Flash Flood and Hail in Arkansas, January 20 to 21, 2010

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in Arkansas, January 20 to 21, 2010
Start: 2010-01-20T19:35
End: 2010-01-21T03:15
Location: Arkansas

January 20 to 21, 2010 · NWS SHV · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 SHV wrote it up.

A very warm and unstable air mass developed across the region on January 20th. This air mass was accompanied by unusually high dewpoint values for late January with ambient temperatures approaching the 70 degree mark. A very strong and vigorous storm system moved out of the Great Basin and into the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley during the late afternoon and evening hours of January 20th. Wind shear throughout the atmosphere was very strong and supportive of strong to severe thunderstorms. Low level wind shear was significant enough such that super cell thunderstorms developed across the region, producing tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts. In addition to the severe thunderstorms, some storms produced flash flooding as they continued to train across the same general areas, especially across portions of northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 20, 5:02 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 20, 5:02 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
502 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

.UPDATE...
EXTENDED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 1 FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA NOT
CURRENTLY UNDER A WATCH. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF
SHREVEPORT/BOSSIER CITY...MONROE...AND EL DORADO. STRONG TO SEVERE
SUPERCELLS CONTINUE TO SLIDE NORTHEAST WITHIN A NEARLY SATURATED
LOW LEVEL ENVIRONMENT DOMINATED BY TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S...AS
WELL AS HIGH CAPE VALUES. /05/

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 332 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010/

DISCUSSION...
THE WEATHER IS SETTING UP TO BE ACTIVE FOR THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS FOR
THE FOUR STATE REGION.  WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS THE MAIN SHORTWAVE
LEAVING THE FOUR STATE REGION AND MOVING EASTWARD INTO NORTHWEST TX
NEAR THE PANHANDLE.  THE SURFACE LOW WHICH WILL BRINGING THE ACTIVE
WEATHER TO THE FOUR STATE REGION THIS EVENING IS NOW LOCATED JUST
NORTH OF THE TX PANHANDLE.  THE UPPER SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED TO
QUICKLY MOVE EAST...REACHING NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS/CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BY
AROUND MIDNIGHT.  THE SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO REACH NORTH CENTRAL
TEXAS BY AROUND 00Z.  RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER SOUTH LOUISIANA AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...WITH SOME OF THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY NEAR ALEXANDRIA. SOME
OF THE STORMS ARE BEGINNING TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES
NEAR LUFKIN. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE
AND INTENSITY AS IT DEVELOPS OVER THE FOUR STATE REGION AS WELL
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE CWFA UNTIL 10 PM.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS ALREADY SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE POSSIBILITY FOR
SEVERE STORMS TODAY.  TEMPERATURES OVER MUCH OF THE REGION HAS
ALREADY RISEN INTO THE LOWER 70S...AND EVEN MIDDLE 70S FOR THE
SOUTHWESTERN CORNER.  THERE IS PLENTY OF MOISTURE TO WORK WITH AS
PWATS ARE ABOVE 1.0 INCH OVER THE CWFA. WITH SUCH WARM TEMPERATURES
IN THE LOWER LEVELS...LAPSE RATES WILL BE QUITE IMPRESSIVE AS THE
UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO APPROACH. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES THROUGH THE
REST OF THE DAY AND INTO THIS EVENING WILL BE BETWEEN 7.5-8.5 C/KM
FOR MANY LOCATIONS.  THE 18Z SHV SOUNDING SHOWS A SLIGHT CAP...BUT
THIS SHOULD EASILY BE BROKEN. THERE IS PLENTY OF INSTABILITY TO WORK
WITH AS THE 18Z SHV SOUNDING SHOWS SURFACE BASED CAPES AROUND 2000
J/KG.  SHEAR IS NOT TOO STRONG...BUT IT IS DEFINITELY ENOUGH TO
SUPPORT SEVERE STORMS. IT SHOULD ALSO PICK UP AS THE LOW APPROACHES
THE REGION. FOR THE SEVERE THREAT...EXPECT THE GREATEST TORNADO AND
DAMAGING WIND THREAT TO BE ROUGHLY FROM AN EL DORADO TO SHREVEPORT
TO LUFKIN LINE.  FOR THE ENTIRE CWFA...LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE.  THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWFA COULD ALSO SEE HEAVY
RAIN WHICH MAY RESULT IN MINOR FLOODING PROBLEMS.  BUT OVERALL...DO
NOT SEE TOO MUCH OF A THREAT FROM HEAVY RAIN FOR THE CWFA.  THE
SEVERE WEATHER RISK SHOULD BEGIN TO PICK UP OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR
TWO...WITH ITS PEAK EXPECTED TO LIKELY BEGIN CLOSER TO 00Z.
ACTIVITY SHOULD DECREASE QUICKLY FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST AROUND
MIDNIGHT AND THE FEW HOURS AFTERWORDS.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY TAKE OVER THE REGION AFTER THIS SYSTEM
MOVES OUT OF THE AREA.  THIS WILL KEEP THE AREA DRY FOR MUCH OF
THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY. OUR NEXT STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO
APPROACH THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT AND ESPECIALLY INTO SATURDAY.  THIS
SYSTEM WILL BE KEEPING MUCH FURTHER NORTH THAN THE SYSTEM
TODAY...WITH THE SURFACE LOW EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTH INTO THE IOWA
AND MINNESOTA AREA. INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED. THEREFORE HAVE
LIMITED THUNDER FOR THE SATURDAY SYSTEM.  THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO
MOVE EAST OUT OF THE FOUR STATE REGION BY SUNDAY MORNING.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BEHIND THIS FRONT TO KEEP
THE AREA DRY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK.  ANOTHER STORM
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE REGION BY WEDNESDAY AND INTO
THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL WITH
HIGHS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. LOWS WILL BE
40S/50S EACH NIGHT.  COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE
COLD FRONT TO BRING NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES BACK TO THE REGION FOR
THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK./22/

AVIATION...
BKN TO OVC STRATOCU HAS LIFTED THIS AFTERNOON TO THE POINT WHERE
MOST LOCATIONS ARE NOW VFR...WITH ISOLATED MVFR CEILINGS STILL
HOLDING ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION. MVFR WILL DEVELOP AGAIN DURING
THE EVENING FOR THE EAST TEXAS AIRPORTS AS THE LOW LEVEL JET
INTENSIFIES AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION
THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH A FEW STORMS PACKING STRONG WINDS AND
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN. HEAVY RAIN WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO AS LOW
AS A HALF MILE AT TIMES. THE COLD FRONT WILL ENTER EAST TEXAS
BEGINNING AROUND 21/06Z...AND MOVE RAPIDLY EASTWARD...EXITING NORTH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA BY AROUND 21/12Z. WINDS WILL SHIFT FROM THE WEST
IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...WITH CEILINGS GRADUALLY SCATTERING AS DRY
AIR MOVES INTO THE AREA./18/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  52  69  41  71  51 /  90  10   0   0  20
MLU  55  69  43  67  47 / 100  10   0   0  10
DEQ  52  64  37  68  45 /  90  20   0  10  30
TXK  51  66  43  69  53 /  90  10   0  10  20
ELD  50  68  40  68  47 / 100  10   0   0  20
TYR  49  69  44  73  55 /  60  10   0  10  30
GGG  49  70  41  72  54 /  70  10   0   0  20
LFK  50  73  41  74  54 /  60  10   0   0  20

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
LA...NONE.
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.
&&

05/22

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 20, 3:32 PM CST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
332 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

ARZ050-051-059>061-070-071-OKZ077-TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136-
137-212145-
SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE-
MCCURTAIN-RED RIVER-BOWIE-FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-
UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG-
332 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
ARKANSAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS
EXPECTED TO INITIATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND INTENSIFY DURING THE
EVENING. STRONG AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING
THIS TIME PERIOD. THE PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS
WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN. HOWEVER...STRONG GUSTY TO
POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. RESIDENTS ARE URGED
TO CONTINUE MONITORING FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS STORM SYSTEM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS MAY
BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ARZ072-073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-TXZ138-149>153-165>167-
212145-
COLUMBIA-UNION AR-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-
UNION LA-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE LA-
NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK-
PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX-
332 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO
INITIATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND INTENSIFY INTO THE EVENING...AND
POSSIBLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING
THIS TIME PERIOD. A TORNADO OR TWO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT AS WELL.
IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ALL OF THESE
STORMS...WHICH COULD RESULT IN FLOODING PROBLEMS OF LOW LYING AND
POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO CONTINUE MONITORING
FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS STORM SYSTEM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS WILL
LIKELY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 20, 7:08 PM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
708 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

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

0647 PM     HAIL             TYLER                   32.33N 95.30W
01/20/2010  E0.50 INCH       SMITH              TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            HAIL REPORTED AT THE CBS STATION IN TYLER.

&&

MMAYEAUX

Local storm report, Jan 20, 7:08 PM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED FOR TIME OF REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
708 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

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

0703 PM     HAIL             TYLER                   32.33N 95.30W
01/20/2010  E0.50 INCH       SMITH              TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            HAIL REPORTED AT THE CBS STATION IN TYLER.

&&

MMAYEAUX

Local storm report, Jan 20, 7:10 PM CST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
710 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

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

0705 PM     HAIL             VALLIANT                34.00N 95.09W
01/20/2010  E0.50 INCH       MCCURTAIN          OK   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

MMAYEAUX

Local storm report, Jan 20, 7:26 PM CST, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
726 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

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

0719 PM     HAIL             TYLER                   32.33N 95.30W
01/20/2010  E0.25 INCH       SMITH              TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

0722 PM     HAIL             NEW CHAPEL HILL         32.30N 95.17W
01/20/2010  E0.88 INCH       SMITH              TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

MMAYEAUX

Local storm report, Jan 20, 7:31 PM CST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
731 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

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

0426 PM     TORNADO          GENEVA                  31.47N 93.93W
01/20/2010                   SABINE             TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ACROSS FM 330 THREE MILES FROM HIGHWAY 21.
            MOBILE HOME DESTROYED IN SAME LOCATION.

&&

MMAYEAUX

Local storm report, Jan 20, 7:35 PM CST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
735 PM CST WED JAN 20 2010

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

0732 PM     HAIL             GILLHAM                 34.17N 94.31W
01/20/2010  E0.50 INCH       SEVIER             AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

MMAYEAUX

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:36 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Sevier

When: January 20, 7:35 PM CST
Where: Sevier County, 0.57 mi E of Gillham
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.170, -94.310

Flash Flood, Columbia

When: January 20, 11:20 PM CST to January 21, 3:15 AM CST
Where: Columbia County, 2.22 mi S of Emerson to 1.76 mi W of Chalybeat Spgs
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 33.068, -93.176

Flooding was reported across numerous roadways southeast of Emerson, Arkansas.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, January 2010

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: 203457, 203452.