. EVEN WITH SOUTHEAST SURFACE FLOW...BELIEVE MEX NUMBERS MAY BE SLIGHTLY OVERDONE ESPECIALLY ON SUNDAY WITH EXPECTED CLOUD COVER AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES. WILL UNDERCUT GUIDANCE THROUGH THE PERIOD AND SEE IF MODELS COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT WITH TIME. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 83 65 76 65 / 10 40 60 70 CAMDEN AR 90 69 83 70 / 20 50 60 60 HARRISON AR 84 64 75 62 / 20 50 70 60 HOT SPRINGS AR 87 69 80 67 / 20 50 70 60 LITTLE ROCK AR 87 67 79 68 / 20 40 60 70 MONTICELLO AR 89 68 82 70 / 20 40 60 70 MOUNT IDA AR 86 68 80 66 / 20 50 70 50 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 85 64 77 63 / 10 40 70 60 NEWPORT AR 84 65 78 66 / 10 30 60 70 PINE BLUFF AR 88 68 80 69 / 20 40 60 70 RUSSELLVILLE AR 86 67 78 65 / 20 50 70 60 SEARCY AR 85 65 78 67 / 20 40 60 70 STUTTGART AR 87 66 79 69 / 20 40 60 70 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...62 / LONG TERM...56 AVIATION...56
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 500 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2009 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-211000- 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- 500 AM CDT MON JUL 20 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WARM FRONT...JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ARKANSAS THIS MORNING...WILL MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD THE REGION ON MONDAY...WITH MOISTURE INCREASING AS IT DOES. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP NEAR THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF LITTLE ROCK. THE THREAT OF ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW. A COLD FRONT IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL THEN APPROACH ARKANSAS FROM THE NORTH TONIGHT AS THE WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH. A LARGE CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN ADVANCE OF THIS FEATURE AND INTO THE NATURAL STATE. THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING PRECIPITATION TONIGHT WILL OVER THE WEST AND NORTHWEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. ONCE AGAIN...SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES WILL BE MINIMAL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE ON TUESDAY WITH MOISTURE LEVELS INCREASING BEHIND THE AFOREMENTIONED WARM FRONT. THIS INCREASE IN MOISTURE WILL HELP ENERGIZE SOME OF THE STORMS AND SOME OF THEM MAY BE STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY CONCERN. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED. WIDESPREAD ONE TO TWO INCH AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT AND SOME AREAS COULD SEE IN EXCESS OF THREE INCHES. SOME PONDING OF WATER AND MINOR STREET FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. THE WEATHER WILL REMAIN SOMEWHAT UNSETTLED THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AS WEAK SYSTEMS ALOFT ARRIVE FROM THE NORTHWEST. HOWEVER...ANY PRECIPITATION WILL BE HIT AND MISS...AND NOT AS WIDESPREAD AS THE EVENT ON TUESDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL BE LATE IN THE PERIOD AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND ESPECIALLY TUESDAY. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 56
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:06 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 heavy rain, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dallas County Roads 101 and 103 east of Arkansas Highway 8 were under water.
Six inches of rain fell between 8:30 AM and 11:30 AM CDT at Lake Norrell.
Excessive rainfall caused flooding in the area around Lake Norrell. On Lake Norrell Road, the approach to the Caney Creek Bridge was washed out. The road was closed for five hours, until county road crews could remove the asphalt that had been torn out and replace it temporarily with gravel. Other roads suffering damage were Rushing, Sanders Ford, and Cold Springs. On Rushing Road, an SUV was trapped in flood waters. Two adults and three children were in the vehicle as water rose up the doors. The people exited through the windows but were swept through a culvert under the road. Two people nearby attempted to help but were also pulled through the culvert. One adult was taken to the hospital. The other six people suffered minor injuries, such as scrapes, cuts, and bruises.
A large oak tree was down. Telephone poles and power lines were down.
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: 182769, 182772, 182773, 182771.