Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, September 21, 2009

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, September 21, 2009
Start: 2009-09-21T17:15
End: 2009-09-21T23:30
Location: Arkansas

September 21, 2009 · NWS TSA · 13 events in 5 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, wind and hail spread into northwest Arkansas from eastern Oklahoma.

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: $65,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 with heavy rain, wind and hail spread into northwest Arkansas from eastern Oklahoma.

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 Sep 21, 12:58 PM CST, 4 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 21, 12:58 PM CST, 4 hours 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
158 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

.DISCUSSION...
ACTIVE WEATHER IN THE SHORT TERM WITH SEVERE STORM AND FLOODING
POTENTIAL THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. ELEVATED CONVECTION HAS BEEN
ONGOING THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER...AND
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST HOUR OR SO IN A
REGION OF MAXIMUM DEEP LAYER CONVERGENCE ALONG THE REMNANT OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY FROM THE EARLIER CONVECTION. EXPECT THAT THIS CONVECTION
WILL MERELY BE THE FIRST SHOW AS ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE EXPECTED
WITH THE MAIN COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY WHICH CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM
NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST TOWARD HOBART AND
ALTUS. UPPER LOW EVIDENT IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY CENTERED NEAR THE
COLORADO/KANSAS BORDER WILL CONTINUE TO SWING SOUTHEASTWARD...WHICH
WILL AID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE FRONT LATER THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. 88D MOSAIC SHOWING THAT A FEW CELLS ARE
TRYING TO GO ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ALONG THE
FRONT...BUT ARE CURRENTLY STRUGGLING. VERY WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS
IS PRESENT ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH
TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80S AND DEW POINTS NEAR 70 ACROSS MUCH
OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA ESPECIALLY. LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE
TRANSPORT FAVORS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
TONIGHT...AND IS CURRENTLY MAXIMIZED IN THIS AREA PER SPC
MESOANALYSIS. ALL OF THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SUFFICIENT
INSTABILITY IN THE PRESENCE OF MODERATE DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND A
RESULTANT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...WITH A LINEAR STORM MODE FAVORED. ISOLATED HEAVY RAIN
AND FLOODING WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN...ESPECIALLY WITH
INCREASING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES...WHICH ARE ALREADY WELL
ABOVE NORMAL CURRENTLY. CONCERN RIGHT NOW WOULD BE HIGHEST ALONG
THE KANSAS BORDER WHICH WILL LIKELY SEE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF STORMS.

COLD FRONT AND ATTENDANT CONVECTION WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA
TONIGHT...USHERING IN COLDER AND DRIER AIR. DRY SLOT WILL MOVE
INTO WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY...WITH PRECIP CHANCES
LINGERING ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD TO HALF OF THE AREA INTO THE
MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOUT 15 TO 20 DEGREES
COLDER IN PARTS OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY...WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S
CONTINUING FOR A GOOD PART OF THIS WEEK. ANOTHER SURGE OF PRECIP
WILL OCCUR THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY AS A POTENT SHORT WAVE MOVES
INTO THE AREA ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LOW.

TOWARD THE WEEKEND...THE UPPER LOW WILL BE PICKED UP BY THE UPPER
JET...LEAVING THE REGION IN WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW INTO MONDAY.
GFS AND ECMWF TEMPERATURES ARE NOT EXACTLY AGREEING...WITH THE
ECMWF BEING QUITE WARM ESPECIALLY EARLY NEXT WEEK. WILL GO WITH A
COMPROMISE FOR NOW.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TUL   62  71  52  76 /  90  40  20  10
FSM   68  76  61  74 /  90  60  30  30
MLC   61  71  60  76 /  90  40  20  10
BVO   56  70  49  77 /  90  30  10  10
FYV   62  73  57  72 /  90  60  30  30
BYV   65  72  57  71 /  90  60  30  30
MKO   61  71  56  76 /  90  40  20  10
MIO   59  73  54  77 /  90  40  20  10
F10   61  70  56  78 /  90  40  20  10
HHW   70  74  60  76 /  90  50  20  20

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...NONE.
AR...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...23
LONG TERM....22

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 21, 4:15 PM CST, 1 hour before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
515 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-221000-
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-
515 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

...SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOODING ONGOING ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
TORNADO.
	RISK...LIMITED.
 	AREA...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
	RISK...CRITICAL.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING .

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

FLASH FLOOD.
	RISK...CRITICAL.
 	AREA...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA.
        ONSET...ONGOING.

HEAVY RAIN.
	RISK...CRITICAL.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

	AREA AT GREATEST RISK...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA .

DISCUSSION...

A COLD FRONT WILL ENTER NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING AND MOVE
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED
WELL AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY...AND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT MAINLY
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WITH ONGOING FLOODING AND SEVERE WEATHER FOR
THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THESE HAZARDS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE TO THE EAST
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. AS THE FRONT REACHES NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS LATE TONIGHT...THE INSTABILITY WILL BE DECREASING AND THE
RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DECREASE AS WELL.

ONE TO THREE INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMMON
AREAWIDE. LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 3 OR 5 INCHES LIKELY ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA. FLASH FLOODING HAS BEEN OCCURRING AS THE HEAVY RAIN
CONTINUES TO FALL IN THIS AREA

THE OVERALL RISK OF TORNADOES WILL REMAIN LOW. HOWEVER...THE BEST
CHANCES FOR A TORNADO WILL OCCUR WITH DISCRETE CELLS THAT DEVELOP
WELL AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
ACTIVATION OF THE REGIONAL SPOTTER NETWORK EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
TUESDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDS.
THURSDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...NO HAZARDS.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER INTO TUESDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
THAT IS PUSHING THE COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION IS EXPECTED
TO CUT OFF AND LINGER OVER THE PLAINS NORTHWEST AND NORTH OF
OKLAHOMA AND WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES ON THURSDAY.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. $$

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 21, 2:55 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
355 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

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

0349 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 E BROKEN ARROW        36.05N 95.77W
09/21/2009  E60 MPH          TULSA              OK   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

PBS

Local storm report, Sep 21, 2:58 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
358 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

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

0350 PM     FLASH FLOOD      TULSA                   36.13N 95.92W
09/21/2009                   TULSA              OK   PUBLIC

            SEVERAL FEET OF WATER COVERING THE ROAD AT 40TH STREET
            AND MEMORIAL.

&&

Local storm report, Sep 21, 3:40 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
440 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

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

0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ADAIR                   36.44N 95.27W
09/21/2009                   MAYES              OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SEVERAL POWER POLES DOWN AND ROOF BLOWN OFF OF A BARN
            SLIGHTLY EAST OF ADAIR

&&

PBS

Local storm report, Sep 21, 4:05 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
505 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

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

0450 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 SW MORRIS             35.58N 95.90W
09/21/2009  M58 MPH          OKMULGEE           OK   MESONET

&&

PBS

Local storm report, Sep 21, 4:06 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
506 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

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

0458 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 W WAGONER             35.96N 95.46W
09/21/2009  E70 MPH          WAGONER            OK   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

PBS

Special weather statement, Sep 21, 4:29 PM CST, 46 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
529 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

ARZ010-011-019-020-212300-
CRAWFORD AR-FRANKLIN AR-MADISON AR-WASHINGTON AR-
529 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
     SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHEASTERN CRAWFORD AND SOUTHWESTERN
     MADISON

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
     NORTHERN FRANKLIN

AT 528 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM A 5
MILES SOUTHWEST OF COMBS AND A SECOND STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES
EAST OF PINEY...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.

A PORTION OF SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHEASTERN
CRAWFORD...NORTHERN FRANKLIN AND SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTIES WILL
BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS THROUGH 600 PM CDT.

THESE STORMS 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 3562 9372 3551 9412 3598 9404 3611 9360
TIME...MOT...LOC 2228Z 186DEG 17KT 3578 9389 3559 9402

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:15 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 hail, 3 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Benton

When: September 21, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Benton County, 3 mi E of Siloam Spgs
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.180, -94.476

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: September 21, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Washington County, Lincoln
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.950, -94.420

Law enforcement estimated a 60 mile an hour thunderstorm wind gust.

Hail, Madison

When: September 21, 5:28 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 2 mi SW of St Paul
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.800, -93.795

Hail, Washington

When: September 21, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Washington County, Prairie Grove
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 35.980, -94.320

Hail, Washington

When: September 21, 6:05 PM CST
Where: Washington County, 1 mi WNW of West Fork
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.935, -94.197

Hail, Madison

When: September 21, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 1 mi N of Witter
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Post Office
Coordinates: 35.944, -93.680

Hail, Crawford

When: September 21, 8:01 PM CST
Where: Crawford County, Figure Five
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.520, -94.370

Flash Flood, Madison

When: September 21, 8:30 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Madison County, 2 mi N of Witter to 2 mi N of Huntsville
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Post Office
Coordinates: 35.959, -93.680

Heavy rain caused flooding along a highway between Witter and Huntsville.

Flash Flood, Crawford

When: September 21, 8:31 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Crawford County, 2 mi N of Chester to 2 mi W of Chester
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.709, -94.180

Heavy rain caused flooding in the town of Chester. Severe street flooding occur and water entered a few shops.

Hail, Franklin

When: September 21, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, 4 mi N of Ozark
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.558, -93.830

Hail, Franklin

When: September 21, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, 2 mi SE of Ozark
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 35.480, -93.805

Hail, Franklin

When: September 21, 8:44 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, 2 mi NE of Ozark
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.520, -93.805

Flash Flood, Franklin

When: September 21, 9:06 PM CST to 11:30 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, 3 mi N of Ozark to 3 mi W of Ozark
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.543, -93.830

Heavy rain caused flooding in and near Ozark. There was damage to the Ozark Motel and Hillbilly Quick Stop.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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.
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.

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, September 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: 197108, 197109, 197110, 197111, 197112, 197113, 197114, 197115, 197116, 197117, 197118, 197119, 197120.