An active weather pattern across the Southern Plains resulted in several episodes of locally heavy rainfall over much of eastern Oklahoma. This heavy rainfall resulted in moderate flooding along the Poteau River near Poteau.
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.
An active weather pattern across the Southern Plains resulted in several episodes of locally heavy rainfall over much of eastern Oklahoma. This heavy rainfall resulted in moderate flooding along the Poteau River near Poteau.
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 Apr 25, 3:00 AM CST, 2 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
400 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
.DISCUSSION...
CONVECTION CONTINUES TO BLOSSOM OVER THE PAST HOUR IN VICINITY OF
AN ELEVATED FRONTAL ZONE LIFTING NORTHWARD ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA. ELEVATED INSTABILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A RISK
OF LARGE HAIL...WHILE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE AND ONLY
WORSEN ANY ONGOING FLOODING. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN
EXPANDED ALONG THE AXIS OF OBSERVED HEAVIEST RAINS GIVEN THE
EXPECTED COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THE EXPECTED SCENARIO IS
FOR STORMS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE THIS
MORNING...PRIMARILY OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA
WHILE STORMS ONGOING ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS SPREAD INTO SOUTHERN
AREA. THE SURFACE WARM FRONT WILL ATTEMPT TO WORK NORTHWARD LATER
THIS MORNING AS STRONG FORCING OVERSPREADS THE REGION AND THE
LOCATION OF THIS FRONTAL ZONE WILL BE KEY IN MARKING THE AREAS
MOST LIKELY FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER. EXPECTATIONS ARE THAT
FRONT WILL STRUGGLE TO MAKE IT FURTHER THAN THE INTERSTATE 44
CORRIDOR...WITH THE TERRAIN OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ALSO CAUSING
ISSUES IN DEFINING THE FRONTAL ZONE. LOCATIONS SOUTHEAST OF THE
WARM FRONT WILL ATTAIN HIGHER INSTABILITIES AND PROVIDE A CORRIDOR
FOR SUPERCELLS ORIGINATING OVER NORTH TEXAS LATER THIS MORNING.
ONCE THESE STORMS DEVELOP AND SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD THEY WILL
PRODUCE ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER INCLUDING TORNADOES. IN
ADDITION...LOCATIONS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING SEVERE FLOODING WILL BE
PRONE TO A RAPID ONSET OF WORSENING CONDITIONS AS THE HEAVIER
RAINS DEVELOP.
THE COLD FRONT WITH THIS WAVE WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA BY MID
EVENING ENDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. THIS FRONT WILL MAKE A
PUSH INTO NORTH TEXAS BEFORE STALLING...AND WORKING NORTHWARD ON
TUESDAY AS ANOTHER STRONG WAVE MOVES INTO THE PLAINS. HOW FAR
NORTH THE WARM FRONT MAKES IT ON TUESDAY WILL MARK THE NORTHERN
PERIPHERY OF THE DEVELOPING WEATHER EVENT WHICH WILL COMMENCE
TUESDAY EVENING...AND SPREAD EASTWARD TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
THIS EVENT HAS POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE EXTREMELY VIOLENT
WEATHER...AND WHILE THE WORST WILL BE EAST AND SOUTH OF OUR
FORECAST AREA...INTERESTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST
CENTRAL ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THIS FORECAST CAREFULLY.
SEASONABLY COOL WEATHER EXPECTED WEDNESDAY WITH WARMER AND DRY
WEATHER THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE NEXT FRONT ARRIVES SATURDAY AND
SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A CHANCE OF STORMS...AND LIKELY A SEVERE
WEATHER RISK PENDING THE DEGREE OF MOISTURE RETURN.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TUL 71 50 68 49 / 80 30 10 50
FSM 77 56 74 55 / 100 50 10 70
MLC 78 54 72 51 / 70 30 10 60
BVO 68 48 66 45 / 80 30 10 50
FYV 74 52 68 49 / 100 50 10 60
BYV 73 52 67 48 / 100 50 10 60
MKO 75 52 69 51 / 90 30 10 70
MIO 71 50 66 46 / 90 50 10 40
F10 75 51 69 50 / 70 30 10 60
HHW 80 57 78 54 / 70 30 20 60
&&
.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM MONDAY FOR OKZ055-OKZ056-OKZ057-
OKZ058-OKZ060-OKZ061-OKZ062-OKZ063-OKZ064-OKZ065-OKZ066-
OKZ067-OKZ068-OKZ069-OKZ070-OKZ071-OKZ072-OKZ073-OKZ074-
OKZ075-OKZ076.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM MONDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-
ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.
&&
LONG TERM....07HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 515 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011 ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-261000- 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- 515 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER...FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING TO CONTINUE TODAY... THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. TORNADO. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS. ONSET...EARLY AFTERNOON. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. RISK...CRITICAL. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING AND AGAIN BY EARLY AFTERNOON. AREA AT GREATEST RISK...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS. FLASH FLOOD. RISK...CRITICAL. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. AREA AT GREATEST RISK...NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. HEAVY RAIN. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. DISCUSSION... SCATTERED ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS MORNING NORTH OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT IS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. OTHER STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SHOULD EXIT THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS AND MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE PLAINS. AS THE MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES INTO THE PLAINS THIS MORNING...THE SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE BACK TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ALLOWING THE AIRMASS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS TO BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE. WITH MORE THAN ADEQUATE LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR...THE STORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS WILL BECOME SUPER CELLS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. MEANWHILE...NORTH OF THE FRONT ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...THE STORMS WILL BE MORE ELEVATED IN NATURE WITH LARGE HAIL THE MAIN CONCERN. THE STORMS SHOULD EXIT THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT AS THE MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT MOVE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO BE MAJOR CONCERN ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AS SEVERAL DAYS OF HEAVY RAINS HAS LEFT THE GROUND SATURATED. THE LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THAT ARE ALREADY SEEING SERIOUS FLOODING CONDITIONS COULD RECEIVE ANOTHER 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH TONIGHT WHICH WILL AGGRAVATE AN ALREADY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF THE REGIONAL SPOTTER NETWORK EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. TUESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL. WEDNESDAY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL. THURSDAY...NO HAZARDS. FRIDAY...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL. SATURDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL. SUNDAY...NO HAZARDS. EXTENDED DISCUSSION... THE FRONT THAT HAS BEEN PLAGUING THE AREA FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS WILL MOVE BACK NORTH INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS A WARM FRONT ON TUESDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS TUESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING AS ANOTHER MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO END WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THE MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE PUSHES OFF TO THE EAST. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN ON TUESDAY AS SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA COULD SEE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING STATEMENT... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR MAJOR FLOODING AND SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SEVERE WEATHER. WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
102 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM FLASH FLOOD FAYETTEVILLE 36.06N 94.16W
04/25/2011 WASHINGTON AR BROADCAST MEDIA
SWIFT WATER RESCUE ONGOING AT STONEBRIDGE ROAD IN
SOUTHEAST FAYETTEVILLE.
&&
JBMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
142 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
OKZ057-061-062-250715-
CRAIG OK-MAYES OK-ROGERS OK-
142 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 215 AM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHEASTERN ROGERS...SOUTHWESTERN CRAIG AND NORTHERN MAYES
AT 142 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF FOYIL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...FOYIL...BUSHYHEAD...CHELSEA...BIG
CABIN...WHITE OAK...ADAIR AND PENSACOLA.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL.
LAT...LON 3674 9534 3647 9506 3632 9544 3641 9556
TIME...MOT...LOC 0642Z 227DEG 34KT 3641 9546SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
211 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
OKZ054-059-250745-
OSAGE OK-PAWNEE OK-
211 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 245 AM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN OSAGE AND PAWNEE
AT 212 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF
CLEVELAND...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...OSAGE...HOMINY...AVANT...WOLCO...
BARNSDALL...TALLANT AND CLEVELAND.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL.
LAT...LON 3669 9600 3633 9602 3621 9653 3638 9660
3670 9601
TIME...MOT...LOC 0712Z 251DEG 44KT 3633 9645PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
224 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0157 AM TSTM WND DMG WEST SILOAM SPRINGS 36.18N 94.57W
04/25/2011 DELAWARE OK PUBLIC
TREE BLOWN DOWN
&&
JBMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
338 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
OKZ060>062-067-250915-
MAYES OK-ROGERS OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
338 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 AM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHWESTERN WAGONER...SOUTHERN ROGERS...CENTRAL TULSA AND
WESTERN MAYES
AT 338 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER TULSA...MOVING
EAST AT 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM
INCLUDE...TULSA...CLAREMORE...INOLA...CATOOSA...VERDIGRIS...TIAWAH
AND OWASSO.
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 3642 9546 3616 9539 3605 9597 3617 9603
3618 9601 3623 9601
TIME...MOT...LOC 0838Z 251DEG 44KT 3615 9585SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
405 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
OKZ054-250945-
OSAGE OK-
405 AM CDT MON APR 25 2011
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 AM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHERN OSAGE
AT 405 AM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF
BURBANK...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED
BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...PAWHUSKA...SHIDLER...FAIRFAX...PERSHING...
TALLANT...NELAGONEY...BURBANK...OKESA...APPERSON...WEBB CITY...
PEARSONIA...BIGHEART...FORAKER AND GRAINOLA.
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 3700 9631 3661 9600 3654 9673 3656 9678
3653 9683 3652 9691 3656 9691 3656 9690
3659 9690 3660 9693 3670 9695 3676 9689
3676 9683 3679 9676 3691 9676 3701 9666
TIME...MOT...LOC 0905Z 251DEG 44KT 3667 9681The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Poteau River near Poteau rose above its flood stage of 24 feet at 6:00 am CDT on April 25th. The river crested at 27.50 feet at 5:15 pm CDT on the 25th, resulting in moderate flooding. The river fell below flood stage at 11:45 am CDT on the 26th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, April 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: 300244.