A nearly stationary front across the middle of Arkansas served as a focus for heavy rain, flooding, and some severe weather. One round of thunderstorms affected the central part of the state from the night of the 20th into the morning of the 21st.
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.
A nearly stationary front across the middle of Arkansas served as a focus for heavy rain, flooding, and some severe weather. One round of thunderstorms affected the central part of the state from the night of the 20th into the morning of the 21st. Another round of storms affected parts of western and central Arkansas from the night of the 21st into the morning of the 22nd. For the 24-hour period ending at 6 AM on the 21st, some of the larger rainfall amounts included 6.62 inches at Hot Springs Village, 6.34 inches at Mount Ida (Montgomery Co.), 5.90 inches at Crystal Valley (Pulaski Co.), 5.73 inches at Norman (Montgomery Co.), and 5.20 inches in west Little Rock. Stations reporting more than 4 inches included Little Rock, Oden (Montgomery Co.), Hot Springs National Park, Pine Ridge (Montgomery Co.), and Mena (Polk Co.). For the 24-hour period ending at 6 AM on the 22nd, some of the larger rainfall amounts included 6.97 inches at Blakely Mountain Dam (Garland Co.), 6.84 inches at Danville (Yell Co.), 5.90 inches at Sheridan (Grant Co.), 5.21 inches at Dardanelle (Yell Co.), 5.17 inches at Russellville, 5.10 inches at Waldron (Scott Co.), and 5.10 inches at St. Charles (Arkansas Co.). Stations reporting more than 4 inches included White Hall (Jefferson Co.), Booneville (Logan Co.), Arkadelphia (Clark Co.), Centerville (Yell Co.), Gravelly (Yell Co.), Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam (Jefferson Co.), Gulf Mountain Wildlife Management Area (Van Buren Co.), Morrilton (Conway Co.), Hattieville (Conway Co.), and Parks (Scott Co.).
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 Nov 20, 8:40 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 840 PM CST SUN NOV 20 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED GRIDS AND TEXT PRODUCTS EARLIER IN THE EVENING TO ADD IN AREAS OF DENSE FOG IN BOONE COUNTY. HOWEVER...SINCE ADDING THAT INTO THE FORECAST VISIBILITIES HAVE COME UP IN BOONE COUNTY AND DROPPED TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN AREAS OF BAXTER AND PRESUMABLY WESTERN FULTON COUNTY. GIVEN THE LIKELY SHORT-LIVED NATURE OF THIS DENSE FOG...DECIDED TO GO WITH JUST AREAS OF FOG ACROSS THE NORTH. THAT SHOULD COVER THINGS NICELY AND WILL FORGO ISSUING ANY FOG RELATED ADVISORIES. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE SPREADING INTO THE STATE FROM THE SOUTHWEST...AND ARE INCREASING IN COVERAGE AS THEY DO SO. OVERNIGHT POP GRIDS LOOK TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE WITH CURRENT REGIONAL RADAR TRENDS BEING WHAT THEY ARE. OTHERWISE THE GOING FORECAST SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 550 PM CST SUN NOV 20 2011/ AVIATION... OVERALL VFR CEILINGS WITH AREAS OF MVFR CEILINGS CENTRAL AND SOUTH AR THIS EVENING...WHILE IFR CONDITIONS OVER NORTHERN AR WHICH IS NORTH OF THE COLD FRONT. NORTH OF THE FRONT...MAINLY LIGHTER RAIN...SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDER POSSIBLE THIS EVENING TO OVERNIGHT. SOUTH OF THE FRONT OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AR...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS EVENING...THEN BECOMING MORE NUMEROUS AND POSSIBLE STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS LATER THIS EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT. MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH STRONGER SHOWERS AND STORMS. WINDS NORTH AT LESS THAN 10 MPH NORTH OF COLD FRONT...WHILE SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH SOUTH OF THE COLD FRONT. SOME WIND SHEAR EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONT. WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL NOT IMPROVE MUCH ON MONDAY WITH THE STALLED FRONT OVER AR AND WITH SOME UPPER LEVEL ENERGY MOVING ACROSS THE REGION HELPING TO DEVELOP CONVECTION. (59) PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 157 PM CST SUN NOV 20 2011/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACTIVE WEATHER PROSPECTS CONTINUE FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN STALLED NEAR NORTHERN/WESTERN ARKANSAS THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SEVERAL WAVES MOVING THROUGH IN NEARLY PARALLEL UPPER FLOW WILL INTERACT WITH THE BOUNDARY... WITH PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TUESDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FIVE INCHES GENERALLY NORTH OF MURFREESBORO...SHERIDAN...AND BRINKLEY. FOR THIS REASON WILL CONTINUE FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY. ISOLATED STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE BIG QUESTION IS THE AMOUNT OF SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY. ANY LARGE-SCALE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS AREN/T LOOKING LIKELY AT THIS TIME...WHICH WOULD CURTAIL THE SEVERE THREAT. NOT ONLY THAT...WITH THE WAVE TONIGHT EXPECTING TO REACH SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER SUNSET...THE SITUATION WILL LIKELY EVOLVE MORE QUICKLY INTO THE EXPECTED HEAVY RAINFALL SCENARIO. WARM ADVECTION WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH READINGS COOLING DOWN BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AS LOW PRESSURE DRAGS THE FRONT NORTHEASTWARD AND AWAY FROM THE REGION. COOL HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THE BOUNDARY... ALBEIT BRIEFLY. LONG TERM...THANKSGIVING DAY THROUGH SUNDAY SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE SLIDING TO THE EAST OF THE STATE AT THE START OF THE LONG TERM...WITH SRLY FLOW RETURNING TO THE REGION. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A BRIEF WARMING TREND STARTING ON THANKSGIVING DAY. THIS WILL BE IN ADVANCE OF A DEEP UPPER TROUGH THAT WILL BE APPROACHING THE STATE ON FRI. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE STATE LATE FRI INTO SAT...WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. SOME UNCERTAINTY DOES REMAIN IN THE TIMING OF THIS NEXT FRONT AS THE GFS REMAINS THE QUICKER SOLUTION VERSES THE ECMWF. WITH BOTH SCENARIOS...AR COULD SEE ANOTHER PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WELL AS MAYBE SOME STRONG STORMS ALSO POSSIBLE. MORE UNCERTAINTY THEN EXISTS LATE IN THE PERIOD AS THE LATEST SOLUTIONS ARE TRENDING TOWARDS CLOSING OFF THE UPPER LOW SOMEWHERE OVER THE SRN CONUS. THE CONFIDENCE ON WHERE THIS UPPER LOW WILL MOVE ONCE IT CLOSES OFF IS VERY LOW AT THIS TIME...EVEN IF THE UPPER LOW DOES ACTUALLY CLOSE OFF. MUCH COLDER AIR COULD MOVE INTO THE REGION IN VICINITY OF THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW AND ON THE WEST SIDE...WITH PRECIP CHANCES DIMINISHING OVER TIME. IF THE UPPER LOW MOVES TO THE WEST OF THE STATE...WARMER TEMPS WILL THEN BE SEEN...WITH PRECIP CHANCES LINGERING MUCH LONGER. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 72 55 67 59 / 40 80 90 90 CAMDEN AR 80 66 80 65 / 50 60 50 80 HARRISON AR 57 47 62 53 / 40 70 90 90 HOT SPRINGS AR 78 64 73 64 / 50 90 80 80 LITTLE ROCK AR 77 65 75 63 / 40 80 80 80 MONTICELLO AR 76 65 77 66 / 40 50 50 80 MOUNT IDA AR 78 60 71 64 / 50 90 90 90 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 61 48 64 55 / 40 70 90 90 NEWPORT AR 70 60 68 62 / 40 80 80 90 PINE BLUFF AR 74 65 77 63 / 40 60 60 80 RUSSELLVILLE AR 80 59 70 59 / 40 90 90 90 SEARCY AR 74 63 68 58 / 40 80 80 80 STUTTGART AR 75 65 74 62 / 40 80 70 80 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR BAXTER-BOONE- CLARK-CLEBURNE-CONWAY-DALLAS-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JOHNSON-LOGAN-LONOKE-MARION- MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-PRAIRIE-PULASKI- SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-WOODRUFF-YELL. && 64
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 600 PM CST SUN NOV 20 2011 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-211000- 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- 600 PM CST SUN NOV 20 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING AND INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT MAINLY OVER SOUTHWEST TO CENTRAL ARKANSAS. A STALLED COLD FRONT WILL BE OVER ARKANSAS AND AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES OVER THE AREA...SCATTERED TO AT TIMES MORE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. SOME STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME LOW LEVEL SHEAR EXPECTED. THE OVERALL THREAT WILL LOWER AFTER MIDNIGHT. ADDITIONALLY...THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL INCREASE AS HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED FROM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE STALLED FRONT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PLENTY OF GULF MOISTURE WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE STATE EARLY THIS WEEK...WITH MORE SUBSTANTIAL AND WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL LIKELY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY AS A STRONGER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. UNFORTUNATELY...MANY OF THE SAME LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER THIS WEEK COULD SEE SEVERAL MORE INCHES OF RAIN BY LATE TUESDAY. AS A RESULT...FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. PERSONS WITH INTERESTS ALONG THE ARKANSAS...WHITE... BLACK...BUFFALO AND CACHE RIVERS SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION CLOSELY DUE TO THE INCREASED THREAT OF RIVER FLOODING. THE THREAT FOR SOME SEVERE WEATHER WILL ALSO PERSIST MONDAY AND TUESDAY AFTERNOONS AS ENOUGH INSTABILITY COULD EXIST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...PERSISTENT CLOUD COVER AND RAINFALL THOSE AFTERNOONS COULD LIMIT THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WITH DRIER AND COOLER CONDITIONS EXPECTED. ANOTHER STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...IF ANY WATCHES ARE ISSUED AND SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPS...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 51/62/59
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:49 UTC.
10 flash flood, 4 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mount Ida ASOS measured 6.31 inches of rain in just over 9 hours. Included in the total were a couple of very intense periods of rain, with 1.05 inches of rain falling between 11:35 and 11:53 PM, and another 0.72 inch between 1:37 and 1:53 AM.
Little Rock's Adams Field measured 6.06 inches on the 21st, making it the 9th wettest day in the history of Little Rock's weather records (which began in 1877). It was the 2nd wettest day ever recorded in the month of November. It was also easily a record for the date. The previous record for the 21st was 1.54 inches in 1934. Of the 6.06 inches, 4.74 inches fell between Midnight and 6 AM. Brief periods of intense rainfall were noted, with 0.78 inch falling between 1:24 and 1:37 AM, and 1.44 inches falling between 3:16 and 3:38 AM.
Rainfall for the 21st measured 5.20 inches, easily breaking the record for the date. The previous record was 1.82 inches in 1898. Of the 5.20 inches, 4.10 inches fell between 6 PM and Midnight.
Numerous streets and roads in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, and Pulaski County were closed during the morning and into the afternoon. Numerous cars became stranded in the high water. Interstate 30 was closed by flooding from approximately 10 AM to 1 PM near the Saline County line, when creeks overflowed onto the highway. The alternate route, Arkansas 5, was flooded by the same creeks. Traffic going west on the interstate was detoured along U.S. 167 to Sheridan and then U.S. 270 to Malvern. At the U.S. 167/270 intersection in Sheridan, traffic was backed up for about 7 miles. Pulaski Technical College's South Campus in southwest Little Rock was forced to close because flooded roads made the campus inaccessible.
Hurricane Creek flooded, putting flood waters into Bishop Park in Bryant and a flooring store on Interstate 30. A number of roads were flooded in the county.
Arkansas 89 was flooded between Furlow and Lonoke.
Parts of Arkansas 27, 28, 80, 307, and 309 were flooded, as were numerous county roads. A National Weather Service storm survey indicated that virtually every creek had overflowed from Dardanelle through Danville to Rover and west to Gravelly. Many low-water crossing were flooded with at least 2 to 4 feet of water, as indicated by debris left in trees, brush, and fences. Young Gravelly Rd., just off Arkansas 28, had 6 to 7 feet of water across it at a low-water crossing. Arkansas 28 had some pavement washed away near Gravelly when the Fourche LaFave River overflowed onto the highway.
Parts of U.S. 64 and Arkansas 7, 25, 27, and 124 were closed due to flooding. Numerous major intersections in Russellville were flooded, some with more than 2 feet of water. Many vehicles stalled in the high water. A shopping center on Arkansas Ave. in Russellville flooded. Several residences in the Russellville and Dover areas had to be evacuated. Altogether, the county 911 dispatch center received about 150 calls for assistance during the flooding.
Evacuations of some residences were necessary in Acorn. Water entered some businesses in Mena. Numerous county roads were flooded.
Several places on U.S. 71 and Arkansas 28 near Waldron flooded. Water was 4 feet deep at the intersection of U.S. 71 and Arkansas 378 at the Elm Park community. U.S. 71 also flooded a couple of miles north of Y City. Numerous county roads were under water. Several homes in Waldron were flooded and a mobile home west of Y City was washed off its foundation. A National Weather Service storm survey indicated virtually every creek had overflowed along Arkansas 28 from the Yell/Scott County line westward to U.S. 71.
Several county roads were flooded. Water entered some businesses on Main St. in Heber Springs.
Rainfall measured 1.49 inches of rain in 40 minutes.
Some streets in Morrilton and the Sardis community were flooded, as were parts of U.S. 64.
Some low-lying areas around Clinton were flooded. Creeks were out of their banks in the northern part of the county. Roads and low-water bridges were washed out.
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, November 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: 348838, 348835, 348837, 348834, 348875, 348868, 348839, 348840, 348841, 348842, 348865, 348836, 348866, 348867.