Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas · 2017

EF1 tornado, Conant to Rescue, Arkansas, April 29, 2017

From Conant to Rescue, this EF1 tornado ran 5.9 miles across White County on April 29, 2017, touching down at 12:37 AM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $80,000 of property damage.

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
April 29, 2017
Touchdown
12:37 AM CDT (05:37 UTC)
Lifted
12:47 AM CDT (05:47 UTC)
On the ground
10 minutes
Path length
5.9 miles (9.4 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$80,000
County
White County
Touchdown point
35.151, -91.702
Lift-off point
35.165, -91.600
Record number
1704292337-01

The damage survey

41 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LZK, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 110 mph.

  • Trees uprooted...laying northward
  • Single Wide shifted off foundation to the north. Start Point
  • 5-7 pines snapped off approx. 20-30 ft above ground level.
  • several pine trees snapped and debris in the trees in different directions

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

Severe thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall was noted on April 29-30, 2017. Major flooding was a result of the heavy rain.

A mobile home was shifted off its foundation. Several trees were either snapped or uprooted. Several structures were damaged, with debris lofted upward into the trees.

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

The warnings

2 minutes of warning. NWS LZK issued a tornado warning for this county at 05:35 UTC, 2 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 06:00 UTC.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 03:23 UTC and running to 11:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
14:00 UTC15:51 UTCLake Wind AdvisoryLZK
00:13 UTC01:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
02:10 UTC03:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
02:51 UTC03:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
03:10 UTC04:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
03:23 UTC11:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchLZK
03:24 UTC03:48 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
03:51 UTC04:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
04:11 UTC04:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
04:13 UTC05:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
04:37 UTC05:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
04:55 UTC08:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningLZK
05:09 UTC06:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
05:14 UTC08:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningLZK
05:35 UTC06:00 UTCTornado WarningLZK
05:56 UTC06:01 UTCTornado WarningLZK
07:12 UTC11:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningLZK
07:54 UTC11:45 UTCFlash Flood WarningLZK
10:14 UTC13:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningLZK
11:56 UTC15:20 UTCFlood WarningLZK
13:12 UTC16:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningLZK
16:07 UTC01:00 UTCFlood 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 Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:58 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 (KBYH), 00:00Z

5.6 hours before the tornado, 159 km from the path. April 30, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2017-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1699 joules per kilogram, CIN -9, lifted condensation level 993 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2017-04-30The 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 137 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 33 knots.193958Sfc1 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
1699 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Surface CAPE
3603 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
993 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
137 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
210 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.2
Supercell composite
11.6
0-3 km lapse rate
6.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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

6.4 hours after it, 159 km from the path. April 30, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2017-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 6 joules per kilogram, CIN -292, lifted condensation level 811 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2017-04-30The 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 -47 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 57 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
6 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-292 J/kg
Surface CAPE
179 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
811 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1
0-3 km lapse rate
4.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Searcy Municipal Airport (M07) (SRC), 10 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
03:40 UTC130° 11 kt1006.1-RA
03:45 UTC120° 12 kt1006.1
03:50 UTC120° 10 kt1005.8
03:55 UTC150° 8 kt1005.8
03:56 UTC7068150° 8 kt1005.8VCTS
04:00 UTC170° 5 kt1006.1
04:02 UTC69.869.8170° 6 kt1006.1VCTS
04:05 UTC210° 7 kt1006.1
04:10 UTC210° 7 kt1006.4
04:15 UTC150° 13 kt1006.1
04:20 UTC130° 9 kt1006.1
04:25 UTC130° 8 kt1005.8-RA
04:30 UTC110° 6 kt1005.8-RA
04:35 UTC130° 6 kt1005.8-RA
04:40 UTC100° 5 kt1005.1-RA
04:45 UTC100° 6 kt1005.1-RA
04:50 UTC200° 5 kt1006.4-RA
04:55 UTC290° 7 kt1007.1-RA
04:56 UTC7270310° 9 kt1006.8-TSRA
05:00 UTC350° 6 kt1006.1-RA
05:01 UTC69.869.8350° 5 kt1006.1-TSRA
05:05 UTC60° 5 kt1006.1-RA
05:10 UTC100° 7 kt1006.1-RA
05:13 UTC69.869.870° 9 kt1005.8-TSRA
05:15 UTC60° 9 kt1005.8-RA
05:20 UTC 1006.1-RA
05:25 UTC 1006.8-RA
05:30 UTC 1007.1-RA
05:35 UTC 1009.8RA
05:40 UTC320° 13 kt1010.2+RA BR
05:42 UTC66.266.2330° 9 kt241009.8+TSRA BR
05:45 UTC260° 6 kt1009.5+RA BR
05:50 UTC300° 6 kt1008.8+RA BR
05:51 UTC66.266.2 4 kt1008.5+TSRA BR
05:55 UTC230° 3 kt1008.5+RA BR
05:56 UTC6666 3 kt1008.8+TSRA BR
06:00 UTC300° 3 kt1008.5+RA BR
06:05 UTC210° 4 kt1008.8+RA
06:10 UTC300° 3 kt1008.5+RA
06:11 UTC66.266.2320° 3 kt1008.1+TSRA
06:15 UTC90° 3 kt1008.5+RA BR
06:20 UTC0° 0 kt1008.1+RA BR
06:21 UTC66.266.20° 0 kt1007.8+TSRA BR
06:25 UTC0° 0 kt1008.1+RA BR
06:30 UTC120° 6 kt1007.8+RA BR
06:35 UTC30° 5 kt1007.5+RA BR
06:40 UTC0° 0 kt1008.1RA BR
06:45 UTC50° 6 kt1007.1RA
06:50 UTC90° 8 kt1007.1RA
06:55 UTC80° 5 kt1007.5RA
06:56 UTC666680° 4 kt1007.5-TSRA
07:00 UTC80° 6 kt1007.1RA
07:02 UTC66.266.290° 4 kt1007.5+TSRA
07:10 UTC120° 5 kt1007.8+RA BR
07:12 UTC66.266.290° 4 kt1007.5+TSRA BR
07:15 UTC30° 6 kt1006.4+RA BR
07:20 UTC66.266.280° 10 kt1006.4+TSRA BR
07:25 UTC60° 7 kt1007.1+RA BR
07:30 UTC160° 3 kt1008.1+RA BR
07:31 UTC66.266.2 3 kt1007.8+TSRA BR
07:35 UTC50° 12 kt1005.8+RA BR

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

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 05:37 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
04:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 N WardLonoke, ARHIGHWAY 319 BLOCKED DUE TO TREES DOWN
04:40 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Se Country Road EstatLonoke, ARMULTIPLE TREES DOWN AND BLOCKING THE ROAD
04:40 UTCTSTM WND DMGCinnamon AcresLonoke, ARDOWNED TREES BLOCKING ROADWAY.
04:59 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Nw WardLonoke, ARTREES WERE BLOWN DOWN.
04:59 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sw AustinLonoke, ARTREES WERE BLOWN DOWN.
05:37 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Se West PointWhite, ARA HOUSE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE.
05:37 UTCTSTM WND DMGHigginsonWhite, ARTREES AND POWERLINES DOWN AROUND THE HIGGINSON AREA... PORTION OF HIGHWAY 11 BLOCKED AS A RESULT.
05:37 UTCTORNADO2 N WalkerWhite, ARAN EF1 TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED IN WHITE COUNTY. A MOBILE HOME SHIFTED OFF ITS FOUNDATION...WITH SEVERAL TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. SEVERAL STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED...WITH DEBRIS LOFTED INTO TREES.
05:38 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 N GriffithvilleWhite, ARA TRAILER WAS FLIPPED OVER.
05:44 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Nw GeorgetownWhite, ARSEVERAL TRAILERS WERE OVERTURNED NORTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN...NEAR HIGHWAY 36 AND NIMMO ROAD.
05:52 UTCTSTM WND DMGGeorgetownWhite, ARTREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN GEORGETOWN... INCLUDING A TREE DOWN ON A HOME.
05:57 UTCTORNADO4 S AugustaWoodruff, ARAN EF1 TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED IN WESTERN WOODRUFF COUNTY. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED...WITH DAMAGE TO A METAL SHED.
06:00 UTCFLASH FLOODSherwoodPulaski, ARNUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED IN SHERWOOD... INCLUDING PARTS OF HIGHWAY 167 NEAR MCCAIN AND PORTIONS OF HIGHWAY 107
06:24 UTCTSTM WND DMGTiltonCross, ARSEVERAL TREES, HOUSES, OUTBUILDINGS, AND POWER POLES DAMAGED FROM NORTH OF TILTON TO SOUTH OF CHERRY VALLEY.
07:00 UTCFLASH FLOOD5 Ne PangburnWhite, ARA BRIDGE WAS WASHED OUT ON PRINCE REAPER ROAD.
07:21 UTCFLASH FLOODWoodlawn AdditionLonoke, ARHIGHWAY 5 NORTH OF MOUNTAIN SPRINGS FLOODED
07:25 UTCFLASH FLOODKingwood AdditionLonoke, ARHIGHWAY 321 AND HIGHWAY 89 FLOODED.
07:27 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 Nne WoodlawnLonoke, ARHIGHWAY 31 FLOODED WITH SWIFT MOVING WATER OVER THE ROAD
08:28 UTCFLASH FLOODHazenPrairie, ARRUNNING WATER ON CITY STREETS

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2017 tornado in ArkansasEvery tornado in Arkansas since 1950Warnings in force in Arkansas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 29, 2017

17 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 292:24 PM CDTEF1Natchitoches Parish, LA2.0290$200,000
April 293:16 PM CDTEF1Boone, AR1.91001$400,000
April 293:31 PM CDTEF0Saint Charles, MO3.9100
April 294:02 PM CDTEF1Jersey, IL2.450
April 294:15 PM CDTEF0Van Zandt, TX1.6100
April 294:17 PM CDTEF1Sequoyah, OK7.3600$20,000
April 294:20 PM CDTEF0Morgan, IL0.710
April 294:57 PM CDTEF1Crawford, AR5.5300$50,000
April 295:10 PM CDTEF0Van Zandt, TX1.875$60,000
April 295:29 PM CDTEF4Canton tornado, TX21.41,760225$1.2 million
April 295:51 PM CDTEF2Henderson, TX11.710010$600,000
April 296:08 PM CDTEF3Van Zandt, TX39.71,760224$670,000
April 296:32 PM CDTEF0Hopkins, TX8.6100$10,000
April 297:13 PM CDTEF0Van Zandt, TX0.980$5,000
April 298:45 PM CDTEF1Smith, TX3.0570$25,000
April 298:48 PM CDTEF1Wood, TX0.3190$30,000
April 2912:57 AM CDTEF1Woodruff, AR0.880$5,000

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.