Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, May 1, 2009

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, May 1, 2009
Start: 2009-05-01T14:02
End: 2009-05-01T22:45
Location: Arkansas

May 1, 2009 · NWS TSA · 16 events in 2 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms spread from northeast Oklahoma into northwest Arkansas during the afternoon of the 1st and lasted into the evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $200,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 16

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 TSA wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms spread from northeast Oklahoma into northwest Arkansas during the afternoon of the 1st and lasted into the evening hours.

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 Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 1, 11:51 AM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 11:51 AM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1251 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...AVIATION...

.DISCUSSION...
COLD FRONT WORKING ITS WAY SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REGION WILL
CONTINUE MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. MVFR
CONDITIONS WITH EMBEDDED PATCHES OF IFR CONDITIONS AND
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE
TO IFR CONDITIONS BY 06Z WITH PATCHY LIFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED THROUGH MID SATURDAY MORNING.

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ053-OKZ054-
     OKZ055-OKZ056-OKZ057-OKZ058-OKZ059-OKZ060-OKZ061-OKZ062-
     OKZ063-OKZ064-OKZ065-OKZ066-OKZ067-OKZ068-OKZ069-OKZ070-
     OKZ071-OKZ072-OKZ073-OKZ074-OKZ075-OKZ076.

AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM SUNDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-
     ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

&&

SHORT TERM...99
LONG TERM....99
AVIATION...15

Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 12:14 PM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
114 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-021000-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
100 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...RAINFALL LETTING UP FOR NOW BUT FLOODING CONTINUES...

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
RISK...ELEVATED.
AREA...EAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING.

AREA AT GREATEST RISK...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

FLASH FLOOD.
RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
AREA...EAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING.

AREA AT GREATEST RISK...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

HEAVY RAIN.
RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
AREA...EAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
ONSET...ONGOING.

AREA AT GREATEST RISK...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

DISCUSSION...
A LARGE SWATH OF 3 TO OVER 7 INCHES OF RAIN FELL FROM NORTHERN TULSA
COUNTY EAST ACROSS RODGERS...MAYES..AND DELAWARE COUNTIES AND INCLUDES
PARTS OF ADJACENT COUNTIES AS WELL. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
DECREASING IN NUMBER AND INTENSITY AS THE LOW LEVEL JET FEEDING THE
STORMS HAS WEAKENED.

SOME AREAS THAT RECEIVED THE HEAVY RAIN MAY STILL SEE AN ADDITIONAL
1/2 TO ONE INCH OF RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.

A COLD FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA BUT THIS WILL NOT END THE
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SINCE IT WILL LIKELY STALL ACROSS THE
REGION TONIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM
TO FORM ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA AS THE LOW LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS LATER
TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
SATURDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL.
SUNDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL.
MONDAY...NO HAZARDS.
TUESDAY...NO HAZARDS.
WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDS.
THURSDAY...NO HAZARDS.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN IN THE AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER
OF THE WEEKEND BEFORE FINALLY EXITING EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ON MONDAY. AS A RESULT...THUNDERSTORMS WILL
REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH SEVERE STORMS
POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON SATURDAY. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING
CONCERNS WILL ALSO REMAIN...AND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINING
IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. RAINFALL TOTALS
FROM SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE
LIKELY...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING STATEMENT...
AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE END OF
THE WEEKEND...WITH WEATHER RELATED RESPONSES LIKELY ONE OR MORE
TIMES DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING POTENTIAL.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 1, 11:54 AM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1254 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

OKZ055>057-011900-
CRAIG OK-NOWATA OK-WASHINGTON OK-
1254 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 200 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     NORTHWESTERN CRAIG...NORTHERN NOWATA AND WASHINGTON

AT 1254 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
COPAN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED
BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...DELAWARE...LENAPAH...WANN...COPAN...
CENTRALIA...HOLLOW AND CENTRAILIA.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
40 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

LAT...LON 3698 9522 3665 9524 3685 9601 3699 9600
      3700 9561
TIME...MOT...LOC 1754Z 281DEG 25KT 3691 9593

Special weather statement, May 1, 12:08 PM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
108 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

OKZ054-055-011915-
OSAGE OK-WASHINGTON OK-
108 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 215 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     WASHINGTON AND NORTHEASTERN OSAGE

AT 109 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 16
MILES NORTHWEST OF BIGHEART...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS
THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...BIGHEART AND HULAH.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

LAT...LON 3700 9598 3684 9598 3685 9655 3700 9656
TIME...MOT...LOC 1809Z 276DEG 29KT 3699 9645

Local storm report, May 1, 12:42 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
142 PM CDT FRI MAY 01 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0104 PM     HAIL             2 N COPAN               36.93N 95.93W
05/01/2009  E1.00 INCH       WASHINGTON         OK   PUBLIC

&&

Local storm report, May 1, 1:13 PM CST, 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
213 PM CDT FRI MAY 01 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0730 AM     TSTM WND DMG     SALINA                  36.29N 95.15W
05/01/2009                   MAYES              OK   BROADCAST MEDIA

            HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL STADIUM DAMAGED

&&

Special weather statement, May 1, 1:15 PM CST, 47 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
215 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

OKZ054>057-012015-
CRAIG OK-NOWATA OK-OSAGE OK-WASHINGTON OK-
215 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 315 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     NORTHWESTERN CRAIG...NORTHERN NOWATA...WASHINGTON AND
     NORTHEASTERN OSAGE

AT 216 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES
SOUTH OF HULAH...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...DELAWARE...LENAPAH...WANN...HULAH...
DEWEY...COPAN...CENTRALIA...HOLLOW AND CENTRAILIA.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
50 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

LAT...LON 3700 9526 3672 9522 3675 9609 3700 9614
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 270DEG 29KT 3690 9601

Special weather statement, May 1, 1:49 PM CST, 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
249 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

OKZ062-063-012030-
DELAWARE OK-MAYES OK-
249 PM CDT FRI MAY 1 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     SOUTHWESTERN DELAWARE AND EASTERN MAYES

AT 249 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES
NORTHEAST OF LOCUST GROVE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS
THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...LEACH...TWIN OAKS...
KANSAS...LOCUST GROVE...ROSE AND SALINA.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

LAT...LON 3638 9481 3617 9480 3618 9521 3632 9522
TIME...MOT...LOC 1949Z 263DEG 20KT 3624 9514

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 hail, 2 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Benton

When: May 1, 2:02 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Gentry
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.480

Hail, Benton

When: May 1, 3:09 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Gentry
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.480

Hail, Benton

When: May 1, 3:30 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Cave Spgs
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.230

Flash Flood, Benton

When: May 1, 3:42 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where: Benton County, 2 mi N of Cave Spgs to 2 mi N of Lowell
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.299, -94.230

Heavy rain caused several side roads to be flooded between Cave Springs and Lowell.

Hail, Benton

When: May 1, 3:47 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Lowell
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.250, -94.130

Hail, Benton

When: May 1, 4:09 PM CST
Where: Benton County, 1 mi SE of Monte Ne
Measured: 3 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.270, -94.057

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: May 1, 4:35 PM CST
Where: Benton County, Rogers
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.330, -94.120

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down large tree limbs.

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 4:55 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 4 mi N of Rockhouse
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.338, -93.670

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Hindsville
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.150, -93.850

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 6:08 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 2 mi N of Aurora
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.029, -93.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: May 1, 6:08 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 2 mi NE of Aurora
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.020, -93.675

Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down a large tree limb.

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 6:11 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 5 mi NE of Aurora
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.051, -93.637

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 6:12 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Aurora
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.000, -93.700

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Kingston
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Post Office
Coordinates: 36.050, -93.520

Hail, Madison

When: May 1, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Madison County, Witter
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Post Office
Coordinates: 35.930, -93.680

Flash Flood, Madison

When: May 1, 9:45 PM CST to 10:45 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 2 mi N of Witter to 2 mi W of Witter
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Post Office
Coordinates: 35.959, -93.680

Heavy rain caused roads to be flooded and impassable in the Witter area.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, May 2009

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: 176132, 176133, 176134, 176135, 176136, 176137, 176138, 176139, 176141, 176142, 176143, 176144, 176145, 176146, 176147, 176148.