Heavy rain in northwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas brought record flooding to the Arkansas River. As June began, it was all about the Arkansas River.
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.
Heavy rain in northwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas brought record flooding to the Arkansas River. As June began, it was all about the Arkansas River. After fifteen to twenty inches of rain in May across northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas, and massive releases from nearby lakes, the Arkansas River rose to unprecedented levels. Crests in late May/early June were more than two feet above previous high marks at Van Buren (Crawford County), Toad Suck (Perry County), and Pendleton (Desha County).
Numerous highways were closed and flooded. This included Highway 22 near Barling (Sebastian County), which did not open until water receded on the 4th (after cresting on the 1st). A 64-year-old man lost his life on this highway on May 28th after driving around a barricade.
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 May 31, 5:04 PM CST, 6 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Little Rock AR 604 PM CDT Fri May 31 2019 .AVIATION...Updated for the 00Z TAF cycle. VFR conditions with winds generally less than 10 knots expected through the entire TAF period. && .PREV DISCUSSION...(ISSUED 229 PM CDT Fri May 31 2019) DISCUSSION...Tonight Through Friday An upper level shortwave trough over the OH River Valley Region today will move SE towards the Atlantic Coast by Sat...with an upper level ridge developing across the Rockies into the SRN Plains. This setup will put AR under NW flow aloft through the short term period. As weak disturbances drop SE over the state...some increase chances for SHRA/TSRA will be seen as a result. The first wave of precip looks to drop SE across the area for late Sat into early Sun...with some slight chance to low end chance POPs noted. Another wave looks to move SE across the state late Sun into Mon...with a cold front dropping into the state from the NE by Mon morning. Don't expect too much SW progression with this front as the ridge to the SW remains in place. The overall upper flow pattern will remain similar leading into the first part of next week...though the ridge may shift a bit further SE to be more over the LA Gulf Coast Region. As this happens...do think disturbances will rotate around this upper flow pattern...with some chances for convection remaining in the forecast each day through mid-week. By later in the week...the upper flow pattern will transition back to a more SWRLY direction as the upper ridge shifts further east. With the transition back to a more SW flow of the central/SRN Plains...do expect the potential for convection to remain in the forecast through the end of the period...with basically most of next week seeing at least some chances for rainfall across AR. Given this scenario...some potential may exist for more heavy rainfall across the region by late next week...whether it be across AR or points further west to NW. In either case...any additional widespread heavy rainfall will not help matters regarding the ongoing river flooding. This will be something to keep an eye on over the next several days. && .LZK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...NONE. && Short Term...19 / Long Term...51 Aviation...19
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Little Rock AR 421 AM CDT Fri May 31 2019 ARZ003>008-012>017-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-011000- Boone-Marion-Baxter-Fulton-Sharp-Randolph-Newton-Searcy-Stone- Izard-Independence-Lawrence-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- 421 AM CDT Fri May 31 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for a Large Part of Arkansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight The Arkansas River will continue to rise or remain high with major flooding expected at all forecast points. This includes water over roads, many acres of land, and engulfing some homes and businesses. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday Through Thursday Major flooding is expected at all forecast points along the Arkansas River. This will be an historic event, with record or near record crests in some cases. Crests will begin to occur at points from Morrilton and upstream by this weekend, with areas downstream expected to crest through next week and beyond. Arkansas River levels will remain high for quite some time. Showers and thunderstorms will increase from the northwest by late weekend with this activity becoming more widespread by mid-week next week. Severe thunderstorm chances remain low, but organized storms including a few strong storms will be possible through next week. Widespread rainfall becomes increasingly likely by next week as well. Flash flooding may become a concern across northwestern portions of the area by early week with the threat spreading east by mid-week. Additional heavy rainfall across much of the Arkansas River Basin could exacerbate ongoing major flooding. Please stay aware of the latest weather and hydrologic forecasts through next week. .Spotter Information Statement... Spotter activation is not anticipated. && Visit NWS Little Rock on the web. Go to https://weather.gov/lzk. 67/COOPER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain and upstream reservoir releases led to flooding on the Arkansas River at Dardanelle. The record crest was 45.91 feet on 5/31/19.
Heavy rain and upstream reservoir releases led to flooding on the Arkansas River at Morrilton. The record crest was 43.03 feet on 6/04/19.
Heavy rain and upstream reservoir releases led to flooding on the Arkansas River at Toad Suck. The record crest was 285.40 feet on 6/04/19.
Heavy rain and upstream reservoir releases led to flooding on the Arkansas River at Little Rock.
Heavy rain and upstream reservoir releases led to flooding on the Arkansas River at Pine Bluff.
Heavy rain led to flooding on the Fourche LaFave River at Houston.
Heavy rain led to flooding on the Black River at Black Rock.
Heavy rain led to flooding on the Black River at Pocohontas.
Heavy rain led to flooding on the White River at Augusta.
Heavy rain led to flooding on the White River at Clarendon.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, June 2019
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: 836723, 836724, 836725, 836726, 836737, 836745, 836746, 836747, 836748, 836749.