A strong but slow moving storm system brought some severe thunderstorms to the area. Very heavy rainfall also caused flash flooding and river flooding.
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 strong but slow moving storm system brought some severe thunderstorms to the area. Very heavy rainfall also caused flash flooding and river flooding.
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 17, 10:07 AM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1007 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015 .UPDATE... WITH REGARD TO SEVERE STORMS...NOTHING ON RADAR HAS LOOKED OVERLY CONCERNING SO FAR THIS MORNING. SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS REMAINS THE PLACE OF MOST CONCERN AS THIS IS WHERE THE BEST...RELATIVELY SPEAKING...INSTABILITY IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AND FORECAST TO BE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SOME ISOLATED CELLS HAVE SPRUNG UP IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES OR SO FROM PINE BLUFF SOUTHWEST THROUGH FORDYCE AND CAMDEN AREA. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR RADAR TRENDS IN THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE REST OF THE FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK FOR THE MOST PART. POPS ARE PROBABLY A LITTLE TOO HIGH FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA BUT RAIN WILL ASSUREDLY FILL IN THERE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS SO LEFT THAT ALONE. ALSO UPDATED THE ADVISORY HEADLINES TO REMOVE THE LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN THE WEST. SOME GUSTS TO ADVISORY LEVELS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS BUT AS THE BACK EDGE OF THE LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVES THROUGH...GUST POTENTIAL WILL DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. LEFT THE REMAINING WIND ADVISORY IN THE EAST AS IS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 635 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015/ AVIATION...17/12Z TAF CYCLE SCTD SHRA/TSRA EARLY THIS MRNG WL EXPAND IN COVERAGE FM THE W AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. EXPECT MAINLY MVFR CONDS THRU THE DAY TODAY... DETERIORATING TO IFR CONDS ONCE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION MOVES INTO A PARTICULAR FCST SITE. GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 KTS WL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS ALONG THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS ALONG THE CDFNT. CONDS WL SLOLY IMPROVE LATER TNGT AS DRIER AIR BEGINS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. /44/ PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 231 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED SHRA AND SOME TSRA ARE CONTINUING TO LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE CWA EARLY THIS MORNING IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT OVER OK. A LARGE...ORGANIZED...QUASI-LINEAR LINE OF CONVECTION HAS FORMED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT OVER CENTRAL OK...WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE ITS WAY EAST THROUGH AR THROUGH TONIGHT. TEMPS CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY WARM EARLY THIS MORNING AS WARM MOIST AIR SURGES NORTH. RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FAIRLY HEAVY ACROSS THE CWA...WITH MANY AREAS ALREADY SEEING AROUND AN INCH FOR THE NWRN TWO THIRDS OF THE CWA AS OF MIDNIGHT. IN FACT...A FEW ISOLATED LOCATIONS HAVE ALREADY EXCEEDED 2 INCHES SUCH AS RUE. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. WHILE THE OVERALL COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA HAS LESSENED OVER THE PAST FEW HRS...THIS WILL LIKELY FILL BACK IN AS THE CONVECTIVE LINE APPROACHES LATER THIS MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO POSSIBLY OVER 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED...WITH STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 2 TO OVER 5 INCHES. SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS OVER 6 INCHES COULD BE SEEN FOR STORM TOTALS. THE FFA CONTINUES THROUGH TONIGHT. STRONG TO SVR STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE LINE OF CONVECTION. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. HIGH LEVELS OF SRH CONTINUE TO SHOW UP IN THE NEAR TERM DATA...WHICH SUGGESTS AN INCREASED TORNADO THREAT. HOWEVER...INSTABILITY LEVELS REMAIN LIMITED. EVEN SO...THE AMOUNT OF FORCING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...ALONG WITH THE HIGH LEVELS OF SRH SHOULD BE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE LOW CAPE TO SEE SOME ORGANIZED ROTATING STORMS. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEEING ANY TORNADOES WILL BE ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE QUASI-LINEAR COMPLEX. IF SOME ISOLATED SUPERCELLS WERE TO FORM AHEAD OF THIS LINE...SOME TORNADIC ACTIVITY COULD ALSO BE SEEN WITH THOSE STORMS. ALSO...THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEEING SVR WX WILL BE ACROSS THE SRN HALF OF THE CWA...THOUGH A SVR WX THREAT WILL EXIST GENERALLY ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA WILL BE VERY TIGHT...WITH SIGNIFICANT GRADIENT WINDS EXPECTED. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ACROSS THE ERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED...AND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH POSSIBLE. BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE BEFORE THAT TIME FRAME EVERYWHERE...WITH 15 TO 25 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS EXPECTED...AND GUSTS OVER 30 MPH POSSIBLE. LAKE WIND AND WIND ADV ARE ALREADY POSTED...AND WILL KEEP SAME TIMING AND PLACEMENT FOR NOW. ALL PRECIP SHOULD MOVE EAST OF THE CWA BY SUNRISE WED...WITH DRIER CONDITIONS EXPECTED. A NEW COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH INTO THE STATE THU INTO FRI...WITH CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED INTO THE WEEKEND. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO SIG CHGS MADE TO THE FCST DURG THIS TIME PD. PROGRESSIVE UPR FLOW WL BRING AN UPR TROF THRU THE MID SECTION OF THE COUNTRY OVR THE WEEKEND. THIS WL ALLOW FOR A FAST MOVG CDFNT TO MOVE THRU AR FM THE NW LATE FRI NGT/SAT. MODELS STILL AT ODDS REGARDING AVAILABLE MOISTURE ALONG THE FNT. FOR CONSISTENCY...OPTED TO KEEP A DRY FCST ATTM. COLDER AIR WL ADVECT IN FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND. THE ASSOCD SFC RDG WL BE CENTERED OVR AR BY SUN MRNG...WITH THE MERCURY DROPPING CLOSE TO THE FRZG MARK OVER A GOOD PART OF THE FA. THE AIRMASS WL BEGIN TO SLOLY MODIFY STARTING MON AS THE HIGH SHIFTS EWD AND SLY WINDS RETURN TO THE MID SOUTH. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 70 48 61 43 / 100 100 10 0 CAMDEN AR 74 47 65 42 / 100 70 10 0 HARRISON AR 68 43 57 40 / 100 40 0 10 HOT SPRINGS AR 74 45 62 42 / 100 50 10 0 LITTLE ROCK AR 73 47 63 43 / 100 90 10 0 MONTICELLO AR 74 50 66 45 / 100 100 10 0 MOUNT IDA AR 74 44 62 40 / 100 30 0 0 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 70 45 59 40 / 100 80 10 10 NEWPORT AR 71 50 61 42 / 100 100 10 0 PINE BLUFF AR 73 48 64 43 / 100 100 10 0 RUSSELLVILLE AR 73 45 61 39 / 100 40 0 0 SEARCY AR 70 47 62 41 / 100 100 10 0 STUTTGART AR 72 49 64 44 / 100 100 10 0 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR 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. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR ARKANSAS-BRADLEY- CALHOUN-CLEVELAND-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-GRANT-INDEPENDENCE- JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LINCOLN-LONOKE-MONROE-PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE- SHARP-WHITE-WOODRUFF. LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST TODAY FOR BAXTER-BOONE-CLARK- CLEBURNE-CONWAY-FULTON-GARLAND-HOT SPRING-IZARD-JOHNSON-LOGAN- MARION-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-SCOTT- SEARCY-STONE-VAN BUREN-YELL. && 64
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1145 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-181100- BOONE-MARION-BAXTER-FULTON-SHARP-NEWTON-SEARCY-STONE-IZARD- INDEPENDENCE-JOHNSON-POPE-VAN BUREN-CLEBURNE-JACKSON-LOGAN-CONWAY- FAULKNER-WHITE-WOODRUFF-SCOTT-YELL-PERRY-POLK-MONTGOMERY-GARLAND- SALINE-PULASKI-LONOKE-PRAIRIE-MONROE-PIKE-CLARK-HOT SPRING-GRANT- JEFFERSON-ARKANSAS-DALLAS-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-DESHA-OUACHITA- CALHOUN-BRADLEY-DREW- 1145 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIA AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL WOBBLE THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS STATES TODAY...DRAGGING A COLD FRONT INTO ARKANSAS. A SQUALL LINE...ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AS IT MOVES EASTWARD ACROSS THE STATE. AN ADDITIONAL TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED...WITH FLASH FLOODING LIKELY IN PLACES. IN ADDITION TO FLASH FLOODING...THERE WILL BE SOME POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER...WHICH WILL DEPEND ON HOW MUCH WARMING OCCURS AHEAD OF THE FRONT TODAY. AMPLE WARMING COULD DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE ENOUGH TO FUEL SEVERE STORMS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES THE MAIN CONCERNS. SEVERE STORMS WILL BE MOST LIKELY OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH ARKANSAS. A TORNADO WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM FOR A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS. IT WILL ALSO BE VERY WINDY TODAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN HALF OF ARKANSAS. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS COULD GUST OVER 40 MPH AT TIMES. A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION COULD BE NEEDED ACROSS PARTS OF ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 44/56
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1116 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015
ARZ052>054-062-171745-
PIKE AR-HOT SPRING AR-DALLAS AR-CLARK AR-
1116 AM CST TUE NOV 17 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL DALLAS...
SOUTHEASTERN PIKE...CENTRAL CLARK AND SOUTHWESTERN HOT SPRING
COUNTIES UNTIL 1145 AM CST...
AT 1115 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR BEIRNE...OR 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF PRESCOTT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
50 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARKADELPHIA...GURDON...CADDO VALLEY...OKOLONA...BEIRNE...GUM SPRINGS
IN CLARK COUNTY...HALFWAY...RICHWOODS...HOLLYWOOD...CURTIS...
BURTSELL...DALARK...GRIFFITHTOWN AND LOWER LAKE RECREATION AREA.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CST FOR SOUTHWESTERN
ARKANSAS.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN ARKANSAS.
LAT...LON 3385 9330 3389 9330 3396 9337 3395 9342
3396 9344 3427 9321 3404 9286 3383 9324
TIME...MOT...LOC 1715Z 221DEG 45KT 3390 9330
CDThe Little Rock radar (KLZK), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:52 UTC.
9 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
There was some damage to cabins on Lake Hamilton Dr., along with some trees blown down.
Several power lines were blown down near the intersection of highways 7 and 290.
The roof of an outdoor stage at the Perry County Fairgrounds was torn off and blown 40 yards away. Also, several large trees were blown down.
An auto body shop had its roof torn off, and a house behind it was heavily damaged. Numerous trees were blown down.
Lower Ridge and Middle roads were flooded.
Water was flowing over the intersection of Remount Rd. and Spriggs St.
Streets were flooding in Vilonia.
The roof was blown off a house on East Mt. Zion Rd. Trees were also blown down. This is close to the Lincoln an Drew County line.
Numerous low water crossings were flooded.
Pickles Gap Rd. was impassible due to high water.
U.S. Hwy 67 was closed in both directions near exit 28 due to flooding.
Several roads were flooded throughout the county.
State Hwy 365 was closed north of Salem due to flooding.
Several roads were flooded or washed out across the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, November 2015
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: 603914, 603915, 603918, 603916, 608610, 608602, 608603, 603917, 608604, 608605, 608606, 608607, 608608, 608609.