Widespread thunderstorm activity across Southern Arkansas during the morning hours of July 4th created a cold pool outflow boundary that moved from east to west across Northern Louisiana during the afternoon and evening hours. A few of these storms were strong to severe producing strong wind gusts and frequent cloud to ground lightning.
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.
Widespread thunderstorm activity across Southern Arkansas during the morning hours of July 4th created a cold pool outflow boundary that moved from east to west across Northern Louisiana during the afternoon and evening hours. A few of these storms were strong to severe producing strong wind gusts and frequent cloud to ground lightning.
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 Jul 4, 1:51 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 251 PM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015 .DISCUSSION... MID-LEVEL VORT MAKING ITS WAY SLOWLY SSEWD THIS AFTERNOON...AND CONTINUES TO ENHANCE CONVECTION ALONG AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM NEAR CLARKSVILLE...SEWD TO NEAR SHREVEPORT. THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY DOES APPEAR TO BE MAKING SOME VERY SLOW SWWD PROGRESS. LATEST HI- RES MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE THE CONVECTION S OF I-20 BY 00Z. NOT COMPLETELY CONFIDENT IN THE HI-RES SOLUTIONS GIVEN THE VERY SLOW SWD PROPAGATION OF THE STORMS. HAVE KEPT THE ONGOING CONSERVATIVE POPS FOR TONIGHT...AS THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING WILL LIKELY PLAY A ROLE IN DISSIPATING STORMS. THEN LATE TONIGHT...NOCTURNAL REDEVELOPMENT WILL LIKELY BE SEEN SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINGERING OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. ONGOING FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 7 PM...AND WILL ALLOW EVENING SHIFT TO REEVALUATE FOR THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION. EXPECT SOMEWHAT OF A REPEAT PERFORMANCE FOR SUNDAY...BEFORE THE REGION BEGINS TO DRY OUT AS WE MOVE INTO NEXT WORK WEEK. THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO REINFORCE ITSELF OVER OUR REGION...AND TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO RATCHET UPWARDS THROUGH THE WORK WEEK. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS WILL BE DURING TUESDAY WHEN A SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS OK/AR. THIS WILL BRING SOME CHANCES FOR RAIN FOR THOSE AREAS...BUT WILL COME TO AN END QUICKLY AS THE UPPER DISTURBANCE DEPARTS TO THE NE. CONSENSUS GUIDANCE APPEARS TO BE REASONABLE FOR TEMPS THROUGHOUT THE PD...SO HAVE STAYED VERY CLOSE TO THOSE NUMBERS. /12/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 149 PM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015/ AVIATION... CLUSTER OF TSTMS..WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..FQT LTG...AND POSSIBLE GUSTY WINDS...MOVG SWD AHEAD OF A WELL DEFINED SHORT WAVE MOVING SE INTO CENTRAL AR. MEANWHILE...SCATTERED CONVECTION REMAINING JUST TO THE SOUTH OF CWA ACROSS SE TX/CENTRAL LA. TSTMS WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTH OF KTXK BY AROUND 21Z...BUT WILL CONTINUE FOR A FEW MORE HOURS AT KELD...AND WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE SHORTLY AT KSHV. TSTMS TO LIKELY MOVE INTO KMLU LATER THIS AFTN. WHETHER EAST TX TERMINALS SEE ANY TSTMS IS QUESTIONABLE. TERMINALS THAT EXPERIENCE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY SEE AREAS OF FOG OVERNIGHT...AS LACK OF HEATING LIMITED TEMPS TO AROUND 70 DEGREES THUS FAR AT KTXK AND KELD AND GROUND WILL REMAIN VERY WET. THIS COULD ALSO BE THE CASE AT KSHV AND KMLU WHERE CONVECTION IS APPROACHING. ANOTHER NOCTURNAL SHORT WAVE MAY AFFECT MAINLY EASTERN CWA...THUS PLACED TEMPO TSTMS AFTER 05/12Z AT KELD AND 05/14Z AT KMLU./VII/. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 74 90 75 94 / 30 30 20 10 MLU 73 88 73 92 / 50 50 20 10 DEQ 70 88 72 90 / 40 50 30 10 TXK 72 89 74 92 / 40 50 30 10 ELD 71 88 73 92 / 40 50 30 10 TYR 74 91 74 92 / 20 20 10 10 GGG 74 90 75 93 / 30 30 10 10 LFK 75 93 76 94 / 30 20 10 10 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ARZ071>073. LA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LAZ004>006-014. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 12
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1133 AM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015 ARZ071>073-LAZ004>006-014-050715- LAFAYETTE-COLUMBIA-UNION-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-OUACHITA- 1133 AM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED...TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST INTO THE LATE MORNING HOURS BEFORE DISSIPATING THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING...SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THE ENTIRE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...NOT ONLY DURING PEAK HEATING...BUT MORE OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY AS WELL. THESE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVERS AND COULD BRING UP ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WHICH COULD LEAD TO ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING. HOT AND DRIER WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR THE NEW WORK WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY. ARZ050-051-059>061-070-OKZ077-TXZ096-097-108>112-124-125-136-137- 149-150-152-165-050715- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-MCCURTAIN- RED RIVER-BOWIE-FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-SMITH- GREGG-CHEROKEE-RUSK-NACOGDOCHES-ANGELINA- 1133 AM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST INTO THE LATE MORNING HOURS BEFORE DISSIPATING AND MOVING EASTWARD. SOME ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL AND POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING...SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THE ENTIRE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...NOT ONLY DURING PEAK HEATING...BUT MORE OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY AS WELL. THESE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVERS AND COULD BRING UP ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WHICH COULD LEAD TO ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING. HOT AND DRIER WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR THE NEW WORK WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF ANY SEVERE WEATHER...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. LAZ001>003-010>013-017>022-TXZ126-138-151-153-166-167-050715- CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-SABINE- NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-MARION-HARRISON-PANOLA- SHELBY-SAN AUGUSTINE- 1133 AM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-20...SOME OF WHICH MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. RAINFALL MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THE ENTIRE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...NOT ONLY DURING PEAK HEATING...BUT MORE OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY AS WELL. THESE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVERS AND COULD BRING UP ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAINFALL. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WHICH COULD LEAD TO ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING. HOT AND DRIER WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR THE NEW WORK WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY. 12
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
106 PM CDT SAT JUL 04 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 AM FLASH FLOOD 8 ENE BLEVINS 33.91N 93.44W
07/04/2015 NEVADA AR PUBLIC
WATER ACROSS HWY 19 NEAR BRUSHY CREEK.
&&
EVENT NUMBER SHV1500674
20PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
233 PM CDT SAT JUL 04 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM FLASH FLOOD DE KALB 33.51N 94.62W
07/04/2015 BOWIE TX EMERGENCY MNGR
WATER OVER ROADWAY AT US 82 AND FM 1840
&&
EVENT NUMBER SHV1500675
25PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
256 PM CDT SAT JUL 04 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM FLASH FLOOD ASHDOWN 33.67N 94.13W
07/04/2015 LITTLE RIVER AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
SOME ROADWAYS COVERED WITH WATER IN ASHDOWN ARKANSAS
&&
EVENT NUMBER SHV1500676
25PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
338 PM CDT SAT JUL 04 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 ESE DE KALB 33.50N 94.60W
07/04/2015 BOWIE TX EMERGENCY MNGR
HIGHWAY 82 FLOODED OUTSIDE OF DE KALB TOWARD MALTA
&&
EVENT NUMBER SHV1500677
25SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
456 PM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015
LAZ017-TXZ166-167-042300-
SABINE LA-SAN AUGUSTINE TX-SABINE TX-
456 PM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN SABINE PARISH...
SABINE AND SOUTHEASTERN SAN AUGUSTINE COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM CDT...
AT 455 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
PINELAND...OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF EBENEZER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20
MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MILAM...HEMPHILL...PINELAND...COLUMBUS...YELLOWPINE...BRONSON...
NEGREET...FAIRMOUNT AND MCELROY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
IF ON OR NEAR THE TOLEDO BEND LAKE AREA...GET OUT OF THE WATER AND
MOVE INDOORS OR INSIDE A VEHICLE. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE
OUT TO 15 MILES FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU CAN HEAR
THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. MOVE TO
SAFE SHELTER NOW. DO NOT BE CAUGHT ON THE WATER IN A THUNDERSTORM.
&&
LAT...LON 3114 9403 3130 9415 3156 9354 3128 9344
3128 9353 3125 9354 3123 9354 3119 9355
3117 9358 3118 9363 3116 9387 3114 9401
TIME...MOT...LOC 2155Z 237DEG 18KT 3127 9402
VIISPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
517 PM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015
OKZ077-TXZ096-042315-
MCCURTAIN OK-RED RIVER TX-
517 PM CDT SAT JUL 4 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN MCCURTAIN AND NORTH
CENTRAL RED RIVER COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM CDT...
AT 516 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
RAYMOND GARY STATE PARK...OR 19 MILES EAST OF HUGO...MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
IDABEL...VALLIANT...MILLERTON...GARVIN...SILVER CITY...ALBION...
FARMERS HILL AND REDLAND.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3395 9523 3396 9523 3395 9519 3394 9517
3394 9516 3411 9516 3389 9477 3368 9498
3393 9526
TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 310DEG 13KT 3400 9517
VIIThe Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:18 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was downed on Hwy. 127 near the Winn/Caldwell Parish line.
A shed was blown down along with a privacy fence in the community of Marthaville, Louisiana.
Lightning struck a tree at the Cypress Bend Park Resort on Toledo Bend in Sabine Parish around 7 pm on July 4th. Six people were struck adjacent to the tree and were taken to the Sabine Medical Center. They complained of chest-pains and headaches but were treated and released at the hospital. An RV camper and a truck were also reportedly damaged during the lightning strike.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, July 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: 576047, 576048, 576049.