A large storm system surged from the Rockies into the middle of the country on the 9th. Ahead of the system, widespread rain and scattered thunderstorms developed.
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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 large storm system surged from the Rockies into the middle of the country on the 9th. Ahead of the system, widespread rain and scattered thunderstorms developed. Precipitation moved into the region from the west during the afternoon.
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 Sep 6, 6:00 PM CST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 700 PM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018 .AVIATION...07/00Z TAF CYCLE The remnants of TD Gordon were roughly 35 NM S of LIT this evening, showing maybe a slow drift to the SW. Wl cont to see SCTD SHRA/ISOLD TS rotate arnd the system. Overall coverage is expected to diminish aft sunset. Expect a combo of VFR/MVFR conds this evening, deteriorating to mainly IFR conds later tngt into Fri mrng. Increased mixing wl allow for some improvement by Fri aftn, with SCTD SHRA/TSRA continuing. /44/ && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 257 PM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018) SHORT TERM...Tonight Through Sunday Night Surface analysis and radar place the center Tropical Depression Gordon over Jefferson County just slightly north of Pine Bluff, and moving westward. A stalled frontal boundary was located from northwest Arkansas into eastern Oklahoma. Ridging remains in the mid and upper levels, and this, combined with weak steering flow will keep Gordon slowly drifting westward over the region tonight and Friday. The ridge will erode Friday and Friday night, which will help give the stalled front some momentum. At the same time, the circulation will get absorbed by the frontal system. Late in the weekend, the longwave pattern will amplify, with a cutoff low forming over the Great Lakes Region, and troughing digging further down into the Southern Plains. The Bermuda High will shift eastward, and this will allow the cold front to shift east/southeast and out of the state. Until then, though, expect fairly widespread showers to continue as Gordon moves across and makes the gradual turn. Rainfall amounts... We have made some adjustments to the going rainfall forecast. Generally, have decreased amounts in the west to account for the anticipated shift more towards the northwest/north late tonight and early Friday. Have also increased rainfall amounts toward northeast Arkansas. As for specifics... Southwest into northeast Arkansas...two to four inch amounts...with localized amounts exceeding five inches. (Roughly east of a Murfreesboro to Batesville line) Surrounding that area...up to two inches, with localized amounts exceeding three inches. Flash Flood Watch... Have realigned the Flash Flood Watch to account for the adjusted rainfall forecast. Dropped a few counties in the west, and added some north central and northeast. With maximized precipitation efficiency, banding features, and training associated with Gordon, it will likely not be long before some runoff issues are noted. Temperature forecast (maxes especially) continues to be a low-confidence one with cloud cover and rainfall coming into play. LONG TERM...Monday Through Thursday To begin the period, remnants of Gordon should be positioned near the great lakes region as an extratropical low pressure system. Upper level troughing extends southward from this upper low towards the TX Gulf Coast. Heading into Monday and Tuesday, the upper low deepens and pulls away from the Great Lakes region. Closer to home, the trough will remain nearly stationary over western over AR. At the surface, the frontal boundary should be located across SE to C AR. The best deep layer moisture and best forcing for ascent will be found along and ahead of the front. Showers and thunderstorm development will be confined to areas along and ahead of this boundary. Much drier weather is expected across the NW half of the state behind the front. A developing upper trough begins to dive southward on Wednesday from the Great Lakes region, by late Wednesday, this upper trough transforms into a cutoff low pressure near the Tennessee Valley. By Thursday this upper low begins to retrograde towards the state. Whereas, the other solution has high pressure building back into the region from the SW, as the trough washes out, with only scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms developing during this time. Low rain chances are in the forecast Thursday and Friday at this point due to models indicating rainfall will be possible despite different causes for precipitation initiation. Confidence in the long term is low to moderate as timing issues arise to how quickly the upper trough will exit the region as well as if the cut off low at the end of the forecast period forms. Temperatures over the long term will be near average to slightly cooler than normal across much of the area. FIRE WEATHER... So, it goes without saying (but I'm saying it right here)...no significant fire weather issues are expected through the next seven days. Minimum humidity will remain high, with 20-foot winds staying below critical thresholds. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Flash Flood Watch through Friday evening FOR Arkansas-Bradley- Calhoun-Clark-Cleburne-Cleveland-Conway-Dallas-Desha-Drew- Faulkner-Garland-Grant-Hot Spring-Independence-Jackson-Jefferson- Lincoln-Lonoke-Monroe-Montgomery-Ouachita-Perry-Pike-Prairie- Pulaski-Saline-White-Woodruff. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Little Rock AR 540 PM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018 ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-071000- 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- 540 PM CDT Thu Sep 6 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight The remnants of tropical system Gordon will continue moving slowly across the state tonight. Some heavy downpours can still be expected early this evening, but an overall decrease in coverage and intensity will occur later this evening. The heavy rainfall will allow for the possibility of localized flash flooding tonight. Ponding of water on area roads is expected. At this time, the threat of organized or widespread severe weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Gordon's remnants are forecast to track northwestward across the state and eventually curve northeast into southern Missouri by late Saturday night. The possibility of heavy rainfall will continue primarily to the east and northeast of the center of circulation. Through early Sunday, widespread rainfall amounts of two to four inches with locally heavier amounts in excess of five inches will be possible. The greatest amounts of rain are expected to fall over southeast, central and northeast portions of the forecast area. The heavy rainfall will allow for the possibility of flash flooding. There will be the potential for higher stages on area rivers and streams, particularly in the Ouachita basin. Smaller and flashier tributaries would be the most susceptible to high water issues. After Gordon departs, the weather will remain unsettled through the weekend and into early next week as a cold front moves into the state. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast each day, mainly during the heat of the afternoon and early evening. .Spotter Information Statement... Due to the low severe weather threat, spotter activation is not anticipated today. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to http://weather.gov/lzk.
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:48 UTC.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash flooding caused water to flow over Camden Cutoff Rd. near the town of Faith. High water was also encroaching on other roads in the area.
Street flooding occurred near Mount Sprigs Est.
Little Rock city police observed flash flooding on South University at St. Vincent, Kanis Rd. at Bowman Rd., and Cantrell Rd. in the Pleasant Ridge area.
Numerous streets were flooded in and around Judsonia.
Numerous roads were flooded in the city of Pine Bluff. Video from social media shows significant street flooding in the vicinity of Hazel and I-530.
Water was over roadways. Buildings were flooded due to heavy rainfall during the past 24 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, September 2018
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: 783945, 783948, 783949, 783950, 783951, 783952.