Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of the 13th over central Oklahoma ahead of a cold front moving into the region. These storms moved into northwestern Arkansas during the evening.
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.
Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of the 13th over central Oklahoma ahead of a cold front moving into the region. These storms moved into northwestern Arkansas during the evening. The storms produced damaging wind across much of northwestern Arkansas and one storm produced a tornado as it moved through Benton County.
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 Oct 13, 8:30 PM CST, 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
930 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
...UPDATE...
HAVE UPDATED FORECAST PRODUCTS SEVERAL TIMES THIS EVENING TO KEEP
ABREAST OF THUNDERSTORM EVOLUTION ACROSS THE CWA. FORECAST MINIMUM
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO APPEAR REASONABLE AND HAVE BEEN LEFT
UNTOUCHED. PRODUCTS JUST SENT REFLECT THE LATEST FORECAST OF STORM
COVERAGE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 636 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012/
AVIATION...
CONCERNING TAF SITES KTUL/KRVS/KBVO/KMLC/KXNA/KFYV/KFSM.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ALL TAF SITES THIS EVENING
WITH MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS IN STORMS. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE
RAPIDLY TO VFR AT ALL SITES BY 06Z AND WILL REMAIN VFR FOR THE
REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 357 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012/
DISCUSSION...
LARGE H5 TROF WILL SWING THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. CAPES OVER 1500
AND WINDS ALOFT INDICATE SEVERE CONVECTION POSSIBLE. PRIMARY
THREAT WILL BE WIND AND LARGE HAIL...BUT HELICITY VALUES THROUGH
THE PERIOD INDICATE THAT TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. EVEN
THOUGH STORM MOTION WILL BE AROUND 40 MPH...THERE WILL BE AT LEAST
A POSSIBILITY OF TRAINING ECHOES. GIVEN THE GOOD MOISTURE AND
STRONG LIFT...FEEL THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF FLASH FLOODING AS
SOME AREAS COULD RECEIVE 2 OR MORE INCHES OF RAIN IN A VERY SHORT
PERIOD. FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM SUNDAY.
THE FRONT AND TROF MOVE THROUGH QUICKLY AND PRECIPITATION SHOULD
START ENDING FROM THE WEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. EXPECT ALL RAIN TO END
BY 7 AM SUNDAY.
COOL WEATHER ONLY LASTS BRIEFLY. ANOTHER H5 TROF COMES OVER THE
ROCKIES MONDAY NIGHT...BRINGING BACK SOUTHERLY WINDS TO THE AREA.
MODELS SHOW A STRONG FRONT MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL PLAINS ON
WEDNESDAY AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH THAT. THIS WILL ALSO
EXIT QUICKLY WITH CLEARING AND DRY WEATHER FOR THE END OF THE
WEEK.
STAYED PRETTY CLOSE TO THE GFS IN THE EXTENDED...BUT BLENDED SOME
WITH THE ECMWF. MADE ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MEX MOS...AS IT
WAS PRETTY CLOSE WITH THE ECMWF MOS. ECMWF A LITTLE COOLER.
&&
.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM SUNDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ053-OKZ054-
OKZ055-OKZ056-OKZ057-OKZ058-OKZ059-OKZ060-OKZ061-OKZ062-
OKZ063-OKZ064-OKZ065-OKZ066-OKZ067-OKZ068-OKZ069-OKZ070-
OKZ071-OKZ072-OKZ073-OKZ074-OKZ075-OKZ076.
AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM SUNDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-
ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.
&&
SHORT TERM...06HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 514 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012 ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-141000- 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- 514 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012 ...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS LIKELY THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING... THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. TORNADO. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. FLASH FLOOD. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. HEAVY RAIN. RISK...ELEVATED. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. SIGNIFICANT WINDS. RISK...LIMITED. AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. ONSET...ONGOING. DISCUSSION... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY TRAVERSING THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AN ASSOCIATED DRY LINE... FOLLOWED BY A PACIFIC TYPE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS OKLAHOMA THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED EAST OF THE DRY LINE IN VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA... AND THIS ACTIVITY WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA SHORTLY. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS... AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. WITH STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND CURVED HODOGRAPHS... ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE QUITE POSSIBLE. THE TORNADIC THREAT WILL DEPEND UPON HOW THE SYSTEM EVOLVES OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS IT MOVE INTO THE AREA. SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF THE REGIONAL SPOTTER NETWORK LIKELY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...NO HAZARDS. WEDNESDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...NO HAZARDS. EXTENDED DISCUSSION... A FAST MOVING UPPER TROUGH WILL DIG INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY MID WEEK WITH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASING AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THE AREA. AT THIS TIME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY APPEARS LIMITED AHEAD OF SYSTEM. WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
713 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
OKZ057-061-062-140045-
CRAIG OK-MAYES OK-ROGERS OK-
713 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 745 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHERN CRAIG...NORTHERN MAYES AND NORTHEASTERN ROGERS
AT 712 PM CDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE CENTERED 8
MILES SOUTHWEST OF ADAIR...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. SOME
LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM
INCLUDE...VINITA...KETCHUM...BIG CABIN...SPAVINAW...
STRANG...ADAIR...PENSACOLA...LANGLEY...DISNEY...SP AVINAW STATE
PARK...CHEROKEE STATE PARK AND DISNEY LITTLE BLUE STATE PARK.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.
RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
LAT...LON 3667 9501 3636 9500 3630 9542 3658 9543
TIME...MOT...LOC 0012Z 244DEG 44KT 3639 9534SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
731 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
OKZ057-058-063-140115-
CRAIG OK-DELAWARE OK-OTTAWA OK-
731 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN CRAIG...NORTHERN DELAWARE AND SOUTHERN OTTAWA
AT 730 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTH OF TIFF CITY TO 2 MILES NORTH OF
CLEORA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE
AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...ZENA...CLEORA...GROVE...
BERNICE...FAIRLAND...WYANDOTTE...KETCHUM...TIFF CITY...BERNICE STATE
PARK AND HONEY CREEK STATE PARK.
THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
LAT...LON 3650 9461 3644 9500 3651 9500 3651 9503
3666 9504 3686 9461
TIME...MOT...LOC 0030Z 253DEG 15KT 3675 9461 3661 9496SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
747 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
OKZ061-062-067-068-070-140115-
CHEROKEE OK-MAYES OK-MUSKOGEE OK-ROGERS OK-WAGONER OK-
747 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
WESTERN CHEROKEE AND NORTHWESTERN MUSKOGEE
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHWESTERN MAYES...SOUTHEASTERN ROGERS AND WAGONER
AT 747 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER JAMESVILLE...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY
THIS STORM INCLUDE...INOLA...WAGONER...CHOSKA...TULLAHASSEE...
PORTER...REDBIRD...MAZIE...JAMESVILLE...TAFT AND HASKELL.
THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
LAT...LON 3620 9551 3599 9515 3563 9564 3576 9575
TIME...MOT...LOC 0047Z 220DEG 44KT 3577 9558PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
816 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0812 PM TSTM WND GST 1 SW CHECOTAH 35.46N 95.54W
10/13/2012 E65 MPH MCINTOSH OK EMERGENCY MNGR
SPOTTER REPORTED 65 MPH WIND GUST AT HWY 69 AND
INTERSTATE 40.
&&
JDSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
820 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
OKZ067-068-070-140145-
CHEROKEE OK-MUSKOGEE OK-WAGONER OK-
820 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
CHEROKEE AND NORTHEASTERN MUSKOGEE
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN WAGONER
AT 821 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM MUSKOGEE TO 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BRAGGS...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE
STORMS INCLUDE...PUMPKIN CENTER...TAHLEQUAH...HULBERT...MUSKOGEE...
BRAGGS...FORT GIBSON...SEQUOYAH STATE PARK AND CHEROKEE LANDING STATE
PARK.
THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
LAT...LON 3605 9504 3580 9480 3577 9481 3557 9530
3574 9545
TIME...MOT...LOC 0121Z 234DEG 46KT 3580 9531 3564 9521SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
829 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
OKZ054-055-059-060-140200-
OSAGE OK-PAWNEE OK-TULSA OK-WASHINGTON OK-
829 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM CDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
SOUTHEASTERN OSAGE...EASTERN PAWNEE...NORTHWESTERN TULSA AND
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON
AT 830 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM SKIATOOK TO 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAND SPRINGS...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE
STORMS INCLUDE...TULSA...GRAY...SAND SPRINGS...SPERRY...SKIATOOK...
VERA...RAMONA...WALNUT CREEK STATE PARK AND KEYSTONE STATE PARK.
THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS TO 40 MPH.
LAT...LON 3652 9581 3608 9606 3608 9630 3616 9630
3617 9631 3624 9630 3653 9598 3654 9581
TIME...MOT...LOC 0130Z 235DEG 41KT 3639 9593 3620 9613The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:30 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong thunderstorm wind uprooted several large hardwood trees and snapped large tree limbs.
Strong thunderstorm wind snapped a number of large tree limbs and damaged a turkey house near and northeast of Cave Springs.
A tornado developed north-northeast of Cave Springs, east of Rainbow Road and south of Stony Brook Road. The tornado moved northeast across a subdivision snapping or uprooting a number of trees and damaging homes. About 450 yards wide, it then moved across a commercial area on the west side of Rogers where it removed part of the roof of a commercial building, blew large glass windows out of another commercial building, damaged a number of other buildings, snapped or uprooted a number of trees, and snapped power poles. Debris impacted a vehicle, impaling the windshield with a piece of 2x4 wood and shattering several of the windows. Two people were injured by glass and flying debris in the vehicle. Damage in this area indicated the wind speed in the tornado was as much as 90 to 100 mph.
The tornado then crossed I-540 and went across another subdivision of homes. Many trees were snapped or uprooted and homes were damaged. Tree damage became less concentrated for a bit after the tornado crossed Highway 94, but was intermittently still in the EF-1 category. Damage northeast of Avoca was once again very concentrated with a number of snapped or uprooted trees as well as home and barn damage. It dissipated in the southern portion of the Pea Ridge National Military Park.
The observational system at the Rogers Airport measured 61 mph thunderstorm wind gusts.
Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees.
Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be at least 60 mph blew down large tree limbs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2012Warnings in Arkansas, October 2012
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: 411771, 409006, 409004, 416293, 416294, 416295, 416296.