Unusually hot weather during the first part of August was favorable for the production of downbursts and other damaging winds from thunderstorms. A few severe storms occurred on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
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.
Unusually hot weather during the first part of August was favorable for the production of downbursts and other damaging winds from thunderstorms. A few severe storms occurred on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
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 Aug 2, 2:11 PM CST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 311 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 .SHORT TERM...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT NOT MUCH TO SAY IN THE SHORT TERM FCST THAT HAS NOT BEEN SAID ALREADY. IT IS HOT...HOT...HOT. HAVE UPGRADED THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH/HEAT ADVISORY TO AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WED EVENING AS AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL HOVER NEAR 115 AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS AND OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE IN THE MID 70S TO AROUND 80F. HAVE CONTINUED THE HEAT ADVISORY FROM THU-FRI. AFTER HIGHS TODAY IN THE 104-109F RANGE...H85 TEMPS ACTUALLY INCREASE ANOTHER COUPLE DEGREES TO 28C...WHICH IS RATHER OUT OF CONTROL. THIS SHOULD PUSH HIGH TEMPS A FEW DEGREES HIGHER THAN TODAY...WITH 110 POSSIBLE AT LOCATIONS IN THE WRN HALF OF THE STATE. ADDED ISO STORMS TO THE NW CWA THIS AFTERNOON. INVERTED V TYPE SOUNDINGS AND DCAPE VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1700 J/KG MEAN THAT ANY STORM COULD PRODUCE SVR WINDS. THE MODELS SHOW A COLD FRONT SAGGING INTO THE NRN PART OF THE STATE ON THU AND THINK THIS WILL KEEP NRN AREAS COOLER WITH SLGHT CHCS FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...A SNEAKY BAND OF MSTR POOLING COULD RESULT IN VERY OPPRESSIVE CONDS ACROSS CEN AR AS THE NAM INDICATES DEWPTS POOLING TOWARD 80F THU AND FRI AFTERNOON. THIS WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED AS 80F DEWPTS COULD MAKE THU ANOTHER EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING DAY. && .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE UPR RDG IS PROGGED TO STAY IN PLACE ACRS THE REGION THRU THE PD...THOUGH SOME WEAKENING IS INDCD FROM TIME TO TIME. BASICALLY STUCK WITH PERSISTENCE REGARDING TEMPS THRU THE PD...WITH ONLY SLGT CHCS OF PRIMARILY DIURNAL CONVECTION MOST DAYS. ADDITIONAL HEAT ADVY/S WL LIKELY HAVE TO BE EXTENDED THRU THE PD AS WELL ACRS MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE FA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 78 105 79 98 / 10 20 20 20 CAMDEN AR 78 107 79 103 / 10 10 10 10 HARRISON AR 76 108 77 99 / 10 10 20 20 HOT SPRINGS AR 80 108 81 103 / 10 10 10 10 LITTLE ROCK AR 80 107 82 101 / 10 10 10 10 MONTICELLO AR 79 106 80 102 / 10 10 10 10 MOUNT IDA AR 77 107 78 103 / 10 10 10 10 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 76 107 77 99 / 10 20 20 20 NEWPORT AR 78 103 80 98 / 10 20 20 20 PINE BLUFF AR 77 105 79 102 / 10 10 10 10 RUSSELLVILLE AR 76 110 79 102 / 10 10 20 20 SEARCY AR 77 105 79 97 / 10 10 20 20 STUTTGART AR 78 104 80 98 / 10 10 10 10 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR 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. HEAT ADVISORY FROM 7 PM WEDNESDAY TO 7 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR 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. && SHORT TERM...63 / LONG TERM...44
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 500 AM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-031000- 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- 500 AM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE AREA. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE FROM THE MID 90S TO AROUND 109 DEGREES. HEAT INDICES WILL CLIMB TO 105 TO 113 DEGREES. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS WEEK. CLOCKWISE FLOW AROUND THE HIGH WILL KEEP MOISTURE SUPPRESSED SOUTH OF ARKANSAS TOWARD THE GULF COAST. AS A RESULT...ANY PRECIPITATION THAT FORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF ARKANSAS. SUBSEQUENTLY THERE WILL BE LESS CLOUDS...AND IT WILL REMAIN HOT. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL INTO THE 90S TO AROUND 110 DEGREES THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REACH AROUND 115 DEGREES. THE HEAT ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT FRIDAY AFTERNOON. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 51
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 508 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ021-022235- JOHNSON AR- 507 PM CDT_ _CST|CDT_ TUE AUG 2 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL JOHNSON COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 504 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES SOUTH OF WOODS MTN...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLARKSVILLE...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL FROM PEA UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... HOLMAN... LUTHERVILLE... WOODS MTN... RED LICK MTN... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3548 9324 3544 9341 3557 9342 3560 9332 TIME...MOT...LOC 2207Z 348DEG 10KT 3555 9336 /59
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 512 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ040-022240- POLK AR- 512 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL POLK COUNTY UNTIL 545 PM CDT... AT 509 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BEE MTN...OR 6 MILES SOUTH OF MENA...MOVING WEST AT 5 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. ALSO...HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER MAY ALSO OCCUR. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MENA... POLK CNTY FAIRGNDS... MCCAULEY... LAKE WILHELMINA... LAKE MENA... HATFIELD... SHADY... ROCKY... POTTER... NUNLEY... DALLAS... WOLF PEN GAP... WEST HANNA MTN... SMOKE ROCK MTN... SHADY GROVE... POTTER MTN... POTTER JUNCTION... OLIVERS CHAPEL... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3438 9439 3463 9437 3460 9414 3440 9412 TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 087DEG 3KT 3449 9424 64
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 523 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ031-022255- CONWAY AR- 523 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN CONWAY COUNTY UNTIL 600 PM CDT... AT 518 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TAR KILN MTN...OR 19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLINTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. SMALL HAIL FROM PEA UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... CLEVELAND... TAR KILN MTN... MT ZION... LOST CORNER... CHAMBERS MTN... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3539 9262 3538 9275 3546 9282 3546 9269 TIME...MOT...LOC 2223Z 313DEG 6KT 3545 9274 /59
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 525 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ022-031-022255- CONWAY AR-POPE AR- 525 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN POPE AND NORTHWESTERN CONWAY COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM CDT... AT 523 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WALNUT GROVE...OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUSSELLVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. SMALL HAIL TO PEA SIZE AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... JERUSALEM... COGLESVILLE... APPLETON... ROBERTSVILLE... IRON ORE MTN... DEVILS KNOB... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3538 9275 3531 9292 3542 9300 3546 9283 TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 313DEG 6KT 3543 9291 /59
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 555 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ023-031-032-022340- CONWAY AR-FAULKNER AR-VAN BUREN AR- 555 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN VAN BUREN... NORTHWESTERN FAULKNER AND NORTHEASTERN CONWAY COUNTIES UNTIL 645 PM CDT... AT 550 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...OVER VAN BUREN AND CONWAY COUNTIES...WITH THE STRONGEST STORM NEAR MONEY MTN...OR 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLINTON...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. SMALL HAIL FROM PEA TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... GREERS FERRY LAKE... CLINTON... WHIPPLE... SPRINGFIELD... MIDDLETON... MALLET TOWN... LANTY... DAMASCUS... CHOCTAW REC AREA... CHOCTAW... CATHOLIC POINT... BETHLEHEM... SOUTHSIDE... MORGANTON... MARTINVILLE... FORMOSA... CULPEPPER... CENTER RIDGE... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3556 9225 3519 9253 3534 9275 3559 9244 TIME...MOT...LOC 2254Z 288DEG 6KT 3540 9261 /59
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 600 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ARZ022-031-022330- CONWAY AR-POPE AR- 600 PM CDT TUE AUG 2 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN POPE AND CENTRAL CONWAY COUNTIES UNTIL 630 PM CDT... AT 555 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF IRON ORE MTN...OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUSSELLVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL FROM PEA UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ST. VINCENT... HATTIEVILLE... HAPPY BEND... WONDERVIEW... ECONOMY... COGLESVILLE... APPLETON... WILDCAT MTN... ROBERTSVILLE... OLD HICKORY... IRON ORE MTN... DEVILS KNOB... CARGILE LAKE... BOYD MTN... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3531 9271 3524 9289 3537 9299 3543 9286 TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 311DEG 7KT 3535 9289 /59
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:13 UTC.
22 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down in the Sunnyside community.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Lightning started a grass fire on Oak Tree Rd., set fire to a shed on North Rd., and ignited fumes at a gas well on Arkansas 285, all in a stretch of only 19 minutes.
Roofs of mobile homes were damaged, as were some sheds.
Trees were blown down and small metal sheds were damaged.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were blown down in the Sardis community. One tree crushed a car.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
Power lines were blown down.
Trees and power lines were blown down on Arkansas 216.
A boat dock was overturned and thrown ashore at Lake Norfork. Several boats went ashore with the dock.
Eight houses suffered roof damage. Eight sheds, three barns, and two shop buildings were destroyed.
Roofs were blown off five docks at the Panther Bay Marina.
Trees and power lines were blown down along the Pulaski/Saline County line in the Shannon Hills vicinity.
Half of a metal roof was blown off a house, another house had siding damage, an outbuilding was destroyed, and trees were blown down.
Several homes were damaged, and trees and power lines were blown down. Two tractor-trailers were blown onto their sides on Interstate 40.
Lightning started a grass fire, which spread to a residence.
Roofs were peeled off houses and sheds. A chicken house suffered major damage. Several sheds were lifted off their foundations and thrown into fences. Power poles were snapped in half and trees were uprooted.
Trees and power poles were blown down. Some trees had to be cut out of the road.
Two people were injured by lightning at the Mena airport. They were on a Tug towing an airplane at the time. They were conscious and talking after the lightning strike, but were taken to the hospital to be checked out. Lightning detection data indicated that the thunderstorm produced only two cloud-to-ground lightning strikes.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
A power pole was blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2011
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: 321611, 321612, 319086, 319092, 319097, 321606, 321609, 321610, 321613, 321615, 321616, 319093, 319094, 319095, 319098, 319087, 319105, 319126, 319122, 319107, 319109, 319116, 319123, 319118, 319119, 319163, 319387, 319388.