Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas · 2008

EF1 tornado, Carlisle to Center Pt, Arkansas, May 2, 2008

From Carlisle to Center Pt, this EF1 tornado ran 1.7 miles across Prairie and Lonoke counties on May 2, 2008, touching down at 1:02 PM CDT and reaching 250 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
May 2, 2008
Touchdown
1:02 PM CDT (18:02 UTC)
Lifted
1:04 PM CDT (18:04 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
1.7 miles (2.7 km)
Path width
250 yards (229 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Counties
Prairie and Lonoke counties
Touchdown point
34.803, -91.699
Lift-off point
34.821, -91.679
Record number
0805021202-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A line of thunderstorms pushed into western Arkansas early on the morning of May 2nd. During the morning and afternoon hours, severe thunderstorms developed out ahead of the line and produced tornadoes.

The tornado damaged approximately 25 homes, along with the Carlisle Fire Station, the old railroad depot, a storage garage, an automotive repair garage, a beauty shop, and a minnow farm. Many trees, power lines, and power poles were knocked down.

A couple of trees were knocked down. The tornado exited Lonoke County, east-northeast of the Carlisle Airport, and moved into Prairie County, west-northwest of Hazen.

This tornado exited Lonoke County, east-northeast of the Carlisle Airport, and moved into Prairie County, west-northwest of Hazen. Damage was limited to trees being knocked down.

Approximately two dozen trees were damaged and a power pole was knocked down.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

38 minutes of warning. NWS LZK issued a tornado warning for this county at 17:24 UTC, 38 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 18:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 13:51 UTC and running to 20:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
10:00 UTC13:51 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchLZK
12:00 UTC00:00 UTCLake Wind AdvisoryLZK
13:51 UTC20:00 UTCTornado WatchLZK
16:07 UTC16:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
16:19 UTC17:00 UTCTornado WarningLZK
16:50 UTC17:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
16:52 UTC17:30 UTCTornado WarningLZK
17:12 UTC18:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
17:24 UTC18:15 UTCTornado WarningLZK
17:33 UTC18:00 UTCTornado WarningLZK
18:20 UTC19:03 UTCTornado WarningLZK

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 16:29 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), 12:00Z

6.0 hours before the tornado, 159 km from the path. May 2, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2008-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1314 joules per kilogram, CIN -56, lifted condensation level 609 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2008-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 532 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 51 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1314 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-56 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1080 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
609 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
532 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
505 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.8
Supercell composite
15.3
0-3 km lapse rate
4.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), 00:00Z

6.0 hours after it, 159 km from the path. May 3, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2008-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -88817, lifted condensation level 2053 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2008-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 50 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 66 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-88817 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2053 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
50 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
250 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
6.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Stuttgart (Awos) (SGT), 26 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
16:15 UTC73.466.2180° 21 kt281005.1
16:35 UTC73.466.2180° 20 kt251005.1
16:55 UTC73.466.2180° 22 kt251005.1TS
17:15 UTC71.666.2180° 22 kt271005.1VCTS
17:35 UTC71.666.2180° 28 kt341004.4VCTS
17:55 UTC71.666.2170° 15 kt1005.1TS
18:15 UTC71.666.2190° 17 kt201005.8TS
18:35 UTC71.666.2180° 19 kt1005.4TS
18:55 UTC71.666.2190° 15 kt191005.4VCTS
19:15 UTC73.469.8200° 13 kt1005.8
19:35 UTC75.269.8200° 18 kt231005.8
19:55 UTC73.469.8200° 16 kt1006.1

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 18:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
16:40 UTCTORNADO2 E HensleyPulaski, ARA TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN THE AREA. ONE DEATH WAS REPORTED ON HENSLEY LOOP ROAD.
16:40 UTCTORNADO2 Wnw HensleyPulaski, ARA TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN THE AREA. ONE DEATH WAS REPORTED ON HENSLEY LOOP ROAD.
16:40 UTCTORNADOHensleyPulaski, ARA POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN THE AREA. DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO HOUSES AND TREES WERE DOWN.INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE AREA.
16:40 UTCTORNADOWoodsonPulaski, ARA POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN AREA. DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO HOUSES AND TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN. INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED IN THE AREA.
16:42 UTCTORNADOHensleyPulaski, ARTORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
16:53 UTCTORNADO7 W KeoPulaski, ARA POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON TREE LANE.
17:00 UTCTORNADO2 N KeoLonoke, ARA TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO ON THE GROUND NORTH OF KEO.
17:02 UTCTORNADO2 N KeoLonoke, ARA POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS REPORTED AT ARKANSAS HIGHWAY 15 NEAR TOLTEC. DEBRIS WAS SPOTTED AROUND THE AREA.
17:21 UTCTORNADO1 Sw CarlisleLonoke, ARREPORTED BY A STORM SPOTTER.
17:40 UTCTORNADO8 Sw Des ArcPrairie, ARA POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY A COOP OBSERVER.
17:55 UTCTORNADOCarlisleLonoke, ARA TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED THAT A TORNADO HIT DOWNTOWN CARLISLE. VEHICLES WERE FLIPPED OVER ON INTERSTATE 40.
17:57 UTCTORNADO1 N CarlisleLonoke, ARA TORNADO WAS REPORTED NORTH OF CARLISLE.
18:03 UTCTORNADOCarlisleLonoke, ARA TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN CARLISLE. A GAS STATION LOST POWER.
18:15 UTCTORNADO2 Nw HazenPrairie, ARA TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON ARKANSAS HIGHWAY 86 NORTH OF HAZEN.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in ArkansasEvery tornado in Arkansas since 1950Warnings in force in Arkansas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 2, 2008

39 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 21:04 AM CDTEF2Douglas, KS2.2100$260,000
May 21:45 AM CDTEF0Creek, OK7.0250$20,000
May 21:56 AM CDTEF3Clay, MO0.975$4.0 million
May 22:03 AM CDTEF2Clay, MO1.475$10 million
May 23:03 AM CDTEF1Rogers, OK9.05002$55,000
May 23:03 AM CDTEF1Mayes, OK0.5100$20,000
May 25:52 AM CDTEF0Douglas, MO7.4250
May 26:02 AM CDTEF0Douglas, MO0.3100$100,000
May 28:15 AM CDTEF3Conway, AR45.31,600524$47 million
May 28:28 AM CDTEF1Van Buren, AR1.1100
May 28:30 AM CDTEF1Van Zandt, TX1.3758$300,000
May 29:03 AM CDTEF1Howard, AR4.150$100,000
May 210:23 AM CDTEF1Pike, AR8.2200$100,000
May 211:15 AM CDTEF2Grant, AR40.730013$9.0 million
May 211:21 AM CDTEF1Rusk, TX6.4100$50,000
May 211:23 AM CDTEF2Dallas, AR22.9200$3.5 million
May 211:55 AM CDTEF1Panola, TX3.8200$400,000
May 212:56 PM CDTEF1Lonoke, AR2.5200$1.0 million
May 21:01 PM CDTEF0Woodruff, AR2.150$3,000
May 21:05 PM CDTEF1Prairie, AR2.6100$1,000
May 21:39 PM CDTEF0Dunklin, MO0.325$20,000
May 21:40 PM CDTEF0Monroe, AR0.350$3,000
May 22:54 PM CDTEF2Mississippi, AR3.41501$500,000
May 23:18 PM CDTEF3Crittenden, AR20.24004$2.0 million
May 23:51 PM CDTEF0Livingston Parish, LA0.120
May 24:25 PM CDTEF2Dyer, TN1.440$40,000
May 25:48 PM CDTEF2Union, MS3.1440$250,000
May 26:00 PM CDTEF2Union, MS0.5100$75,000
May 26:12 PM CDTEF1Union, MS3.575$50,000
May 26:41 PM CDTEF1Prentiss, MS13.8150$100,000
May 26:52 PM CDTEF2Chicot, AR10.5400$1.5 million
May 27:32 PM CDTEF0Washington, MS3.050
May 28:01 PM CDTEF0Morehouse Parish, LA3.350
May 28:07 PM CDTEF1Bolivar, MS9.7200$20,000
May 211:57 PM CDTEF1Montgomery, TN0.750$5,000
May 212:00 AM CDTEF1Montgomery, TN0.230$20,000
May 212:05 AM CDTEF1Montgomery, TN0.5503$20,000
May 212:10 AM CDTEF1Montgomery, TN0.350$100,000
May 212:49 AM CDTEF1Leflore, MS1.3300$40,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.