A slow moving cold front pushed through western Arkansas on May 1st, resulting in widespread showers and thunderstorms. A period of locally heavy rainfall caused flash flooding over parts of west-central Arkansas.
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 TSA wrote it up.
A slow moving cold front pushed through western Arkansas on May 1st, resulting in widespread showers and thunderstorms. A period of locally heavy rainfall caused flash flooding over parts of west-central Arkansas.
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 May 1, 6:09 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
709 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
.AVIATION...
CONCERNING TAF SITES KTUL/KRVS/KBVO/KMLC/KXNA/KFYV/KFSM.
SITES KBVO/KTUL/KRVS WILL REMAIN NORTH OF MAIN CLOUD/RAIN/
THUNDER AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD AND GENERALLY VFR.
SITES KFYV/KXNA/KFSM WILL SEE CURRENT 00Z PRECIP MOVE EAST
BEFORE 06Z AND THEN NEXT PRECIP TO RETURN MONDAY. GENERALLY
MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH OCCASIONAL IFR IN
HEAVIER RAIN / THUNDER.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 232 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011/
DISCUSSION...
WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
TO PUSH TO THE EAST ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS. ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT SHOULD OCCUR NEAR THE 850MB
FRONT AS THE LOW LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND INTO WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS LATER THIS EVENING. WELL
ABOVE NORMAL PWATS WILL CONTINUE IN THE AREA...WHICH WOULD ALLOW
FOR AT LEAST SOME ISOLATED BOUTS OF HEAVY RAIN. DIURNAL RANGE OF
TEMPERATURES WILL BE SMALL OVERNIGHT...DUE TO PERSISTENT CLOUD
COVER AND THE SHOWER/STORM ACTIVITY. SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE
KANSAS BORDER WILL DROP INTO THE UPPER 30S.
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE
ON MONDAY AS THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES. MONDAY WILL ALSO
BRING ANOTHER DAY OF VERY UNSEASONABLY COOL HIGH
TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S AGAIN EXPECTED. THINGS WILL
CLEAR OUT FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE TROUGH SWINGS THOUGH THE AREA
LATE MONDAY AND INTO MONDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO WARM
TUESDAY.
A BOUNDARY WILL APPROACH THE AREA THURSDAY AND THURSDAY
NIGHT...WITH A VERY SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLY
NORTHERN AREAS. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THIS CHANCE ON RECENT
RUNS. TEMPERATURES NEAR TO ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS WILL RETURN FOR
THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. SMALL
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARRIVE ONCE AGAIN FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AS A
FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION. COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY
ARRIVE BEHIND THE FRONT FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TUL 40 58 38 70 / 60 60 20 0
FSM 47 55 40 67 / 100 90 70 10
MLC 44 54 40 68 / 70 90 30 10
BVO 39 58 35 69 / 40 30 10 0
FYV 41 54 36 64 / 90 90 60 10
BYV 42 52 37 63 / 100 90 70 10
MKO 42 54 38 68 / 60 90 40 10
MIO 40 58 36 66 / 60 50 20 10
F10 42 54 39 68 / 60 80 30 10
HHW 47 54 41 68 / 100 90 50 10
&&
.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 2 AM TUESDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ053-OKZ068-
OKZ069-OKZ072-OKZ073-OKZ074-OKZ075-OKZ076.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 2 AM TUESDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-
ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.
&&
SHORT TERM...12
LONG TERM....12
AVIATION...21HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 440 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011 ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-021000- 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- 440 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011 ...FLOODING AND ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT... THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND FLASH FLOOD. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BERRYVILLE TO FAYETTEVILLE TO EUFAULA. ONSET...UNDERWAY. HEAVY RAIN. RISK...LIMITED. AREA...ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BERRYVILLE TO FAYETTEVILLE TO EUFAULA. ONSET...UNDERWAY. DISCUSSION... A FRONTAL SYSTEM REMAINS STALLED FROM CENTRAL TEXAS TO CENTRAL ARKANSAS. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NORTH OF THIS FRONT AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS UP THE FRONT AND A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. ELEVATED INSTABILITY AND VERY FAVORABLE WINDS ALOFT WILL SUPPORT THE RISK FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND PARTS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...ALTHOUGH A FEW WIND GUSTS NEAR SEVERE LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE IN FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...CLOSER TO THE FRONT. THE PROLONGED RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL RESULT IN 36 HOUR RAIN TOTALS ENDING MONDAY EVENING OF 1 TO 3 INCHES IN MUCH OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND PARTS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE IF SEVERAL STRONG STORMS TRACK OVER THE SAME REGION. SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF THE REGIONAL SPOTTER NETWORK IS NOT EXPECTED. ACTIVATION OF LOCAL SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY BE NECESSARY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT. EMERGENCY MANAGERS IN THE FLOOD OUTLOOK AREA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR LOCAL CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO RESPOND TO FLOOD RELATED ISSUES THROUGH MONDAY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MONDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL AND HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL. TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...NO HAZARDS. EXTENDED DISCUSSION... THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY MOVE EAST ON MONDAY...BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE IN PARTS OF THE AREA INTO MONDAY EVENING. THIS RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM EVENT WILL END FOR ALL AREAS BY LATE MONDAY NIGHT. WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
355 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
ARZ019-029-OKZ072-076-012130-
CRAWFORD AR-LE FLORE OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-
355 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
NORTHERN SEBASTIAN
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SOUTHWESTERN CRAWFORD
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
EASTERN SEQUOYAH
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHERN LE FLORE
AT 354 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHWEST
OF PANAMA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...
GANS...MULDROW...ROLAND...SHORT...MOFFETT...PANAMA...SPIRO...
POCOLA...COWLINGTON...ARKOMA...FORT SMITH...
BARLING...LAVACA...BONANZA...RYE HILL...CENTRAL CITY...
VAN BUREN...KIBLER...FIGURE FIVE AND DORA.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL. RESIDENTS
IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
LAT...LON 3533 9409 3512 9471 3527 9481 3567 9445
TIME...MOT...LOC 2054Z 230DEG 56KT 3524 9467SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
413 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
ARZ019-020-029-OKZ072-076-012145-
CRAWFORD AR-FRANKLIN AR-LE FLORE OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-
413 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
NORTHERN SEBASTIAN AND SOUTHWESTERN FRANKLIN
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
CRAWFORD
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN SEQUOYAH
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHEASTERN LE FLORE
AT 413 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTH OF SPIRO TO 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF POCOLA
TO 8 MILES SOUTH OF ROCK ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS TO 50 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE
THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
LAT...LON 3571 9418 3555 9400 3532 9394 3504 9448
3518 9456 3530 9469
TIME...MOT...LOC 2113Z 231DEG 46KT 3534 9457 3524 9447
3510 9443PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
415 PM CDT SUN MAY 01 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0404 PM HAIL LOCUST GROVE 36.20N 95.17W
05/01/2011 E1.00 INCH MAYES OK LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
RBDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
427 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
OKZ073-075-012200-
LATIMER OK-PITTSBURG OK-
427 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN PITTSBURG AND WESTERN LATIMER
AT 427 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 17 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF HAILEYVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL
BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...WILBURTON...HIGGINS...DAMON...
GOWEN...PANOLA...HARTSHORNE...HAILEYVILLE AND DOW.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS TO 50 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE
THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
LAT...LON 3468 9579 3511 9542 3490 9514 3468 9546
3469 9551 3465 9552 3459 9567
TIME...MOT...LOC 2127Z 222DEG 56KT 3469 9569SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
443 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
ARZ019-020-012215-
CRAWFORD AR-FRANKLIN AR-
443 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
EXTREME EASTERN CRAWFORD
IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
FRANKLIN
AT 443 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM LOCKE TO 11 MILES SOUTH OF BRANCH...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 55 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS
INCLUDE...PLEASANT HILL...PARADISE...PINEY...ALIX...TAFT...
BIDVILLE...OZARK...MULBERRY...CHARLESTON...BRANCH...PETER PENDER...
VESTA...MEG...DENNING...CECIL...ALTUS...TONEY...LONELM...CRAVENS...
WATALULA...JETHRO...MOUNTAIN TOP...FERN...BARNES...TURNERS BEND...
CASS...REDDING...WIEDERKEHR VILLAGE AND LOCKE.
THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH.
RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
LAT...LON 3538 9369 3537 9374 3539 9379 3531 9381
3531 9391 3522 9392 3523 9402 3521 9404
3536 9408 3544 9407 3545 9410 3571 9416
3576 9390 3577 9370 3576 9368
TIME...MOT...LOC 2143Z 247DEG 49KT 3567 9402 3515 9394SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
834 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
OKZ049-053-020230-
CHOCTAW OK-PUSHMATAHA OK-
834 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
CHOCTAW AND SOUTHERN PUSHMATAHA
AT 834 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 13 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF GAY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...HUGO...ORD...FROGVILLE...GRANT...
GAY...GOODLAND...SAWYER...FORT TOWSON...SWINK...SOPER...MESSER...
SOBOL...HUSKEY...FALLON...SPEER...APPLE...CORINNE...RATTAN AND OLETA.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS TO 40 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE
THE SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
LAT...LON 3389 9552 3388 9554 3394 9558 3389 9569
3390 9575 3387 9577 3388 9584 3393 9591
3442 9506 3437 9503 3425 9503 3424 9513
3394 9515 3396 9523 3390 9525 3389 9532
3386 9534 3386 9546
TIME...MOT...LOC 0134Z 237DEG 47KT 3389 9579The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:40 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood water flowed over parts of Pevehouse Road north of downtown Van Buren.
Flood water flowed over portions of Mill Pond Road southeast of town.
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, May 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: 307505, 307508.