The thunderstorms that developed on the afternoon of August 23rd, developed|on the eastern fringes of the upper ridge positioned over Central Texas. A weak surface trough lingered across the area and storms often initiated near this boundary.
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 SHV wrote it up.
The thunderstorms that developed on the afternoon of August 23rd, developed|on the eastern fringes of the upper ridge positioned over Central Texas. A weak surface trough lingered across the area and storms often initiated near this boundary. Migrating outflow boundaries from the initial storms would ignite more convective activity as they moved throughout the area. Most of the severe thunderstorm activity were pulse in nature and produced localized downbursts. Surface temps across the area were over the century mark, so it did not take much convection to get wind damage.
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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 23, 2:43 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
343 PM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011
.DISCUSSION...
WIDELY SCT CONVECTION CONTINUES TO FIRE ALONG A WEAK SFC TROUGH...WHICH
REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY FROM EXTREME SE OK...ACROSS SW AR AND INTO
NCNTRL LA/SW MS. MEANWHILE...WEAK VORTICITY ADVECTION CONTINUES AS
WEAK UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES...WHICH IS SOMEWHAT DISCERNIBLE ON THE WATER
VAPOR LOOP ACROSS WRN/NCNTRL AR...DRIFTS SSE AROUND THE LARGE SCALE
RIDGE CENTERED OVER WCNTRL TX/WRN OK. THIS IS WHERE THE BEST SFC
BASED CAPES ARE LOCATED...WHICH RANGE FROM 2000-2500 J/KG PER THE 19Z
LAPS ANALYSIS. AGAIN...DEEP LAYER SHEAR REMAINS QUITE WEAK...WITH THE
CONVECTION DISORGANIZED AND PULSY...WHICH SHOULD DIMINISH THIS EVENING
WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. GIVEN THE INCREASING CU FIELD PRESENT ACROSS
E TX ATTM...WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS AREAWIDE FOR THIS EVENING.
WILL ALSO LIKELY HAVE TO CONTEND WITH SOME CONVECTIVE DEBRIS THIS
EVENING/OVERNIGHT AS WELL...WHICH WILL AGAIN LIMIT MUCH OF A TEMP FALL
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
THE SHORT TERM PROGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THE WEAK SFC TROUGH SOMEWHAT
GENERALLY OVER THE SAME AREAS OF SW AR AND NCNTRL/NE LA WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON. THIS FEATURE...COMBINED WITH THE EXTREME HEATING AND
RESIDUAL VORTICITY ALOFT AS IT BEGINS TO DEPART THE REGION TO THE S
ACROSS E TX/N LA MAY STILL GENERATE ISOLATED CONVECTION DURING THE
AFTERNOON/EVENING...BUT OVERALL COVERAGE MAY BE A LITTLE
LESS...ESPECIALLY AS THE UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO EXPAND E INTO THE MS/TN
VALLIES DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE EXPANDING RIDGE ALSO BEGINS TO
REFLECT IN THE LOW LEVEL THERMAL FIELDS AS WELL...WITH TEMPS EXPECTED
TO CLIMB EVEN HIGHER DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE ENTIRE REGION HAS MET
HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA THIS AFTERNOON...AND WITH LITTLE EXTENDED COOLING
EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...AND EVEN HOTTER TEMPS WEDNESDAY UNDER SIMILAR
HUMIDITY VALUES...HAVE EXTENDED THE HEAT ADVISORY AREAWIDE THROUGH 02Z
THURSDAY.
BY THURSDAY...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN TO NUDGE S THROUGH
OK/AR...REACHING SE OK/EXTREME NE TX/SW AR DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE
PROGS INDICATE COMPRESSIONAL WARMING ALONG/AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL SFC
THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION...AND GIVEN THE BONE DRY
SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS...WOULDN/T BE TOO SURPRISED TO SEE MANY
LOCATIONS REACH/EXCEED 105 DEGREES ONCE AGAIN...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR
NEARING THE ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH TEMPS. HAVE AGAIN TRENDED WARMER
THAN MOS...WITH ISOLATED CONVECTION AGAIN DEVELOPING DURING THE
AFTERNOON/EVENING ALONG/AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS THEY BUILD SSW.
MUCH DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO BACKDOOR SW INTO SE OK/SW AR/N LA
THURSDAY NIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...WHICH WILL RESULT IN VERY LOW
HUMIDITIES FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. EVEN THOUGH WINDS SHOULD NOT BE
MUCH OF AN ISSUE...IT APPEARS AS IF WE WILL SEE A PERIOD OF ENHANCED
FIRE DANGER OVER THE REGION...AS AFTERNOON TEMPS REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL.
THE GFS STILL MAINTAINS 850MB TEMPS OF 22-24C THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...WHICH SUPPORTS TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPS...ESPECIALLY OVER E TX.
THIS WILL OCCUR AS THE LARGE SCALE RIDGE REMAINS STAGNANT OVER THE
PLAINS/MS AND TN VALLIES. THE RIDGE MAY BEGIN TO WEAKEN SOME BY LATE
MONDAY/TUESDAY OVER THE MS VALLEY...AS THE MEDIUM RANGE PROGS DIG A
SHORTWAVE SE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES/OH VALLEY REGION INTO THE MID-
SOUTH...BUT OVERALL FORCING APPEARS WEAK ATTM AND THUS WILL KEEP THE
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST DRY.
PRELIMS TO FOLLOW BELOW...
15
&&
.AVIATION...
ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE AN
EFFECT ON ALL TAF SITES DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS
TODAY. WINDS SHOULD BE GENERALLY OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AROUND 5 TO 10
KNOTS...EXCEPT FOR AREAS NEAR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...WHERE SOME
GUSTY WINDS COULD BE SEEN. VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS WILL BE IN THE
VFR RANGE...EXCEPT...ONCE AGAIN...NEAR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. /23/
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV 79 104 79 106 74 / 20 20 20 20 20
MLU 77 102 77 104 72 / 20 20 20 20 20
DEQ 75 103 75 104 69 / 20 20 20 20 20
TXK 78 103 77 104 72 / 20 20 20 20 20
ELD 77 101 75 103 70 / 20 20 20 20 20
TYR 81 105 80 107 78 / 20 20 20 20 20
GGG 79 105 79 107 77 / 20 20 20 20 20
LFK 76 104 75 106 74 / 20 20 20 20 20
&&
.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073.
LA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022.
OK...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
OKZ077.
TX...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167.
&&
15/23HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1156 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077- TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-241100- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-UNION AR-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN- UNION LA-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE LA- NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-MCCURTAIN-BOWIE- FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG- HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA- SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX- 1156 AM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING. THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES WILL BE PRESENT AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 105 AND 110 DEGREES FOR MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...AND MUCH OF NORTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS...ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. IN ADDITION...FIRE DANGER WILL PERSIST AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AS HUMIDITIES RANGE FROM 25 TO 30 PERCENT ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND WESTERN LOUISIANA...WITH HUMIDITIES BETWEEN 35 TO 40 PERCENT ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE REGION. WINDS MAY BE LOCALLY GUSTY AT TIMES...ESPECIALLY IN AND NEAR THE THUNDERSTORMS. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCING CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...WHICH MAY IGNITE NEW WILDFIRES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB NEAR OR ABOVE THE CENTURY MARK AREAWIDE THROUGH MUCH OF THIS WEEK AND WEEKEND. HEAT INDEX VALUES MAY REACH OR EXCEED 105 DEGREES THROUGH THURSDAY...MAKING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN TO PREVENT HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES. DRIER AIR WILL FILTER SOUTHWEST BEHIND A WEAK COOL FRONT FRIDAY...RESULTING IN LOWER HUMIDITIES AND THUS...LOWER HEAT INDICES. HOWEVER...FIRE DANGER WILL PERSIST UNDER THESE CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS...AND THE ABSENCE OF RAINFALL EXPECTED LATE THIS WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS...SKYWARN NETWORKS...AND AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. 15
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
448 PM CDT TUE AUG 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM TSTM WND DMG 7 NW FOUKE 33.33N 93.97W
08/23/2011 MILLER AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ON HWY 82 IN GENOA.
&&
19The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:57 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees and powerlines were downed in and near the community of Malta near County Road 3103. The winds destroyed one 180x50 steel frame shed, one 12x12 wood frame shed, one 20x40 horse covered stall, one 8x8 well house and one 40x60 pole barn. There were no injuries reported.
Trees were downed and there was wind damage reported to a home near the Leigh community.
Trees and powerlines were downed southeast of Gilmer, Texas.
Trees were downed northeast of Tyler, Texas.
Trees were reported downed in Arp, Texas.
Trees were downed 4 miles northeast of Noonday, Texas.
Trees were downed west of Carthage, Texas.
Two large trees were downed on FM. 1970 in Clayton, Texas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, 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: 327392, 327401, 327410, 327437, 327440, 327441, 327443, 327445.