Arkansas, 2026

Flash Flood in Arkansas, June 12, 2026

June 12, 2026 · NWS MEG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A weak cold front and a subtle upper-level disturbance interacted with a moist and unstable airmass to produce a line of thunderstorms that moved north to south across the Mid-South on June 12, 2026. Precipitable water values approaching 2 inches combined with SBCAPEs over 2000 J/kg supported locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding, along with isolated wind damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.

A weak cold front and a subtle upper-level disturbance interacted with a moist and unstable airmass to produce a line of thunderstorms that moved north to south across the Mid-South on June 12, 2026. Precipitable water values approaching 2 inches combined with SBCAPEs over 2000 J/kg supported locally heavy rainfall and flash flooding, along with isolated wind damage.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 12, 12:10 PM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Issued at 108 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026
  • A cold front will provide a focus for afternoon showers and thunderstorms, then diminishing this evening.
  • An unsettled weather pattern will persist through early next week, with multiple chances for showers and thunderstorms, though severe weather probabilities remain low.
  • Below normal temperatures are anticipated next week with highs in the low 80s.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 12:10 PM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
110 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, FIRE WEATHER...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 108 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

- A cold front will provide a focus for afternoon showers and
  thunderstorms, then diminishing this evening.

- An unsettled weather pattern will persist through early next
  week, with multiple chances for showers and thunderstorms,
  though severe weather probabilities remain low.

- Below normal temperatures are anticipated next week with highs
  in the low 80s.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
(This evening through next Thursday)
Issued at 108 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

12Z upper air analysis depicted a weak mid-level shortwave trough
moving through the Lower Mississippi Valley. Late morning surface
analysis showed a weak cold front stretching from the Ohio Valley
back through western portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley and
Southern Plains. Regional WSR-88D radar trends show a line of
showers and thunderstorms stretching from the Memphis metro area
southeast into portions of northeast Mississippi. Noon
temperatures range from the 70s in the rain-cooled air along the
I-40 corridor, and 80s elsewhere.

Hourly mesoanalysis yields surface based CAPE values between 3000-
4000 J/g, weak shear between 20-25 kts, weak low to mid-level
lapse rates, and precipitable water values around 1.9 inches over
north Mississippi in areas that haven't received any rain thus
far. Latest CAMs suggest this activity will continue to develop
and spread south across the remainder of north Mississippi into
this afternoon. An isolated strong to perhaps severe thunderstorm
or two will be possible into this afternoon mostly over northeast
Mississippi. Damaging winds and localized flash flooding will
continue to be the predominant threats.

Short-term model trends suggest a couple of MCSs will develop
upstream over portions of the Central Plains and Middle
Mississippi Valley. One will occur later tonight and weaken as it
approaches the Mid-South on Saturday, with a second one arriving
later Saturday night into early Sunday morning. LREF joint
probabilities of surface-based CAPE values greater than 1500 J/kg
and shear in excess of 30 kts will average at best between 20-30%
near the Missouri and Kentucky border Saturday evening. Damaging
wind gusts are the primary threat for any severe thunderstorms
Saturday evening into early Sunday. Temperatures on Saturday are
expected to rise into the lower to perhaps middle 90s with heat
index values between 100 to 104 degrees over portions of
northwest Mississippi. Confidence remains low for reaching Heat
Advisory criteria, but will reevaluate if short-term forecast
trends warrant a change.

Long term model trends indicate an unsettled pattern will persist
across the Mid-South into next week as an upper-level trough
encompasses the eastern half of the U.S. This will bring a
continuation of daily shower and thunderstorm chances, especially
during the afternoon and evening hours. We'll be monitoring
trends for a potential organized severe weather by the middle of
next week as a stronger shortwave trough moves through the Middle
and Lower Mississippi Valleys. LREF joint probabilities of
surface-based CAPE values greater than 1500 J/kg and shear in
excess of 30 kts increase to 30-40% by Wednesday evening.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 108 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

A broken line of thunderstorms continues to push south of MEM and
MKL, with impacts expected at TUP between 20-23Z. Primary
concerns include MVFR ceilings and north winds of 10-15 kts,
gusting to around 20 kts. As the atmosphere recovers, a second
round of showers and storms remains possible at MEM and MKL later
this afternoon. Convective coverage will diminish after sunset,
leading to VFR conditions and light winds after 00Z through the
remainder of the period. While additional storms are possible
late tomorrow, confidence is currently below 30% and will be
excluded from the MEM TAF for this cycle.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 108 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

Elevated humidity levels will preclude fire weather concerns this
forecast period. In addition, wetting rain chances will persist
through the weekend into the beginning of next week.

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...None.
MO...None.
MS...None.
TN...None.
&&

PUBLIC FORECAST...CJC
AVIATION...JDS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 12, 11:18 AM CST, 4 hours 11 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1218 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1211 PM     Flash Flood      1 S Bartlett            35.20N 89.84W
06/12/2026                   Shelby             TN   Trained Spotter

            Flooding reported on Kirby Whitten Rd north
            of I-40.

&&
Local storm report, Jun 12, 11:27 AM CST, 4 hours 2 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1227 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1201 PM     Flash Flood      1 WSW Lakeland          35.23N 89.75W
06/12/2026                   Shelby             TN   Public

            water covering roads in the Davies
            Plantation area, specifically St Phillip
            Drive and Anderson Springs Drive. Photo from
            social media.

&&
Local storm report, Jun 12, 11:48 AM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1248 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1243 PM     Flash Flood      1 E Midtown Memphis     35.14N 89.97W
06/12/2026                   Shelby             TN   NWS Employee

            NWS employee reported road closures due to
            significant flooding at Poplar and
            Union/Walnut Grove in Midtown.

&&
Local storm report, Jun 12, 12:29 PM CST, 3 hours before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
129 PM CDT Fri Jun 12 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0126 PM     Flash Flood      1 NNW Southaven         34.99N 90.01W
06/12/2026                   DeSoto             MS   Emergency Mngr

            Stateline Rd between Whitworth and
            Millbranch is closed due to flooding. There
            are also reports of flooding on Stateline Rd
            near Horn Lake Rd.

&&

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 118 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:28 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Phillips

When
June 12, 3:29 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where
Phillips County, 1.88 mi ENE of Barton to 2.03 mi ESE of Barton
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
State Official
Coordinates
34.558, -90.738

Flooding occurred along Highway 49 and Old Little Rock Road.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, June 2026

Sources

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: 1347237.