A low-pressure system and associated cold front resulted in heavy rainfall and flash flooding across parts of east Arkansas. Ample moisture provided the fuel for training storms which produced two to four inches of rain during the early afternoon along and west of the Mississippi River.
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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 MEG wrote it up.
A low-pressure system and associated cold front resulted in heavy rainfall and flash flooding across parts of east Arkansas. Ample moisture provided the fuel for training storms which produced two to four inches of rain during the early afternoon along and west of the Mississippi River. The heavy rainfall axis then shifted east over a less saturated surface and the flooding threat diminished.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 30, 11:35 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 1135 AM CST Thu Jan 30 2025 ...New AVIATION... .UPDATE... Issued at 1005 AM CST Thu Jan 30 2025 Showers continue to impact portions of the Mid-South this morning, mainly along a line north of I-40. MRMS estimates over the past 3 hours depict about 0.50 - 0.75 inches of rainfall in areas of northeast Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. Continual rainfall may result in flooding concerns as rivers and streams rise near bankfull. The severe weather threat for this evening remains low due to a lack of instability. However, a storm or two may become strong to severe with damaging winds the primary concern. ANS && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 300 AM CST Thu Jan 30 2025 Showers and isolated thunderstorms will overspread the Mid-South today ahead of a cold front which will move across Arkansas. Locally heavy rainfall is possible today with 2 to 4 inches of rainfall expected mainly north of I-40. Dry weather and above normal temperatures are expected starting Friday and continuing through the weekend and into the beginning of the upcoming week. && .DISCUSSION... (Today through Wednesday) Issued at 300 AM CST Thu Jan 30 2025 Skies are mostly cloudy across the Mid-South early this morning with temperatures in the lower 40s to mid 50s. Light rain showers cover a large portion of the region at this time. A low pressure system is located over northeast Texas with a cold front extending south from the low. The low will track northeast today with the cold front reaching central Arkansas by this evening. Showers and a few thunderstorms will continue to move across the region today. There could be a couple of strong thunderstorms over extreme southwest sections of the Mid-South with some gusty winds possible. Locally heavy rainfall is possible today mainly over areas of the Mid-South north of I-40 where 2 to 4 inches of precipitation could fall. A Flood Watch remain in effect for these areas for today and tonight. Temperatures will be rather mild today with highs in the lower 60s to around 70 degrees. The surface low will continue to move northeast tonight bringing the cold front through the Mid-South. Additional showers and a few thunderstorms will move through the region ahead of the cold front. Temperatures will remain above normal tonight with lows Friday morning in the low to mid 50s. A few showers are possible over portions of northwest Tennessee Friday afternoon as an upper level low slides across the Mid- Mississippi Valley and into the Ohio Valley. Otherwise, dry and warm weather is expected for the remainder of the Mid-South on Friday with highs in the 60s. The upper level pattern become more zonal starting Friday night and continuing through the weekend. This will result in dry weather with above normal temperatures for Friday night through Tuesday night. A cold front will move toward the region from the north on Wednesday. As a surface low moves along the front, some scattered showers may move across the Mid-South. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1135 AM CST Thu Jan 30 2025 Messy TAF period with conditions generally fluctuating between MVFR and IFR as SHRA moves through today and tonight. Locations along and north of I-40 will see the bulk of SHRA this afternoon, with SHRA not impacting north MS likely until this evening. All precip will move out of the area by 12Z with gradual improvements back to VFR near the end of the current TAF period. S/SE winds will remain elevated through at least 12Z for most of the area, with gusts upwards of 20 to 25 kts at times. Wind speeds will begin to decrease behind the frontal boundary, becoming SW as well. && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...Flood Watch through this evening for ARZ009-018-026>028. MO...Flood Watch through this evening for MOZ113-115. MS...None. TN...Flood Watch through this evening for TNZ001>004-019-020-048-051. && PUBLIC FORECAST...ARS AVIATION...CMA
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:11 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Roadway completely flooded with water rushing over AR-34 near Lafe.
Vehicle stalled in water on County Road 912 between Rodgers Chapel and Hwy 49 in Farville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, January 2025
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1232850, 1232851.