Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arkansas, June 1 to 26, 2013

Name: Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arkansas, June 1 to 26, 2013
Start: 2013-06-01T00:00
End: 2013-06-26T18:00
Location: Arkansas

June 1 to 26, 2013 · NWS LZK · 18 events in 14 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $267,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS LZK wrote it up.

The upper level low pressure system that brought severe weather and flash flooding to Arkansas on May 30th and 31st moved closer to the state on June 1st, producing another round of severe weather and flash flooding. By the evening of the 1st, a cold front pushed through Arkansas, bringing drier air into the state. For the 3-day period from May 30th through June 1st, rainfall amounts in the 6 to 11 inch range were recorded in Scott, Polk, Montgomery, and Yell Counties, as well as parts of Hot Spring, Clark, Saline, and Pulaski Counties. The largest 3-day total that was reported was 11.69 inches at Big Fork in Polk County.

What forecasters said that day

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 May 31, 11:34 PM CST, 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 11:34 PM CST, 26 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1234 AM CDT SAT JUN 1 2013

.AVIATION...
AN AREA OF CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO APPROACH THE NORTHWEST PART
OF THE STATE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. MOISTURE LEVELS WILL
REMAIN ELEVATED AND CLOUDS WILL SLOWLY LOWER WITH TIME. ELSEWHERE
... A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE STATE DURING THE
DAY. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT
AS IT MOVES THROUGH. VFR TO OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS WILL
PREVAIL ESPECIALLY ALONG THE FRONT ITSELF. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL
BECOME NORTHWEST AFTER THE BOUNDARY PASSES.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1146 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013/

UPDATE...
UPDATED ZONES TO INCREASE POPS IN THE WEST FOR TONIGHT. ALSO ADDED
A NEW TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 247 PM CDT FRI MAY 31 2013/

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT
EXTREMELY HUMID AND UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE IS PRESENT OVER THE AREA
AT THIS TIME...BUT THE CAPPING INVERSION HAS LARGELY KEPT A LID ON
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. CURRENT RADAR RETURNS ARE SHOWING
SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA...BUT LITTLE
ELSE.

PROVIDED THERE ARE SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS BEFORE SUNSET...
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE. ACTIVITY SHOULD REALLY GET GOING LATE
TONIGHT...AS THE LOW LEVEL JET KICKS IN AND AN UPPER WAVE MOVES
INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST. AT THE SAME TIME...SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT SLOWLY INTO THE REGION.

SHOWERS/STORMS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AFTER MIDNIGHT. SOME
SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...AND AT THIS POINT IT LOOKS LIKE ANY
SEVERE STORMS WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND AND
HAIL. OVER ARKANSAS...THE TORNADO THREAT IS NOT AS HIGH AS
THURSDAY.

HEAVY RAIN WILL BE ANOTHER SERIOUS THREAT...PARTICULARLY AFTER
MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE NORTHWEST...GRADUALLY MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL
PORTION DURING THE MORNING WITH THE FRONT. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS/
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FIRE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT ON
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AGAIN...SOME STRONG/SEVERE STORMS
CAN/T BE RULED OUT.

THE FRONT WILL PUSH OUT OF THE REGION EARLY SUNDAY...WITH ANY
LINGERING PRECIPITATION COMING TO AN END. COOLER AND DRIER WEATHER
WILL FOLLOW...WITH THE PERIOD ENDING WITH LOWS IN THE 50S AND 60S
AND HIGHS IN THE 70S AND 80S.

A WORD OF CAUTION...WITH THE ABNORMALLY HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER
VALUES OVER THE REGION...THE MODELS SEEM TO BE UNDER DOING EXPECTED
RAINFALL AMOUNTS. WITH THIS IN MIND...AS WELL AS SLOW OVER ALL MEAN
STORM MOTION...AND THE TENDENCY OF STORMS TO FORM AND MOVE OVER THE
SAME AREAS...HAVE INCREASED EXPECTED RAINFALL AMOUNTS...PARTICULARLY
OVER THE NORTH AND CENTRAL.

LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
SRLY FLOW WILL BE RETURNING TO THE STATE AT THE START OF THE LONG
TERM PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NE MOVES AWAY FROM THE STATE.
FLOW ALOFT WILL BE GENERALLY ZONAL ACROSS THE STATE...WITH MOST
PRECIP CHANCES REMAINING LOW. HOWEVER...FLOW ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO
BUCKLE DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...TURNING GRADUALLY TO THE SW.
AS THIS HAPPENS...MOISTURE LEVELS WILL BE INCREASING...AS WELL AS
RAIN CHANCES AS DISTURBANCES MOVE OVERHEAD IN THIS FLOW ALOFT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BATESVILLE AR     60  77  56  80 /  60  20   0  10
CAMDEN AR         63  85  59  85 /  70  30   0  10
HARRISON AR       54  75  54  79 /  20  10   0  10
HOT SPRINGS AR    61  82  59  82 /  70  20   0  10
LITTLE ROCK   AR  64  82  61  83 /  70  20   0  10
MONTICELLO AR     68  84  62  86 /  70  40   0  10
MOUNT IDA AR      59  81  55  81 /  60  10   0  10
MOUNTAIN HOME AR  55  77  55  78 /  30  10   0  10
NEWPORT AR        61  77  57  81 /  70  20   0  10
PINE BLUFF AR     66  82  61  82 /  70  30   0  10
RUSSELLVILLE AR   59  80  56  85 /  50  10   0  10
SEARCY AR         62  80  58  80 /  70  20   0  10
STUTTGART AR      65  81  62  81 /  70  20   0  10
&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR BAXTER-BOONE-CLARK-
CLEBURNE-CONWAY-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-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.

&&

AVIATION...56

Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 11:45 PM CST, 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1245 AM CDT SAT JUN 1 2013

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-011000-
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-
1245 AM CDT SAT JUN 1 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS OVER THE FEW DAYS. THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES TO THE AREA...AND HELP DEVELOP SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. THE MAIN AREAS AFFECTED TONIGHT WILL BE OVER
NORTHERN ARKANSAS. ONCE AGAIN SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO
SEVERE...WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.

TORNADOES CAN BE RULED OUT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP. A
TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. HEAVY
RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONG STORMS...AND A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. MANY AREAS ARE ALREADY SATURATED DUE
TO THE HEAVY RAIN ON THURSDAY...AND ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL
LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST ON
SATURDAY FINALLY ALLOWING A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT TO ADVANCE INTO
THE STATE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG
THE BOUNDARY AND SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN THE MAIN CONCERN. THE
AREA OF CONCERN WILL BE ALONG THE BOUNDARY ITSELF AND WILL COVER
MUCH OF ARKANSAS. ALL OF ARKANSAS WILL BE UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF
SEVERE WEATHER ON SATURDAY. THE STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PUSH OUT
OF ARKANSAS EARLY SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

&&

VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND
CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

56

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flood, 7 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Montgomery

When: June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 21, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County, 2.65 mi WNW of Washita to 2.1 mi WSW of Mt Ida Bearce Arpt
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.665, -93.573

Large amounts of rain over the Ouachita River and its tributaries from May 30th through June 1st contributed to a large rise on Lake Ouachita. The lake rose 9 feet by June 3rd, followed by a slow fall. The lake did not return to its normal level until June 21st. Roads and campgrounds near the lake were submerged. Some gangways to boat docks also went under water, causing people to have to travel in boats to reach their boat docks.

Flood, Garland

When: June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 21, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Garland County, 3.39 mi W of Mt Tabor to 2.21 mi W of Bear
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.700, -93.390

Flood, Yell

When: June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 26, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Yell County, 4.24 mi SW of Birta to 5.03 mi SE of Plainview
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.975, -93.182

Heavy rain fell over the Fourche LaFave River and its tributaries on May 30th through June 1st, setting off a rapid rise on Nimrod Lake. By June 5th, the lake had risen 21 feet, flooding roads and campgrounds near the lake. Some of the campgrounds that were flooded included Sunlight Bay, Carter Cove, and County Line. After the 5th, the lake began a slow fall and it returned to its normal level on June 26th.

Flood, Perry

When: June 1, 12:00 AM CST to June 26, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Perry County, 4.61 mi W of Fourche Jct to 3.22 mi N of Ava
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.970, -93.181

Heavy rain fell over the Fourche LaFave River and its tributaries on May 30th through June 1st, setting off a rapid rise on Nimrod Lake. By June 5th, the lake had risen 21 feet, flooding roads and campgrounds near the lake. After the 5th, the lake began a slow fall and it returned to its normal level on June 26th.

Flood, Yell

When: June 1, 12:00 AM CST to 3:00 AM CST
Where: Yell County, 1.62 mi E of Gravelly to 1.77 mi E of Gravelly
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.877, -93.652

Very heavy rainfall in late May caused the Fourche LaFave River near Gravelly to rise rapidly above flood stage during the morning hours on May 31st, reaching a record level of 32.6 feet about midday. This river remained above flood stage into the early morning hours on June 1st before falling below flood stage before sunrise that same day.

Flash Flood, Logan

When: June 1, 7:00 AM CST to 10:30 AM CST
Where: Logan County, 5 mi N of Carbon City to Carbon City
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.342, -93.780

Water covered some roads in the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Garland

When: June 1, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Garland County, 0.49 mi NW of Sunshine
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 34.475, -93.237

Large trees were blown down.

Flash Flood, Scott

When: June 1, 8:30 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Coaldale to Y City
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.900, -94.430

Numerous county roads were flooded. A car with four people inside was swept off a low-water crossing and washed into a creek. The people were able to get to high ground and were eventually rescued. A trained spotter 8 miles southeast of Waldron measured 2.50 inches of rain between 7:20 and 9:20 AM CDT on the 1st. Three-day rainfall totals for May 30th through June 1st included 10.29 inches at Parks and 7.92 inches at Waldron.

Flash Flood, Woodruff

When: June 1, 9:00 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where: Woodruff County, Fitzhugh to 10 mi SE of Augusta
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.350, -91.320

Some county roads were flooded.

Flash Flood, Montgomery

When: June 1, 9:30 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Montgomery County, 8 mi NW of Pencil Bluff to 6 mi W of Albert
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.712, -93.830

A car was washed into flood waters at Caddo Gap, but the motorist was able to reach safety. Arkansas 88 at Sims was closed. Brushy Creek flooded Brushy Rd. west-northwest of Pencil Bluff in the same area where Brushy Creek washed a house off its foundation early on the morning of May 31st. Several motorists were stranded at Albert Pike Recreation Area when the Little Missouri River flooded a low-water crossing. The motorists were in no danger but had to wait for water to recede before they could cross the river. In addition, a number of county roads were flooded. Three-day rainfall totals for May 30th through June 1st included 10.23 inches at Pine Ridge, 10.16 inches at Oden, 8.65 inches at Mount Ida, and 7.52 inches at Caddo Gap.

Flash Flood, Polk

When: June 1, 10:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Polk County, 6 mi WNW of Rich Mtn to 7 mi WSW of Grannis
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.713, -94.448

A number of county roads became impassable. For the 24-hour period ending at 7 AM on the 2nd, Big Fork measured 4.14 inches of rain and Bogg Springs collected 3.40 inches. Three-day rainfall totals for May 30th through June 1st included 11.69 inches at Big Fork, 10.00 inches at Mena, 9.50 inches at the Mena airport, 6.37 inches at Hatfield, and 6.04 inches at Bogg Springs.

Flash Flood, Pulaski

When: June 1, 10:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County, Wye
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.930, -92.640

A number of roads were flooded, as was part of the golf course at Maumelle Country Club. The three-day rainfall total for May 30th through June 1st at the Little Rock airport was 6.16 inches.

Flash Flood, Hot Spring

When: June 1, 5:00 PM CST to June 2, 1:45 AM CST
Where: Hot Spring County, 1 mi WNW of Jones Mill to 1.6 mi NNE of Carroll
Cause: Planned Dam Release
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: Utility Company
Coordinates: 34.435, -92.896

Releases from Remmel Dam reached 50,700 cubic feet per second, flooding areas adjacent to the Ouachita River downstream.

Thunderstorm Wind, Monroe

When: June 1, 6:24 PM CST
Where: Monroe County, 1.43 mi NNW of Duncan
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.639, -91.260

Trees and power lines were blown down between Holly Grove and Clarendon.

Flood, Clark

When: June 2, 12:20 AM CST to June 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Clark County, 1.93 mi ENE of Arkadelphia to 2.4 mi ENE of Arkadelphia
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.130, -93.038

Heavy rainfall from late May into early June caused the Ouachita River at Arkadelphia to rise above flood stage just after midnight on the 2nd. The river remained above flood stage into the 3rd, then fell below flood stage during the morning hours on the 3rd.

Flood, Saline

When: June 2, 1:30 AM CST to June 3, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Saline County, 0.37 mi W of Benton Saline Co Arp to 2.36 mi NNW of Benton Saline Co Arp
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 34.569, -92.606

Heavy rainfall from late May into early June caused the Saline River at Benton to rise above flood stage during the early morning hours on the 2nd, before falling below flood stage during the evening hours on the 3rd.

Flood, Perry

When: June 2, 9:45 AM CST to June 4, 9:00 AM CST
Where: Perry County, 2.35 mi SW of Houston to 1.85 mi SW of Houston
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 35.004, -92.727

Heavy rainfall during late May caused the Fourche LaFave River near Houston to rise above flood stage during the morning hours on the 2nd. The river remained above flood stage until the morning hours on the 4th, then dropped below flood stage.

Flood, Ouachita

When: June 3, 10:35 PM CST to June 12, 4:10 AM CST
Where: Ouachita County, 1.67 mi NE of Camden to 1.46 mi ENE of Camden
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 33.599, -92.812

Heavy rainfall from late May into early June caused the Ouachita River at Camden to rise above flood stage during the evening hours on the 3rd. The river remained above flood stage for several days, before falling below flood stage during the morning hours on the 12th.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, June 2013

Sources

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: 448911, 448914, 449314, 449332, 458736, 446059, 447055, 446056, 446068, 446064, 446063, 446066, 446080, 447057, 458747, 458753, 458738, 458752.