Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas · 2017

EF1 tornado, Ryan to Humnoke, Arkansas, April 30, 2017

From Ryan to Humnoke, this EF1 tornado ran 5.1 miles across Lonoke County on April 30, 2017, touching down at 2:15 AM CDT and reaching 400 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $10,000 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 30, 2017
Touchdown
2:15 AM CDT (07:15 UTC)
Lifted
2:22 AM CDT (07:22 UTC)
On the ground
7 minutes
Path length
5.1 miles (8.2 km)
Path width
400 yards (366 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
County
Lonoke County
Touchdown point
34.485, -91.842
Lift-off point
34.542, -91.785
Record number
1704300115-01

The damage survey

8 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 98 mph.

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.

EF1 tornado touched down near the Lonoke/Jefferson County line... lifting at Allport west of Humnoke. Trees and powerpoles were snapped. Some trees were uprooted or lost limbs.

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

The warnings

3 minutes of warning. NWS LZK issued a tornado warning for this county at 07:12 UTC, 3 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 07:29 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
22:08 UTC23:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZK
03:23 UTC11:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchLZK
07:12 UTC07:29 UTCTornado WarningLZK
10:56 UTC15:00 UTCFlash Flood 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 General Thunderstorms Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 05:41 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

7.3 hours before the tornado, 174 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

4.7 hours after it, 174 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 radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 07:13 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.
05:15 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 Wsw Crystal HillPulaski, AR
05:16 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 Wnw Oak ForestPulaski, AR
06:00 UTCFLASH FLOODSherwoodPulaski, ARNUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED IN SHERWOOD... INCLUDING PARTS OF HIGHWAY 167 NEAR MCCAIN AND PORTIONS OF HIGHWAY 107
07:15 UTCTORNADO3 Se TomberlinLonoke, ARNWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE LONOKE/JEFFERSON COUNTY LINE...LIFTING AT ALLPORT WEST OF HUMNOKE. TREES AND POWERPOLES WERE SNAPPED...WITH OTHER TREES LOSING LIMBS OR BEING UPROOTED.
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
09:50 UTCFLASH FLOOD1 S N Little Rock ArptPulaski, ARMINOR STREET FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN PORTIONS OF INDIAN HILLS.
10:00 UTCFLASH FLOOD3 Nw CabotLonoke, ARSEVERAL ROADS ARE UNDER WATER.

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 30, 2017

42 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 301:25 AM CDTEF1Clay, AR2.8100$100,000
April 301:56 AM CDTEF1Dunklin, AR to MO2.050$20,000
April 302:07 AM CDTEF1Mississippi, AR5.6150$300,000
April 302:08 AM CDTEF1Dunklin, MO1.2100$250,000
April 302:52 AM CDTEF2New Madrid, MO4.0150$60,000
April 303:07 AM CDTEF1Winn Parish, LA6.91,760$50,000
April 304:20 AM CDTEF1Avoyelles Parish, LA0.695$110,000
April 304:44 AM CDTEF1Morehouse Parish, LA5.750$100,000
April 305:50 AM CDTEF0Drew, AR1.175$50,000
April 306:14 AM CDTEF2Adams, MS3.4440$400,000
April 307:13 AM CDTEF1Warren, LA to MS9.2440$100,000
April 307:24 AM CDTEF1Jefferson, MS14.4440$300,000
April 307:30 AM CDTEF2Claiborne, MS19.9880$530,000
April 308:01 AM CDTEF0Copiah, MS5.2100$50,000
April 308:10 AM CDTEF1Hinds, MS6.1300$115,000
April 308:14 AM CDTEF1Warren, MS2.7900$50,000
April 308:22 AM CDTEF1Hinds, MS20.3880$300,000
April 308:23 AM CDTEF1Hinds, MS7.11,800$95,000
April 308:23 AM CDTEF1Hinds, MS1.1150$70,000
April 308:28 AM CDTEF1Hinds, MS2.0500$150,000
April 308:46 AM CDTEF0Tipton, TN2.1100$100,000
April 308:50 AM CDTEF1Madison, MS6.0400$40,000
April 308:51 AM CDTEF1Yazoo, MS5.01,500$20,000
April 308:54 AM CDTEF2Yazoo, MS21.71,700$2.3 million
April 309:06 AM CDTEF1Yazoo, MS6.91,003$130,000
April 309:16 AM CDTEF2Yazoo, MS23.41,9001$3.8 million
April 309:38 AM CDTEF1Holmes, MS9.1400$40,000
April 309:41 AM CDTEF0Scott, MS4.3100$50,000
April 309:42 AM CDTEF1Attala, MS3.9600$60,000
April 309:42 AM CDTEF1Holmes, MS3.0600$30,000
April 309:51 AM CDTEF0Carroll, MS2.6250$40,000
April 309:58 AM CDTEF2Carroll, MS15.51,936$2.1 million
April 3010:11 AM CDTEF1Montgomery, MS6.6970$4.0 million
April 3010:13 AM CDTEF1Montgomery, MS5.6800$40,000
April 3010:14 AM CDTEF1Montgomery, MS6.8650$75,000
April 3010:17 AM CDTEF0Neshoba, MS0.350$20,000
April 3010:18 AM CDTEF1Webster, MS7.4600$30,000
April 3010:26 AM CDTEF1Calhoun, MS2.750$200,000
April 3011:37 AM CDTEF1Lowndes, MS3.8440$375,000
April 301:15 PM CDTEF1Pointe Coupee Parish, LA0.950
April 301:50 PM CDTEF0East Baton Rouge Parish, LA0.340
April 302:12 PM CDTEF0Cullman, AL10.1215

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.