After a heavy rain event the day before, persistent additional rainfall on March 9th caused for many areas in the eastern half of Arkansas to flood. Many roads were impassible, some washed out, and even some houses damaged.
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.
After a heavy rain event the day before, persistent additional rainfall on March 9th caused for many areas in the eastern half of Arkansas to flood. Many roads were impassible, some washed out, and even some houses damaged.
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 Mar 9, 5:40 AM CST, 4 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 540 AM CST WED MAR 9 2016 .DISCUSSION... UPDATED FOR THE 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... TERMINAL FORECASTS WILL BE DIFFICULT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. FLIGHT CATEGORIES WILL MOSTLY BE MVFR OR LOWER...PERIODICALLY BOUNCING UP TO VFR LEVELS AS HEAVIER SHOWERS CLEAR AND DROPPING AS LOW AS LIFR DURING MORE INTENSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. TRIED TO KEEP THE TAFS SIMPLE INITIALLY...AS OPPOSED TO HAVING NUMEROUS TEMPO GROUPS...AND JUST ADVERTISED PREVAILING MVFR CONDITIONS AND -SHRA WITH AT LEAST VCTS IF NOT A TEMPO FOR -TSRA AT CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SITES. NORTHERN TERMINALS WILL REMAIN RAIN FREE FOR A FEW MORE HOURS...AND WILL BE JUST ON THE NORTHWESTERN EDGE OF THE HEAVIER PRECIP TODAY. ADDITIONALLY THEY SHOULD BE ON THE COLD SIDE OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SO EXPECT TO SEE LOWER CIGS IN GENERAL UP NORTH. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 352 AM CST WED MAR 9 2016/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT THE SHORT OF IT...THE LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL END UP SHIFTING SOUTHEAST OF WHERE PREVIOUS FORECASTS HAD ADVERTISED. INSTEAD OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN FALLING OVER WESTERN ARKANSAS...IT NOW APPEARS AREAS CLOSER TO OR SLIGHTLY EAST OF THE I-30 CORRIDOR WILL BE WHERE THE HIGHEST STORM TOTALS WIND UP OCCURRING. FORECAST EVENT TOTALS HAVE NOT CHANGED MUCH...WITH 5-7 INCHES EXPECTED AND LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN THE HEAVY RAIN AXIS. THE LONG OF IT...REGIONAL RADAR AND OBSERVATION TRENDS SHOW A STATIONARY BOUNDARY SITUATED PARALLEL TO AND JUST SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS/LOUSIANA BORDER EARLY THIS MORNING. RAINFALL RATES AND AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN HEAVIEST OVERNIGHT NEAREST TO THIS BOUNDARY AS A 40-50KT LOW LEVEL JET AIDED IN ASCENT ACROSS IT. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL SHIFTING NORTH INTO CENTRAL ARKANSAS TODAY. EXPECT TO SEE WIDESPREAD 1-3 INCH AMOUNTS TODAY AS THE HEAVY RAINS AND ASSOCIATED PRECPITABLE WATER PLUME SURGE NORTH INTO THE STATE. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS SHOULD BE ALIGNED ROUGHLY ALONG THE I-30/US-67 CORRIDORS...OR WITHIN ABOUT 40-50 MILES EITHER SIDE. A BIT OF A LULL IN RAINFALL IS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT AND INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...BUT NOT ENOUGH TO DROP RAIN CHANCES CONSIDERABLY. THE FORECAST HAS WIDESPREAD +80-90 PERCENT POPS TODAY THROUGH THE END OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SHIFT IN THE HEAVY RAIN AXIS AND NEW FORECAST AMOUNTS. THAT ABOUT DOES IT FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE GOING FORECAST. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT NOT MANY CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO THE CURRENT LONG TERM FORECAST AS MODELS ARE CONTINUING TO ADVERTISE A VERY UNSETTLED PATTERN THAT WILL LAST RIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE CUT OFF UPPER LOW IS ONLY EXPECTED TO DRIFT INTO CENTRAL TEXAS BY THE TIME THE PERIOD BEGINS. PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE AS SEVERAL MORE UPPER WAVES MOVE THROUGH AND INTERACT WITH THE STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL REMAIN A CONCERN BUT THE AMOUNTS TO NOT APPEAR TO BE A HIGH AS WHAT WILL SEEN IN THE SHORT TERM SECTION OF THE FORECAST. BY LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION TO MORE OF AN OPEN WAVE...LIFT NORTH/NORTHEASTWARD AND DAMPEN OUT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY...AS THE SOUTHEAST RIDGE FINALLY DEAMPLIFIES. RAIN WILL DIMINISH...BUT WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH SUNDAY...AS A SMALL BUT POTENT UPPER LOW MOVES DOWN OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND GIVES THE MEANDERING SURFACE BOUNDARY A PUSH EAST OF THE REGION. BY MONDAY...THE UPPER FLOW WILL FLATTEN OUT...AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION. THIS LULL WILL LIKELY NOT LAST MUCH BEYOND THE END OF THE PERIOD...AS THE OVERALL PATTERN REMAINS AMPLIFIED AND ACTIVE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BATESVILLE AR 68 61 65 54 / 90 90 90 70 CAMDEN AR 72 64 71 60 / 100 90 90 80 HARRISON AR 66 55 62 50 / 90 90 80 60 HOT SPRINGS AR 69 62 67 57 / 100 90 90 80 LITTLE ROCK AR 70 62 68 58 / 100 90 90 80 MONTICELLO AR 74 65 72 63 / 100 90 90 80 MOUNT IDA AR 68 60 65 56 / 100 90 90 80 MOUNTAIN HOME AR 68 58 64 50 / 90 90 80 70 NEWPORT AR 69 61 67 54 / 90 90 90 80 PINE BLUFF AR 72 64 70 60 / 100 90 90 80 RUSSELLVILLE AR 68 60 65 55 / 90 90 90 70 SEARCY AR 69 62 66 56 / 90 90 90 80 STUTTGART AR 71 64 69 59 / 100 90 90 80 && .LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON 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. && AVIATION...64
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 500 AM CST WED MAR 9 2016 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-101100- 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- 500 AM CST WED MAR 9 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A STRONG DISTURBANCE KICKS OF OUT THE VERY SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW TED NOW LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF MEXICO. THE HEAVIEST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE OVER THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE WHERE SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN. WITH ANY ADDITIONAL RAIN EXPECTED...THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL REMAIN HIGH. EVEN WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO FALL OVER THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH TONIGHT...SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. MUCH OF IT WILL FALL ONTO SOIL THAT IS ALREADY SATURATED FROM PREVIOUS RAIN WITH FLASH FLOODING REMAINING POSSIBLE. AS SUCH...THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE. WHILE SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THIS SYSTEM WILL DRIFT VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST AND REMAIN IN THE VICINITY THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND. PERIODS OF RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE THE SYSTEM FINALLY EXITS THE REGION. AS SUCH...THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE. THERE REMAINS A CHANCE OF STRONG STORMS MAINLY OVER SOUTHERN ARKANSAS BUT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING POTENTIAL WILL BE THE GREATEST THREAT. THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE EXACT TIMING...THE LOCATION AND AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL. THESE ELEMENTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE FINE TUNED AND ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE MADE. RESIDENTS SHOULD MONITOR THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND ANY FLOODING ARE WELCOME. && VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS. 56
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 167 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:24 UTC.
12 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Drew county emergency manager reported that several roads throughout the county were flooded and impassable.
Emergency manager reported that several county roads are closed due to flooding, and a bridge on Jasper road washed out.
Social Media showed a picture of water flowing over 9th street in Stuttgart.
Emergency manager reports that Bradley county road 52 southeast of Hermitage washed away by flash flooding. Several other roads in the county have water over them and have been barricaded.
The emergency manager reported several roads in the county were blocked due to flooding from the heavy rain.
The emergency manager reported several roads throughout the county are blocked due to flooding from the heavy rain event.
Public reported that highway 365 in Marche was covered by flash flooding and impassible.
Emergency manager reported several roads throughout the county are blocked by flash flooding and that approximately 20 houses have been damaged by the flood waters.
Several Streets in Pine Bluff were closed due to flash flooding.
The emergency manager reported numerous roads blocked due to flooding.
Flash flooding was observed from Sparkman to Camden along Highway seven. This was reported by the public.
Local law enforcement reported that Highway 33 south of De Valls Bluff was flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, March 2016
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: 625592, 625596, 625594, 625601, 626645, 626646, 625603, 625598, 625599, 626647, 626648, 626649.