Thunderstorm Wind — Miller, Arkansas

2008-05-22 · near Texarkana, Miller, Arkansas

Event narrative

Two severe thunderstorms came together over the south side of the city. One severe storm was moving northeastward from southern Bowie County while the other was moving northwestward through Miller County. Both storms collided in an area just south of downtown Texarkana. As a result of the collision, the storm cores collapsed in an area just east of State Line Avenue over a several block area between 16th and 20th Streets. Numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted onto homes and cars in the Glendale Subdivision. As the survey expanded outward to the north near 24th Street and the Woodlawn Cemetery, trees were noted to have fallen in a north or northeastward direction typical of a microburst. Damage was found as far northeast as the Calvary Cemetery area with trees downed in a north to northeast direction. Trees were also uprooted and snapped on the Texas side of State Line Avenue with a heavier concentration along Magnolia Street between 24th Street and 30th Streets. It was noted that the trees fell in a northwesterly direction which would be expected if a microburst had occurred to the south and east of those locations. Numerous homes were damaged on the Texas side of State Line Avenue as a result. Powerlines were also downed throughout the area as a result of either poles snapping or trees falling on the lines. The area impacted by the microburst is approximately 3.5 miles long to the northeast of the origin and 4 miles in width from one end of the damage swath to the other. City and County officials estimate that 44 homes sustained major damage with an unknown number of vehicles damaged. At least 100 damage reports have been collected thus far. Only one minor injury occurred when a tree fell on a home injuring an elderly woman inside. All of Miller County was considered a disaster area after the damage that resulted from the microburst across the northern portion of the county.

Wider weather episode

A northward moving warm front across northeast Texas...southwest Arkansas as well as northern Louisiana encountered a very unstable airmass across the region. An upper level disturbance moved northeast from central Texas during the afternoon and evening hours of May 22nd. The result was widespread severe thunderstorms which produced large hail and very damaging wind gusts. Numerous reports of trees and powerlines downed across the region with the Texarkana area getting hit very hard once again.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.4300, -94.0500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 103577. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.