Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, January 11, 2020

This tornado started in the swamp area on the eastern side of Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge and tracked roughly due east and dissipated just after crossing Hancock Road. At the start, a few trees were damaged and that continued as the tornado tracked along Ashley 299 Road. Some trees were uprooted along this part of the path. The tornado intensified as it neared Ashley 14 Road and widened. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped. Several outbuildings were damaged along with other minor damage to some homes with shingles off. Along a portion of Ashley 14 Road, heavy tree damage was noted along with several homes having trees on them. Numerous power lines were down as well. The tornado then weakened some with mostly minor type tree damage. Intensity increased again as it crossed Hancock Road. Here Beulahland Church sustained moderate roof damage along with two other homes having roof damage. Several power lines and poles were down as well. The tornado quickly dissipated just east of Hancock Road. Maximum peak winds were estimated at 108 mph.

This tornado started just west of Highway 133 near Ashley 181 Road and traveled roughly eastward to just east of Highway 425 where it dissipated north of Hamburg. At the start, scattered trees were damaged. As the tornado approached Highway 133, intensity increased and more were snapped and uprooted. A few power lines were down as well. Along Highway 133, two areas of focused damage were noted. One area had a few dozen trees uprooted and one large tree was on a mobile home. The other area was at the Trinity Church, where some roof damage occurred to the main building and the covered walkway was blown away. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped along Ashley 497 Road and the Egypt Church building sustained damage. The large front covering was destroyed and the roof has some damage. Along Ashley 470 Road, heavy tree damage was noted along with several power lines down. Some homes had minor roof damage here as well as along Ashley 471 Road. Uprooted and snapped trees continued along the path. As the the tornado crossed Highway 189, a strong surge was noted on the north side of the path where a focused corridor of trees were damaged. Here a couple of trees were blown down on a mobile home. On the southern side of the path, at the intersection of Ashley 492 Road, several homes sustained roof damage with tin and insulation thrown. Trees were down here as well. The tornado continued across a wooded area where it crossed Ashley 491 Road, then Highway 425 before dissipating just east of Highway 425. There was one indirect injury which occurred during clean up after the tornado. Maximum peak winds were estimated at 105 mph.

This tornado started just off Highway 133 and continued just east of north where it dissipated just before reaching Highway 8, southeast of Hamburg. At the start, just a few trees were uprooted, some of which took a power line down along Highway 133. The tornado increased in intensity and width as it crossed Binnis Loop Rd. More trees were uprooted or snapped and a couple of homes sustained some roof damage. One large shed was destroyed with fragments of the roof thrown across the road. The tornado traveled along Highway 52 for quite a while. Along this part of the path, numerous trees were uprooted and snapped. Some power lines and poles were down as well. Quite a bit of uprooted trees were noted on the south side of the country club. The tornado moved over the airport where one large hangar had roof damage and the back wall had panels blown out. As the tornado neared Highway 425, the center was to the north side of Highway 52 and continued to snap and uproot trees. As it crossed Highway 425, numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Moving east-northeast, the tornado began to weaken and dissipated just after crossing Ashley 312 Road. Maximum peak winds were estimated at 100 mph.

A tree was blown down across Highway 133 near Milo.

Trees and power lines were blown down across Hamburg.

This tornado started just northeast of Hamburg along Ashley 70 Road and tracked roughly 20 miles to just east of Montrose in Chicot County. Thousands of trees were uprooted and snapped along the path along with numerous power lines and poles downed. Some of the heaviest damage was to a mobile home just off Ashley 129 Road. The home was thrown 15 to 20 feet and destroyed. Another mobile home was destroyed along Ashley 128 Road. The tornado then crossed Highway 82 near Ashley 301 Road. Power poles were broken here and a tractor shed was heavily damaged. From this point, the tornado mostly paralleled Highway 82 or tracked along it. Many power lines were down along with poles. Just east of Ashley 912 Road, one wooden high tension segment had the top broken out. In the Snyder community, some homes sustained roof damage and had trees down on them. North of Highway 82, near Horseshoe Lake, a lot of hardwood trees were heavily damaged and there were three segments of the wooden high tension poles and lines taken out. The tornado continued roughly along Highway 82 toward Montrose. The strongest core of the tornado remained north of the highway and downed two more wooden high tension segments before Montrose and two more just north of town to the west of Highway 165. In the town of Montrose, numerous trees were damaged along with many homes having some degree of roof damage or a handful more with a tree on the home. Just east of Montrose, near the Chicot County line and north of Highway 82, a metal high tension pole segment was taken down which supported the highest wind estimate of 130 mph. The tornado dissipated near County Road 293 on the north side of Highway 82. Maximum width was 1000 yards. Total path length was 20.51 miles. Max winds were 130 mph.

Trees were blown down along Highway 8 between Hamburg and Parkdale.

A tree was blown across Highway 165 in Boydell.

This tornado started just northeast of Hamburg along Ashley 70 Road and tracked roughly 20 miles to just east of Montrose in Chicot County. Thousands of trees were uprooted and snapped along the path along with numerous power lines and poles downed. Some of the heaviest damage was to a mobile home just off Ashley 129 Road. The home was thrown 15 to 20 feet and destroyed. Another mobile home was destroyed along Ashley 128 Road. The tornado then crossed Highway 82 near Ashley 301 Road. Power poles were broken here and a tractor shed was heavily damaged. From this point, the tornado mostly paralleled Highway 82 or tracked along it. Many power lines were down along with poles. Just east of Ashley 912 Road, one wooden high tension segment had the top broken out. In the Snyder community, some homes sustained roof damage and had trees down on them. North of Highway 82, near Horseshoe Lake, a lot of hardwood trees were heavily damaged and there were three segments of the wooden high tension poles and lines taken out. The tornado continued roughly along Highway 82 toward Montrose. The strongest core of the tornado remained north of the highway and downed two more wooden high tension segments before Montrose and two more just north of town to the west of Highway 165. In the town of Montrose, numerous trees were damaged along with many homes having some degree of roof damage or a handful more with a tree on the home. Just east of Montrose, near the Chicot County line and north of Highway 82, a metal high tension pole segment was taken down which supported the highest wind estimate of 130 mph. The tornado dissipated near County Road 293 on the north side of Highway 82. Maximum width was 1000 yards in Ashley County. Total path length was 20.51 miles. Maximum estimated winds in Chicot County were 88 mph, but 130 mph winds were estimated in Ashley County.

Several trees and numerous large branches were blown down across the city of Dermott.

This tornado began on the southeast side of the Lake Village Municipal Airport on Airport Road where it rolled and almost destroyed a manufactured home. It is at Airport Road where one injury was reported due to a tree falling on a home. It then moved east-northeast to US Highway 278, breaking 8 to 10 wooden electrical poles. It moved to the northeast of the Lake Village community where it continued to knock down wooden electrical poles and began to uproot and snap large branches from softwood trees along North Lakeshore Drive and along the shore of Lake Chicot. The Lake Village Country Club along North Lakeshore Drive took damage to its roof on the backside. In addition, on the backside of the Country Club, a nearby forested area had multiple snapped large hardwood tree limbs in addition to the tin roof of a metal storage building peeled completely off. Also along North Lakeshore Drive, multiple trees were uprooted and snapped at a trailer park, where one trailer was blown across the street to near the bottom of Lake Chicot. As the tornado continued to track northeast, it moved along AR Highway 144, uprooting trees and snapping large hardwood limbs. Five electrical power poles were downed along Highway 144, as well as another trailer getting rolled to near the bottom of Lake Chicot. The tornado continued to snap large limbs and uproot hardwood trees as it moved across Pecan Ridge Drive. The tornado continued to just north of Levee Road where it lifted, but not before a few uprooting hardwood trees and snapping small to medium sized limbs. It is important to note that a large swath of severe wind speeds resulted in widespread downed trees on Lakehall Road, Sunnyside Road, Stuart Island Road and at the Lake Chicot State Park. Several of these trees fell on power lines causing outages to a large portion of the Lake Village community. This tornado then continued east-northeast across the MS River to across Lake Ferguson in Washington County, where the second floor was blown off of a lake house on South Ferguson Road. In addition, a high concentration of snapped and uprooted hardwood trees was noted on the backside of the lakehouse on South Ferguson Road, thus resulting in the upgraded EF-2 rating. It continued to move east to Highway 1 North where it snapped small to large hardwood tree limbs before dissipating. Estimated peak wind with this tornado was 127 mph. Max width was 850 yards. Total path length was 17.81 miles.

Trees were blown down across Lake Village.

Multiple utility poles were snapped along US 65, including two concrete towers.

A brief tornado developed near US Highway 65/US Highway 278 near Arkansas Highway 159. It collapsed the center of a metal building where only one side and the front of the building were left standing. On the backside, a shed was completely destroyed. The tornado then moved east across the highway to the Delta Spindle Building, a metal warehouse building. Here, some windows were blown out and portions of the tin roof were peeled off and blew into the tree line on the backside of the business. In addition, the tornado broke a wooden power pole in the parking lot of the Delta Spindle Building before lifting. Maximum peak winds were estimated at 99 mph.

This tornado began on the southeast side of the Lake Village Municipal Airport on Airport Road where it rolled and almost destroyed a manufactured home. It is at Airport Road where one injury was reported due to a tree falling on a home. It then moved east-northeast to US Highway 278, breaking 8 to 10 wooden electrical poles. It moved to the northeast of the Lake Village community where it continued to knock down wooden electrical poles and began to uproot and snap large branches from softwood trees along North Lakeshore Drive and along the shore of Lake Chicot. The Lake Village Country Club along North Lakeshore Drive took damage to its roof on the backside. In addition, on the backside of the Country Club, a nearby forested area had multiple snapped large hardwood tree limbs in addition to the tin roof of a metal storage building peeled completely off. Also along North Lakeshore Drive, multiple trees were uprooted and snapped at a trailer park, where one trailer was blown across the street to near the bottom of Lake Chicot. As the tornado continued to track northeast, it moved along AR Highway 144, uprooting trees and snapping large hardwood limbs. Five electrical power poles were downed along Highway 144, as well as another trailer getting rolled to near the bottom of Lake Chicot. The tornado continued to snap large limbs and uproot hardwood trees as it moved across Pecan Ridge Drive. The tornado continued to just north of Levee Road where it lifted, but not before a few uprooting hardwood trees and snapping small to medium sized limbs. It is important to note that a large swath of severe wind speeds resulted in widespread downed trees on Lakehall Road, Sunnyside Road, Stuart Island Road and at the Lake Chicot State Park. Several of these trees fell on power lines causing outages to a large portion of the Lake Village community. This tornado then continued east-northeast across the MS River to across Lake Ferguson in Washington County, where the second floor was blown off of a lake house on South Ferguson Road. In addition, a high concentration of snapped and uprooted hardwood trees was noted on the backside of the lakehouse on South Ferguson Road, thus resulting in the upgraded EF-2 rating. It continued to move east to Highway 1 North where it snapped small to large hardwood tree limbs before dissipating. Estimated peak wind with this tornado was 127 mph. Max width was 850 yards. Total path length was 17.81 miles.