Showers and thunderstorms developed from the central and southern Plains into the mid-Mississippi Valley early on the 8th. Rain eventually spread into Arkansas later in the day, and was heavy at times.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed from the central and southern Plains into the mid-Mississippi Valley early on the 8th. Rain eventually spread into Arkansas later in the day, and was heavy at times.
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 Oct 8, 8:05 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 905 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 .DISCUSSION... HAVE UPDATED FORECAST FOR TORNADO WATCH 761 UNTIL 3 AM FRIDAY. STORMS ARE NOW PUSHING INTO BOONE AND MARION COUNTIES. EXPECT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS. ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT WILL BE POSSIBLE. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THE AREA OF STORMS. 00Z KLZK SOUNDING INDICATED PLENTY OF INSTABILITY...MOISTURE AND SHEAR...AND TORNADO THREAT WILL BE PRESENT ESPECIALLY ALONG THE LINE AS IT DRIFTS SOUTHEAST. ALSO...ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS AHEAD OF THE LINE MAY ALSO INTENSIFY AND WOULD HAVE TO BE MONITORED FOR ROTATION. EXPECT THE SEVERE THREAT TO LAST MUCH OF THE EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. FORECAST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO INDICATE THIS. DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS MAY BE ISSUED AS THE LINE MOVES SOUTHEAST. (59) && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 634 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009/ .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WERE CURRENTLY PRESENT ACROSS THE NATURAL STATE. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL PUSH THROUGH THE STATE OVERNIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...BRINGING SHOWERS...THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN TO THE STATE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE AS THIS SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 300 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT CHCS FOR SVR STORMS WL EXIST FM LATE THIS AFTN INTO THIS EVENING FOR PARTS OF NRN AR. FOCUS WL THEN SHIFT TO HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL FOR MUCH OF WRN AND NRN AR TNGT AND FRI MRNG. AFTER A CLOUDY AND COOL START TO THE DAY ACRS AR...HAVE SEEN SPRINGLIKE CONDS RETURN THIS AFTN. A WARM FNT HAS CONTD ADVANCING NWD ACRS THE STATE DURG THE DAY AND WAS SITUATED OVR NRN AR AT MID AFTN. DEWPOINTS HAVE SURGED INTO THE LOWER AND MID 70S SOUTH OF THE BNDRY. BINOVC HAS ALSO ALLOWED AIR TEMPS TO WARM INTO THE LOWER AND MID 80S...AIDED BY GUSTY SLY WINDS. MEANWHILE...WIDESPREAD CONVECTION HAS BEEN IMPACTING AREAS TO THE NW OF AR TODAY IN THE VCNTY OF A CDFNT. THE FNT IS FCST TO SAG SEWD INTO NRN AR TNGT...PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR NUMEROUS SHRA/TSRA AND HEAVY RAINFALL. IN ADDITION...SCTD STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DVLP LATER THIS AFTN AHEAD OF THE FNT OVR NRN AR. SOME OF THESE STORMS WL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BCM SVR...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLD TORNADOES POSSIBLE. THE MAIN INHIBITOR CURRENTLY IS LIMITED INSTABILITY ACRS NRN AR. IF THE ATMOSPHERE CAN FURTHER DESTABILIZE THIS AFTN...THIS WOULD PROVIDE A MORE FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ORGANIZED SVR STORMS. RAINFALL WL BCM MORE WIDESPREAD ACRS NRN AND WRN AR LATER TNGT AS THE CDFNT SAGS SEWD. THE RAIN WILL ALSO BE HEAVY AT TIMES. THE CURRENT FF WATCH FOR TNGT AND FRI MRNG STILL LOOKS GOOD AND PLAN TO CHGS ATTM. QPF AMOUNTS WL GENERALLY RANGE FM TWO TO FOUR INCHES OVR NWRN AR INTO FRI...WITH ONE TO TWO INCHES EXPECTED OVR CNTRL SECTIONS. BASED ON REPORTS TO THE NW OF AR THIS AFTN...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO SIX INCHES POSSIBLE IN NW AR. THE AFOREMENTIONED CDFNT WL PUSH THRU THE REST OF AR ON FRI...WITH RAINFALL GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF FM THE NW. SOME LINGERING RAIN CHCS WL CONT INTO FRI NGT OVR SERN AR. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WL FOLLOW THE FROPA. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NOT MANY CHANGES EXPECTED WITH THE LONG TERM PERIOD. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS SUNDAY...WITH MUCH OF AR IN NRLY SFC FLOW...WHICH WILL CONTINUE USHERING IN COOL...DRY AIR. THAT SFC HIGH WILL RETREAT TO THE NE ON MONDAY...WITH ANOTHER SFC HIGH DIVING SOUTH INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON TUESDAY. THIS SECOND SFC HIGH WILL PUSH ANOTHER COLD FRONT SOUTH INTO THE REGION...KEEPING TEMPS WELL BELOW NORMAL TUESDAY. WEAK RIDGING ALOFT COMBINED WITH A RETURN TO SRLY SFC FLOW WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO WARM WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE REGION AT THE END THE FORECAST PERIOD. THIS FRONT LOOKS TO BRING THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE STATE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 62 65 45 63 / 80 100 20 10 CAMDEN AR 72 75 52 65 / 30 80 60 20 HARRISON AR 51 56 43 62 / 100 90 10 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 67 70 48 65 / 70 100 30 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 69 72 49 64 / 50 90 30 20 MONTICELLO AR 73 76 53 63 / 10 90 70 30 MOUNT IDA AR 64 67 44 65 / 90 90 20 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 55 58 41 62 / 100 90 10 10 NEWPORT AR 63 66 47 63 / 70 90 30 20 PINE BLUFF AR 71 77 51 63 / 20 90 60 20 RUSSELLVILLE AR 63 66 44 65 / 100 90 10 10 SEARCY AR 66 70 46 63 / 60 90 30 20 STUTTGART AR 68 73 50 63 / 20 90 50 20 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR BAXTER-BOONE- CLARK-CLEBURNE-CONWAY-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-HOT SPRING- INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JOHNSON-LOGAN-MARION-MONTGOMERY- NEWTON-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP- STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-YELL. && AVIATION...60
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 530 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-091000- 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- 530 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WAS CURRENTLY DRAPED ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI WITH A WARM FRONT LOCATED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE. VERY MOIST AIR WAS LOCATED ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS...WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS. WITH HIGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...COMBINED WITH INCREASING INSTABILITY...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SECTIONS OF ARKANSAS. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO FORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND HIGH WINDS BECOMING THREATS. TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WHERE LOW LEVEL SHEAR IS HIGHEST...AND INSTABILITY IS GREATEST JUST SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT. AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS TONIGHT...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD. ALSO...WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE MOVING INTO THE STATE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE LIKELY AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH...CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE. TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH ISOLATED LOCALIZED SIX INCH AMOUNTS. DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 51/62/60
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 958 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 ARZ003>005-012>014-090355- BAXTER-BOONE-MARION-NEWTON-SEARCY-STONE- 958 PM CDT THU OCT 8 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BAXTER...BOONE...MARION...NEWTON... SEARCY AND STONE COUNTIES UNTIL 1055 PM CDT... AT 956 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...MOVING OVER BOONE...BAXTER... MARION COUNTIES...AND MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH. THE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. 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. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN LITTLE ROCK 59
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:14 UTC.
40 thunderstorm wind, 11 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Low water crossings in Harrison off of U.S. Highway 65 were flooded. Seven water rescues occurred.
Cottonwood Road was closed due to flooding.
Long Creek flooded. Several houses had to be evacuated by a swift water rescue team.
Large trees and power lines were down in Lamar.
Squirrel Hill Road was impassable due to high water.
Flash flooding occurred in Cherokee Village.
A school bus was washed off Tate Road and into a creek. Water came up about 6 feet on the bus. The driver and one student on the bus were rescued and were not injured.
Several trees were knocked down.
Dozens of trees were blown down in Dalark, blocking virtually every road in the small town. Several of the trees fell on houses and storage sheds, and one crushed a travel trailer. One mobile home was destroyed by a falling tree and another had its roof blown off.
Dozens of large trees and power lines were down.
Flooding occurred across Arkansas Highway 171.
A daycare center had to be evacuated due to flooding.
A number of streets in Hot Springs flooded and had to be barricaded. One county road off of Fox Pass Cutoff was washed in two.
Several large trees were blown down. Shingles were torn off the roof of some homes.
Trees and power lines were blown down. Several roofs were damaged by the falling trees.
Large trees were knocked down.
Trees were down along Arkansas Highway 7 south of Camden. Five homes sustained damage.
Several trees were down.
A large tree was down.
The new roof was torn off the fire station in East Camden and some trees and power lines were blown down.
Trees were down.
Some trees were down.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Strong thunderstorm winds blew down some large trees.
Numerous trees were down.
Strong thunderstorm winds blew down some large trees.
Strong thunderstorm winds blew down some large trees.
Water was over roads near the Conway/Perry county line.
A private road was flooded.
Roofs of several buildings were damaged on the campus of the Hampton schools. Some of the debris was thrown onto a nearby football field. A flagpole was bent and part of the scoreboard damaged at the field. Due to roof damage at the high school gym, water poured down on the basketball court. Numerous large trees and power lines were blown down, and a few of the trees landed on structures. Trees were also blown down along U.S. Highway 278 east of Hampton. Numerous power lines were blown down and some power poles were broken.
A large tree was down.
One large, old oak tree was uprooted and another was snapped off. Shingles were blown off a house.
Trees were blown down.
A very large tree was down.
A wind gust of 61 mph was measured by ASOS at Grider Field in Pine Bluff.
A large tree was blown down.
A few large trees were down, one of which fell on a pickup truck. Power lines were also blown down.
The Cleveland County judge indicated that virtually every road south of a line from New Edinburg to Rye was blocked by fallen trees. This included U.S. Highway 63, and Arkansas Highways 35 and 189. Recent wet weather kept loggers from working, so they used their equipment to help clear some of the roads. Power outages were widespread.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were down. Several houses in the area sustained roof damage, and several chicken houses had their roofs torn off.
A number of large trees were down. One tree fell on a vehicle causing minor damage.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
A few large trees were blown down.
Thunderstorm winds downed dozens of large trees, power lines and power poles in Warren. Trees fell on several houses causing minor roof damage. The falling trees were also responsible for two gas leaks. Two buildings had much of their metal roofs blown off. Damage was generally in a path from the northwest side of Warren on toward the center of town. One person in Warren was injured when he was hit in the head by flying debris.
A large tree was down.
A large tree was blown down onto a house.
Dozens of large trees were blown down, one of which fell on a house. Shingles were torn off houses and tin was taken off the roofs of old chicken houses. Power lines were blown down.
A number of trees were blown down in and around Wilmar. Some of the trees landed on power lines and roofs of several homes.
Several power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were down. Some homes sustained roof damage from fallen trees.
Two plate glass windows were blown out of an automobile showroom. Dozens of trees were blown down. One house had a tree limb through its roof.
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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 196290, 196291, 198720, 196244, 196292, 196293, 198276, 196245, 196247, 196256, 196295, 196298, 197895, 196257, 197884, 196258, 196260, 196261, 196272, 197885, 196262, 196263, 197886, 196267, 196264, 196270, 196271, 196294, 196297, 196266, 196273, 198721, 196274, 196275, 196276, 196283, 196277, 197921, 198275, 196278, and more.