Thunderstorms developed in southeast Arkansas on the afternoon and early evening of the 12th. These storms were along the southern edge of a high pressure ridge and were triggered by heat and humidity.
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.
Thunderstorms developed in southeast Arkansas on the afternoon and early evening of the 12th. These storms were along the southern edge of a high pressure ridge and were triggered by heat and humidity.
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 Jul 12, 1:38 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 238 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT TWO MAIN FEATURES WILL CONTROL THE WEATHER OVER ARKANSAS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE FIRST IS THE DOMINATE UPPER RIDGE WHICH IS CENTERED OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MISERABLY HOT CONDITIONS OVER THE NATURAL STATE. AREAS IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY AND JUST ALONG THE ERN ESCARPMENT OF THE OZARK AND OUACHITA MOUNTAINS WERE AROUND 102 DEGREES AS OF 1 PM THANKS TO DOWNSLOPING WESTERLY SFC WINDS. HIGHS TODAY SHOULD TOP 100 DEGREES MOST EVERYWHERE...SAVE POSSIBLY A FEW SPOTS IN THE ELEVATED TERRAIN OF NW ARKANSAS. THIS RIDGE WILL RETROGRADE TO THE WEST SLIGHTLY AS AN UPPER WAVE...THE AFOREMENTIONED SECOND WEATHER FEATURE...SLIDES OVER TOP OF THE RIDGE OVER THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS. STILL...IT WILL BE CLOSE/STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP CONDITIONS TOASTY ACROSS ARKANSAS. AS ALLUDED TO ABOVE...A SLOW-MOVING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER CENTRAL OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON WILL TOP THE RIDGE TONIGHT AND SLIDE ACROSS ARKANSAS ON WEDNESDAY. WE ORIGINALLY HAD ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS MENTIONED OVERNIGHT FOR THE NW HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...THIS FEATURE MANAGED TO SUSTAIN TSTMS IN THE TX PANHANDLE LAST NIGHT WELL BEYOND THE NORMAL DIURNAL TIME LINE OF SUMMERTIME CONVECTION. I BELIEVE IT WILL DO THE SAME THING TONIGHT AS IT APPROACHES ARKANSAS AND HAVE INCREASED POPS IN THE NW TO 30-40 PERCENT TO ACCOUNT FOR EXPECTED CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT LATER TONIGHT. TOMORROW AND THURSDAY THE DISTURBANCE WILL BE OVERHEAD AND WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE STATE. WITH REGARD TO THE HEAT...HAVE EXTENDED THE HEAT ADVISORY THROUGH TO WEDNESDAY EVENING. WHILE CLOUD COVER WILL INCREASE TOMORROW...AND SCT TSTMS WILL BE PRESENT...I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE ENOUGH HEATING BEFORE/BETWEEN STORMS AND ENOUGH OF AN INCREASE IN DEW POINTS TO WARRANT EXTENDING THE ADVISORY TO TOMORROW. HIGHS MAY BE 2-3 DEGREES COOLER TOMORROW BUT HEAT INDICES WILL STILL BE IN THE 100-105 DEGREE RANGE MOST EVERYWHERE. THAT BEING SAID...WILL CONTINUE TO LEAVE OUT THE NRN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES AS HEAT INDICES WILL FALL JUST SHY OF ADVISORY CRITERIA THERE. THU AND FRI WILL BE SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN TOMORROW...GENERALLY UPPER 90S TO AROUND 100....HOWEVER WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE UPPER 70S THIS SLIGHT DECREASE IN AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL MEAN LITTLE RELIEF. FURTHERMORE THE UPPER RIDGE WILL RE-STRENGTHEN GOING BACK INTO THE WEEKEND FOR CONTINUED HOT CONDITIONS. && .LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL REMAIN FAIRLY STATIONARY...EXTENDING FROM WEST TEXAS TO THE GREAT LAKES REGION DURING THIS PERIOD. IF THIS RIDGE IS WEAKER THAN EXPECTED...OR ESTABLISHES ITSELF FARTHER TO THE NORTH...IMPULSES ROTATING AROUND THE RIDGE COULD AFFECT SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THIS TIME PERIOD...PROMOTING WIDELY SCATTERED...DIURNALLY ENHANCED CONVECTION. OTHERWISE...DANGEROUS HEAT STRESS CONDITIONS SHOULD CONTINUE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 79 97 75 93 / 20 40 40 40 CAMDEN AR 78 99 77 97 / 20 30 30 40 HARRISON AR 81 94 73 92 / 30 40 30 40 HOT SPRINGS AR 78 98 78 96 / 20 40 30 40 LITTLE ROCK AR 82 99 78 96 / 20 40 30 40 MONTICELLO AR 79 99 78 97 / 20 40 30 40 MOUNT IDA AR 74 97 75 95 / 20 40 30 40 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 77 95 74 93 / 30 40 40 40 NEWPORT AR 80 97 76 94 / 20 40 40 40 PINE BLUFF AR 79 99 78 96 / 20 40 30 40 RUSSELLVILLE AR 77 98 76 96 / 30 40 30 40 SEARCY AR 77 98 76 95 / 20 40 40 40 STUTTGART AR 78 98 77 95 / 20 40 30 40 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR ARKANSAS-BRADLEY- CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW- FAULKNER-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-INDEPENDENCE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON- JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-OUACHITA-PERRY- PIKE-POLK-POPE-PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SHARP-VAN BUREN- WHITE-WOODRUFF-YELL. && SHORT TERM...64 / LONG TERM...55
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 500 AM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-131000- 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 JUL 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT VERY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TODAY WITH HEAT ADVISORIES IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF ARKANSAS. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL AGAIN RISE ABOVE 105 DEGREES FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SOME MINOR RELIEF IN THE VERY HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WORK WEEK AS THE PERSISTENT UPPER LEVEL HIGH WEAKENS. THIS WILL ALLOW SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES TO PASS ACROSS ARKANSAS...RESULTING IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WIDESPREAD AND ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...THOUGH ANY STORM THAT DOES FORM COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE GREATEST THREAT. DRY AND VERY HOT CONDITIONS WILL RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER HIGH AGAIN STRENGTHENS ACROSS THE NATURAL STATE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
413 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011
ARZ068-069-122145-
BRADLEY AR-DREW AR-
413 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN BRADLEY AND
SOUTHWESTERN DREW COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT...
AT 409 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF
LONGVIEW TO 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LONGVIEW...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5
MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LONGVIEW... BLANCHTON... VICK...
JOHNSVILLE... SMEARNY... GOOSE HOLLOW...
CARPENTER... BROAD...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
LAT...LON 3330 9216 3347 9198 3344 9179 3339 9185
3339 9195 3336 9195 3335 9197 3331 9196
3327 9200 3327 9202 3323 9207
TIME...MOT...LOC 2114Z 244DEG 5KT 3340 9194 3334 9200
62SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 430 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 ARZ067-068-122200- BRADLEY AR-CALHOUN AR- 430 PM CDT TUE JUL 12 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN BRADLEY AND CENTRAL CALHOUN COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CDT... AT 426 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTH OF UNCO...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAMPTON. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... HAMPTON... HARRELL... HAMPTON MUNI ARPT... ARTESIAN... UNCO... SUMMERVILLE... HARRELL LAKE... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 3356 9247 3350 9228 3335 9237 3343 9254 TIME...MOT...LOC 2130Z 194DEG 2KT 3345 9241 62
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 153 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:55 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down along Calhoun County Road 26.
The over-roof of a mobile home was blown off. Trees were blown down in the area.
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, July 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: 309912, 309925.