Severe storms moved across SE Arkansas during the late evening hours of April 28, 2026. Some of these thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts that downed trees and powerlines.
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 JAN wrote it up.
Severe storms moved across SE Arkansas during the late evening hours of April 28, 2026. Some of these thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts that downed trees and powerlines. Some of these storms produced hail. One of these storms produced a tornado.
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 Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 28, 5:41 PM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Jackson MS
641 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Significant severe weather threat including the risk for
tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds continues into
tonight.
- Additional rounds of storms could impact the area later in the
week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 358 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
In the near term: The convective scenario for today and tonight's
severe weather event has become rather complex. Capping is noted
~H800 in this afternoon's special JAN raob as an initial round of
deep convection crosses the I-55 corridor and moves toward east
MS, and there is also negative theta-e advection in the lower
levels south of the I-20 corridor. The current convection had
reached severe intensities previously, but is now feeling the
effects of the more stable air as it moves east. Meanwhile,
additional storms well upstream over the Southern Plains are
forecast to quickly organize as they approach the ArkLaMiss
region, and the big question is how will threats evolve as these
storms develop. The steep lapse rates and strong deep layer shear
upstream continue to support organized severe weather assuming
the ascent is favorable, but in light of recent observations, we
may need to consider backing down a bit in the severe weather
messaging and will continue to monitor. /EC/
Flash Flood Threat: With precipitable water values (PWATs) above
1.8", storm motions not particularly fast for our area this time
of year (generally less than 40 kt forward motion), and the
tendency for storms to move over the same areas, localized flash
flooding appears increasingly possible. A "Limited" threat for
heavy rainfall continues to be advertised for portions of
Southeast Arkansas and North Mississippi through tonight. Most
areas along and north of the I-20 corridor will see rainfall
totals of 1 to 2 inches with amounts tapering off dramatically
with southern extent. Localized areas of 3 to 6 inches where
thunderstorms train could lead to some localized flash flooding,
particularly in low lying and urban areas.
Wednesday Through Early Next Week: Following storms Tuesday, the
boundary will likely sink toward the Gulf Coast during the day
Wednesday. This could allow for an additional round of scattered
storms during the peak heating Wednesday afternoon of which a few
could be marginally severe with attendant hail/wind risks. By
Thursday, lowered humidity and an at least temporary end to the
near daily strong/severe storm risk is likely.
By late Friday or early Saturday, a potent southern stream shortwave
will likely bring our next shot at strong to potentially severe
storms. The major caveat with this activity will be the surface
boundary and how far inland the developing surface cyclone can force
it. With little space between the departing long wave trough and the
incoming shortwave, the warm front will be facing a tug-of-war
scenario as continental dry air and a surface high not far away,
perhaps as near as northern Georgia, attempting to remain entrenched
squares off against the southerly mass recovery attempts of the
incoming surface cyclone/frontal wave. The demarcation between noisy
and wet weather versus strong to severe storms will likely be
defined by this progress an guidance differs greatly on how that may
play out. For now, the most likely scenario would be for some
stronger storm risk across our southernmost areas. This situation
should be monitored carefully particularly for folks along or south
of the I-20 corridor.
Looking ahead into early next week, guidance is starting to show a
1020mb sfc high over the Southern Plains shifting towards our
forecast area. This will allow for quiet weather conditions to
persist over the region with daytime highs peaking in the upper 70s.
Taking a perhaps daring glance into the forecast beyond day 7
suggests more active weather is likely with attendant risks for
thunderstorms, perhaps severe. Attempting to declare any specificity
would be foolhardy, but it does seem like we will be making some
dent in the local drought conditions over the next couple of
weeks. /86/CR/
&&
.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 641 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
MVFR flight conditions near eastern/northern sites as showers/
storms move over the area and VFR flight conditions elsewhere.
Showers and storms are expected to become widespread into the
evening with some storms becoming severe with gusts to 50-60 kt,
hail up to golf ball size, and tornadoes possible. Reduction in
flight conditions are expected as storms moves through the region.
Flight conditions will linger at MVFR/IFR post storms as low stratus
moves into the area. /SW/
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Jackson 67 84 61 76 / 70 60 80 30
Meridian 65 85 59 76 / 80 60 80 30
Vicksburg 68 83 60 75 / 70 70 80 30
Hattiesburg 67 89 64 79 / 30 50 80 40
Natchez 69 87 63 76 / 30 70 80 40
Greenville 67 77 58 71 / 90 50 50 10
Greenwood 66 79 57 73 / 100 40 60 10
&&
.JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MS...None.
LA...None.
AR...None.
&&
EC/SW/86Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
843 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0743 PM Hail 8 SSW Highpoint 33.09N 89.21W
04/28/2026 E1.00 Inch Winston MS Emergency Mngr
&&
CEPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
844 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 PM Hail 5 N Noxapater 33.06N 89.08W
04/28/2026 E1.00 Inch Winston MS Emergency Mngr
&&
CEPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
845 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0810 PM Hail 4 N Vernon 33.04N 88.94W
04/28/2026 E1.00 Inch Winston MS Emergency Mngr
&&
CEPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
848 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0720 PM Flash Flood 2 NNE Meridian 32.39N 88.69W
04/28/2026 Lauderdale MS Emergency Mngr
Bridge washed out at 34th and 11th.
&&
CEPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
858 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0845 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 N Fountain Hill 33.38N 91.85W
04/28/2026 Ashley AR Emergency Mngr
Tree down across Hwy 425.
&&
CEPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Jackson MS
907 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0900 PM Hail 1 ESE Starkville 33.44N 88.80W
04/28/2026 M0.88 Inch Oktibbeha MS Public
Report of nickel sized hail.
&&
KPThe Little Rock radar (KLZK), 173 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:37 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management reported multiple trees and powerlines down along Highway 133.
A very brief tornado occurred along County Road 498 in Ashley County. This tornado uprooted trees and caused wooden power poles to lean. The tornado crossed County Road 498 and dissipated in the field just after uprooting more trees. The tornado is rated EF-0 with winds of 85 MPH.
A tree was blown down across Highway 425.
A couple of trees were blown down.
A tree fell on a home in Dermott, resulting in minor injuries to one resident.
A supercell storm moved out of Drew County near the Jerome community and produced a swath of winds of 70-80 mph across central Chicot County into and around Lake Village. Power lines and poles were down in the rural parts of the county. Most of the damage in Lake Village was around Mulberry Street. Here, multiple trees were uprooted across a few block radius. Power lines were down as well.
Strong winds caused damage to a shed and a trailer to be blown on its side along Airport Road.
A carport was damaged and blown across the road at US 65 and Sixteenth Section Road.
A flagpole was bent to the ground at AR 144 and Club Drive.
Multiple power lines were blown down across Lakeside Street. A large tree was uprooted and fell across powerlines along Mulberry Street.
A wind gust of 77 mph was measured at a private Davis weather station at the Lake Village Municipal Airport.
Multiple trees fell on a house and two vehicles at a residence along Lakeshore Drive.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2026Warnings in Arkansas, April 2026
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: 1329975, 1330013, 1330023, 1330030, 1330033, 1331197, 1330034, 1330036, 1330037, 1330038, 1330039, 1330040.