The projected track of Harvey was directed toward the Tennessee Valley to finish the month. Areas east of Little Rock (Pulaski County) were close enough to the track to worry about heavy downpours and localized flash 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.
The projected track of Harvey was directed toward the Tennessee Valley to finish the month. Areas east of Little Rock (Pulaski County) were close enough to the track to worry about heavy downpours and localized flash flooding.
Flash Flood Watches were posted in eastern sections of the state on the 31st. Showers/isolated thunderstorms developed before dawn and continued through the day. By evening, two to four inch rainfall totals were common, with radar estimates over ten inches in spots.
There was a report of almost 11 inches at McCrory (Woodruff County). High water closed roads, and sandbags were used to protect homes. West of Des Arc (Prairie County), there was enough rain to stop travel on Highway 38. Closer to town, the pavement along Highway 323 caved in due to a failed culvert (near a creek). Sections of Highways 17 and 152 were barricaded south of DeWitt (Arkansas 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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 5:40 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 640 AM CDT Thu Aug 31 2017 .DISCUSSION... Updated to include the 12Z aviation discussion below... && .AVIATION... Off and on SHRA will remain possible through this afternoon for all but the NRN terminals. There may be a few isolated TSRA as well...with the best chances for seeing convection across the central/SERN sites. Expect the occasional MVFR or lower flight rules...especially under the more intense convective activity. Expect improving conditions this evening and overnight as the remnants of Harvey move NE of the area. && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 347 AM CDT Thu Aug 31 2017) SHORT TERM...Today Through Friday Night Bands of SHRA lifting NW early this Thu morning across much of the SERN half of the CWA as the remnants of TS Harvey move closer to the state. The center of Harvey as of around 3 am was located just SW of Monroe, LA...and will lift NE over extreme SE AR near the AR/LA/MS intersection near Eudora and Lake Village by late this morning. Expect the center of Harvey to be over NW MS and W TN by midnight Fri morning...continuing to lift NE away from AR by sunrise Fri. Not many changes expected to the forecast for this morning as the overall pattern looks similar to Thu evening data. This keeps the heaviest rainfall across the SERN third of the CWA...with generally 2 or more inches possible along and east of a line from Hermitage...to Pine Bluff...to Des Arc and Patterson. Amounts exceeding 3 inches will be possible along and east of a line from Monticello to Clarendon...where locally higher amounts nearing 4 inches could be seen. Will keep the Flash Flood Watch in the current locations...continuing through 00Z Fri. Think most of the precip will be moving out of the state by that time that an extension in time will not be needed. As for locations further NW...expect a fairly sharp gradient in rainfall amounts the further west of the center of Harvey you go. Winds will be breezy across portions of the CWA as the pressure gradient tightens as the center of Harvey moves over SERN AR. Portions of central into ERN and NERN AR could see sustained winds exceeding 20 mph...with gusts over 30 mph possible. Do not expect to make any changes regarding the Wind Adv. As Harvey lifts NE of the area this evening and especially on Fri...expect drier and calmer conditions to move into the state for Fri...with a clearing sky expected. Temps will warm back into the 80s for most areas...which will again be just below normal for the first day of Sep. The drier conditions will then persist into the first part of the long term period. LONG TERM...Saturday Through Wednesday Some ridging aloft will occur over the southeast United States this weekend. This will result in dry weather locally, and temperatures closer to seasonal. The warmup will be short-lived as a big shortwave tracks from the upper Midwest through the Great Lakes and toward New England early next week. by Tuesday, a deep trough will be noted across the eastern United States, with a prominent ridge over the west. As troughing occurs, a cold front will push toward Arkansas from the north. That will bring isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. After the front pushes through the region, it will be dry and cooler on Wednesday, with below average temperatures in the forecast. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening FOR Arkansas-Faulkner- Independence-Jackson-Jefferson-Lonoke-Monroe-Prairie-Pulaski- White-Woodruff. Flash Flood Watch through this evening FOR Arkansas-Bradley- Cleveland-Desha-Drew-Jefferson-Lincoln-Monroe. && Aviation...62
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Little Rock AR 324 AM CDT Thu Aug 31 2017 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-011000- 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- 324 AM CDT Thu Aug 31 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Showers and a few thunderstorms will continue across much of the southeast two thirds of the state through tonight as the remnants of Tropical Storm Harvey lift northeast over extreme southeast Arkansas. Some heavy rainfall will remain possible over the southeastern third of the state...with rainfall amounts exceeding 2 inches along and east of a line from Hermitage...to Pine Bluff...to Des Arc to Patterson. Rainfall amounts exceeding 3 inches may be seen along and east of a line from Monticello to Clarendon...with locally higher amounts near 4 inches possible. As a result...a flash flood threat will exist in this southeastern region of the state through this evening. Winds will be breezy for portions of the state today as well. Winds of 20 to 30 mph could be seen for portions of central into eastern and northeastern areas through this afternoon. Gusts could exceed 35 mph occasionally. Winds further west and northwest should be lighter...but remain somewhat breezy. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday Through Wednesday The remnants of Tropical Storm Harvey will be moving northeast of the state by Friday morning...with chances for precipitation ending from west to east. As a result...the threat for hazardous weather will become low. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation will not be needed. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk. 62/46
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:14 UTC.
8 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Street flooding was reported in the town of McCrory.
CO-OP Observer reported street flooding just west of Des Arc.
Flash flooding reported in Woodruff County in McCrory. Some roads were closed due to high water and sandbags were being used to protect homes.
Highway 38 west of Des Arc was closed due to flooding.
Beedeville observer reported water coverning the roads around Beedeville. Observer reported near 4 inches of rainfall with rain still falling.
Several inches of water on roads rising above wheelwell on vehicles.
Hwy 323 at Biene Creek is closed. The road is sinking due to a failed culvert as a result of the rain.
Water was covering roadways in Dumas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, August 2017
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: 717786, 717789, 717791, 717794, 717795, 717796, 717797, 717798.