An upper level disturbance combined with a subtropical airmass to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms across Eastern Arkansas. Some of the storms were severe with damaging winds and flash flooding.
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 MEG wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance combined with a subtropical airmass to produce scattered showers and thunderstorms across Eastern Arkansas. Some of the storms were severe with damaging winds and flash flooding.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 26, 2:42 PM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 342 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 .DISCUSSION... TROPICAL AIRMASS REMAINED OVER THE MIDSOUTH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RANGED FROM 1.5 TO 1.8 INCHES. GOES VISIBLE IMAGERY SHOWED TWO PRONOUNCED CIRCULATIONS...THE REMNANT OF OUR RECENT TROPICAL SYSTEM NOW NORTH OF KANSAS CITY...AND THE OTHER OVER NORTHWEST AL. THE LATER LOW PRESSURE WAS THE REMNANTS OF A SHORTWAVE THAT TRACKED ACROSS CENTRAL MS YESTERDAY. LOW LEVEL DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CIRCULATIONS HAD EARLIER CREATED CLEAR SKIES OVER AR...ALLOWING STRONG HEATING TO OCCUR. 100MB MIXED LAYER CAPES HAD REACHED 2000 J/KG OVER CENTRAL AR. EXPECT GRADUALLY DECREASING LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY OVER THE MIDSOUTH THROUGH THE EVENING. GOES WATER VAPOR IMAGERY APPEARED TO SHOW A MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE OVER EAST TX. NOT CLEAR IF THIS FEATURE WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK A STRENGTHENING CONVECTIVE CAP OVER THE MIDSOUTH WITH IT ARRIVES TO THE LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY LATER THIS EVENING. 18Z NAM DOESN/T APPEAR TOO IMPRESSED IF QPF IS ANY INDICATION. IN ANY CASE...WILL CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS THIS EVENING...DROPPING TO SLIGHT CHANCE OVERNIGHT. A PACIFIC COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE STILL APPEARS ON TRACK FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WHICH SHOULD EFFECTIVELY END THE RECENT MOIST SPELL ONCE AN OPEN UPPER LEVEL TROF DROPS THROUGH ON THURSDAY. WITH A 584DM 500MB RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY... EXPECT DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS OVER THE MIDSOUTH FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES SHOULD TOP OUT AROUND 5 DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL... WITH SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY SEEING 90. PWB && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS MVFR CONDITIONS AT MEM/MKL ASSOCIATED WITH SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO IMPROVE TO VFR CONDITIONS AT ALL SITES THIS AFTERNOON. KEPT PREVAILING VCTS IN ALL TAFS UNTIL 04Z...WITH A TEMPO PERIOD MAINLY BETWEEN 20-22Z. SHOWER/THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO END AROUND 04Z AS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MAINLY BEING DRIVEN BY DAYTIME INSTABILITY. SOUTH WINDS AROUND 7-8 KTS EXPECTED TO DROP TO 3 TO 5 KTS TONIGHT. PATCHY FOG POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT BUT LEFT LOW CEILINGS OUT FOR NOW DUE TO LOW CONFIDENCE. CJC && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 70 85 66 81 / 30 40 20 20 MKL 66 84 66 81 / 30 50 30 30 JBR 68 84 63 79 / 30 40 20 20 TUP 68 86 67 84 / 30 50 20 20 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 128 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-271015- ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA- CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER- FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY- ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON- MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT- PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY- ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA- UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 128 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRAIT LINE WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH. A FEW FUNNEL CLOUDS OR VERY WEAK LAND SPOUT TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE INTO EARLY EVENING. HOWEVER...ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL NOT BE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY...IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. PWB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 452 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ARZ008-262215- RANDOLPH AR- 452 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... CENTRAL RANDOLPH COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RAVENDEN SPRINGS AT 452 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN RANDOLPH COUNTY...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR POCAHONTAS... SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 453 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ARZ017-262230- LAWRENCE AR- 453 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHWESTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ANNIEVILLE AT 453 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN LAWRENCE COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 545 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 MSZ010-011-020-262315- COAHOMA MS-QUITMAN MS-TALLAHATCHIE MS- 545 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHEASTERN COAHOMA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... SOUTHERN QUITMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... WESTERN TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTH OF CLARKSDALE AT 546 PM CDT... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN COAHOMA...QUITMAN AND TALLAHATCHIE COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CLARKSDALE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES GRASSY LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 551 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ARZ017-018-262315- GREENE AR-LAWRENCE AR- 551 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... SOUTHWESTERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EASTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER HOXIE AT 551 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN GREENE AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR HOXIE AND WALNUT RIDGE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 604 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 TNZ053-054-262330- HENDERSON TN-CHESTER TN- 604 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... NORTHEASTERN CHESTER COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHERN HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER JACKS CREEK AT 604 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN CHESTER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT ALSO INCLUDES PINE LAKE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 627 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ARZ017-018-270000- GREENE AR-LAWRENCE AR- 627 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009 ...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR... GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... EAST CENTRAL LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED OVER WALCOTT AT 627 PM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. THIS STORM IS INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY. PEOPLE IN GREENE AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR CROWLEYS RIDGE STATE PARK...MARMADUKE AND PARAGOULD...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:54 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain produced flash flooding along Highway 125 in Oak Grove Heights.
Straight line winds knocked down power lines between Black Oak and Caraway.
Straight line winds knocked a large tree limb on to the roof of a house on Illinois Street in Caraway. The limb collapsed half of the roof. Several large tree limbs were knocked down throughout Caraway.
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, May 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: 175324, 175326, 175329.