A moist, semi-tropical atmosphere existed over Arkansas on the 21st. A cold front moving through the state triggered some showers.
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.
A moist, semi-tropical atmosphere existed over Arkansas on the 21st. A cold front moving through the state triggered some showers. A waterspout and two tornadoes occurred from mid afternoon through early evening. These occurred without any thunder, indicating that the mechanism that caused them was much like the one that triggers waterspouts off the Florida Keys in the summer.
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 21, 5:16 AM CST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 616 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2009 .AVIATION... SURFACE WARM FRONT OVER CENTRAL ARKANSAS WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT TOWARDS THE NORTH EARLY IN THE PERIOD. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT...OVER NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING WILL TRACK ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS AS THE PERIOD PROGRESSES. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ADVANCE EAST AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY BEFORE TAPERING OFF TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL PREVAIL AT 5 TO 10 MPH BUT SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND INCREASE AFTER THE FRONT PASSES. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL EARLY IN THE PERIOD OVER THE SOUTH BEFORE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES BECOME MVFR AREA WIDE WITH POSSIBLE IFR CONDITIONS IN HEAVIER CONVECTION. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 311 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2009/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT THE MAIN FORECAST PROBLEM DURING THE SHORT TERM IS THE APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND DEVELOPING SFC LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS CENTER OF SFC LOW OVER N CENTRAL AND NE OK...WITH UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE JUST N INTO SE KS THIS MORNING. LARGE COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS ONGOING ACROSS SE KS...NE OK AND SW MO IN VICINITY OF THE SFC...AND IS CURRENTLY MOVING SE TOWARDS AR. A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS CENTRAL AR AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING SFC LOW ALONG THE WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT STRETCHED ACROSS W CENTRAL AR INTO S AR. NEAR SFC MOISTURE CONTINUES TO INCREASE EVIDENT WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 70S. THIS WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO LIFT N THIS MORNING AS THE SFC LOW PUSHES E INTO AR. COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD E AND SE INTO W AND NW AR THIS MORNING...WITH HIGHEST QPF ACROSS NW PORTIONS OF THE STATE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THE APPROACHING COMPLEX WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN. AS THE DAY GOES ON...THE SFC LOW WILL PUSH E INTO N CENTRAL AR BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS...WITH THE TRAILING COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO W AND NW AR. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT IN THE WARM SECTOR...INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED IN THE MID 80S AND DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW 70S. THE INCREASED INSTABILITY OVER S AR...ALONG WITH COOLING TEMPS ALOFT WITH THE SHORTWAVE MOVING OVERHEAD...AS WELL NOTABLE LLJ OF 35 TO 45 KTS EXPECTED IN VICINITY OF THE INSTABILITY AXIS...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING AS THE MAIN THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE NEAR THE AXIS OF BEST 0 TO 1 KM BULK SHEAR ACROSS SW AND S AR. FURTHER NORTH...THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY 3+ INCHES OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. THE SFC LOW AND UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL THEN PUSH E TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...TAKING MOST OF THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WITH IT. KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE POPS INTO MIDDAY WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE SE COUNTIES AS THE COLD FRONT EXITS TO THE SE. SLIGHTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL THEN FILTER IN BEHIND THE FRONT...KEEPING THE FORECAST MAINLY DRY THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE STATE FROM THE NW...INTRODUCING POPS ACROSS NW AR FRIDAY NIGHT INTO THE LONG TERM PERIOD. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AND CLOUD COVER. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL BE IN THE MID 70S ACROSS N AR...AROUND 80 ACROSS CENTRAL AR...AND IN THE MID 80S FURTHER S. WEDNESDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE INTO THE 80S STATEWIDE...WARMING TO THE 80S TO LOW 90S THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 60S AND 70S. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE A HIGHLY AMPLIFIED PATTERN THROUGH THE PERIOD MADE UP BY STRONG RIDGING OVER WESTERN NORTH AMERICA AND SUBSEQUENT DOWNSTREAM TROFFING EXTENDING FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE GULF COAST. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES EVOLVE WITH THE PATTERN WITH ECMWF KEEPING THE UPPER LOW PARKED IN THE SAME GENERAL VICINITY WHILE GFS DAMPENS THE TROF OUT TO ENCOMPASS MAINLY THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WITH GFS SHOWING POOR RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY...WILL CONTINUE THE THINKING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL NIGHTS AND LEAN TOWARDS THE ECMWF SOLUTION. PERSISTENT NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA WITH SEVERAL WEAK PIECES OF ENERGY MOVING THROUGH THE PREVAILING FLOW. THE MAJORITY OF THE WAVES ARE SUBTLE AND WITH TIMING DIFFERENCES BEING EXHIBITED BY THE MODELS...WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD BUT MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE DIURNAL IN NATURE. THE BEST CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE EARLY IN THE PERIOD AS MODELS ARE CONSISTENT IN DRIVING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE STATE. SOME DIFFERENCES HERE AS WELL SOME OF THE LONGER TERM GUIDANCE STALLS THE BOUNDARY OUT ACROSS NORTHERN LOUISIANA FURTHER JUSTIFYING SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. WITH NORTHWEST FLOW IN PLACE...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. FEEL GUIDANCE MAY BE SLIGHTLY OVERDONE AND WILL GO A FEW DEGREES BELOW MAV/MEX NUMBERS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 76 63 83 63 / 80 70 20 10 CAMDEN AR 84 67 89 66 / 70 70 20 20 HARRISON AR 74 59 82 61 / 80 30 10 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 82 64 87 64 / 80 50 20 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 79 65 86 65 / 80 70 20 10 MONTICELLO AR 83 68 89 66 / 70 70 20 20 MOUNT IDA AR 82 62 86 62 / 70 40 20 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 75 60 83 61 / 80 40 10 10 NEWPORT AR 77 63 84 62 / 80 70 20 10 PINE BLUFF AR 82 66 86 65 / 80 70 20 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 81 63 86 62 / 80 40 20 10 SEARCY AR 79 64 85 63 / 80 70 20 10 STUTTGART AR 80 65 85 65 / 80 70 20 10 && .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 TUE JUL 21 2009 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-221000- 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 TUE JUL 21 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE SPREADING INTO ARKANSAS FROM THE PLAINS. PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE STATE THIS MORNING...SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. A WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH GULF MOISTURE FLOWING BACK INTO THE AREA. MEANWHILE...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE DROPPING DOWN FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS HAS CARVED OUT AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ON THE SURFACE....CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THE LOW WILL TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN ARKANSAS... DRAGGING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE STATE AS IT DOES. THE RESULT WILL BE WIDESPREAD RAIN AND POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER. THE FRONT WILL TAKE THE MAJORITY OF THE DAY TO CLEAR THE STATE WITH BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS IN ITS WAKE. WIDESPREAD ONE TO TWO INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AREA WIDE WITH THE BEST CHANCES OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. SOME SPOTS MAY PICK UP OVER THREE INCHES OF RAIN...WITH LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY IN THE DAY OVER THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE STATE WITH THE SEVERE THREAT SHIFTING TO SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANY SUNSHINE THAT DOES MANAGE TO BREAK THROUGH OVER THE SOUTHEAST BEFORE THE SYSTEM ARRIVES WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE EVEN MORE...INCREASING THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE EXCLUDED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE COLD FRONT WILL BE LOCATED OVER SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND WILL CLEAR THE STATE BY MID MORNING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE THROUGH NOON BUT THE THREAT OF ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN LOW. 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 BEST CHANCE OF SEEING ANY ORGANIZED ACTIVITY WILL BE IN THE LATE FRIDAY TO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING TIME AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH BUT ONCE AGAIN...THE SEVERE POTENTIAL APPEARS LOW AT THIS POINT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY TODAY. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 431 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2009 ARZ024-032-033-211000- CLEBURNE-FAULKNER-WHITE- 431 AM CDT TUE JUL 21 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CLEBURNE...FAULKNER AND WHITE COUNTIES UNTIL 500 AM CDT... AT 431 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MOUNT VERNON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE ROSE BUD....MOUNT VERNON... GRAVEL HILL AND ROMANCE. 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
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 76 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:40 UTC.
6 flash flood, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A business was flooded and water entered approximately 10 houses. Flooding occurred on Arkansas Highway 375 west of Mena and Arkansas Highway 8. Also, several county roads were flooded. Minor street flooding occurred in Mena.
A house was flooded in Kirby. Also, minor street flooding occurred in the city.
In Lonoke, Privett Park Drive, Newbury Drive, and most roads south of Palm Street were flooded.
In Tuckerman, water entered houses on Woodland and Devine Street.
Roads were flooded between Cord and Newark.
A waterspout occurred over Lake Conway, and was photographed by a number of people. There was no damage and the waterspout never moved onshore.
A judging stand at a horse arena and a shed were destroyed. A large tree and some fences were blown down. Minor damage occurred to the roof of a house.
The emergency manager estimated that flash flooding occurred at 25 to 30 places in Independence County. Mount Harmon Rd. was washed out and a pick-up truck drove off into a 5-foot hole. Other washouts occurred on Sanders Rd., Lonoke Lane, Gap Rd., Big Creek Rd., Young Rd., Crutcher Rd., Kramer Rd., and the road into Camp Crossed Arrows.
Roof damage occurred to a couple of houses and a number of trees were blown down or snapped off. Yard items were blown around, including a grill, a small flat-bottom boat, and a deer feeder. A fence was blown 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 historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2009Warnings 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: 182774, 182776, 182778, 182777, 182779, 178580, 178581, 188043, 178582.