EF2 Tornado — Benton, Arkansas

2024-05-26 · near Cherokee City, Benton, Arkansas

Event narrative

This was an anticyclonic tornado that was occurring simultaneously with another strong tornado northwest of Decatur. This tornado developed just west of WPA Road, south of Falling Springs Road. It moved southeast destroying outbuildings, snapping numerous trees and power poles, and damaging homes through Iva Road. It then turned east, and then northeast as it approached Highway 59. Homes were damaged, storage buildings were destroyed, and numerous trees were snapped. It moved northeast and dissipated after crossing Little John Road. About 20 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. This tornado produced a tornadic debris signature from the KINX, KSRX, and KSGF WSR-88Ds. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 120 to 130 mph.

Wider weather episode

Severe thunderstorms developed over western Oklahoma during the afternoon of the 25th, along a sharpening dry line, and moved east across Oklahoma during the evening, and across northwestern Arkansas during the early morning hours of the 26th. The atmosphere east of the dry line across Oklahoma and western Arkansas was moist and very unstable. Wind fields above the ground and deep layer wind shear strengthened during the afternoon through the early morning hours of the 26th, as an upper level disturbance translated into the Southern Plains. Additionally, low level wind shear increased late in the evening and continued very strong into the early morning hours of the 26th. These conditions were very supportive for the development of supercell thunderstorms. One of these supercells became particularly intense and long-tracked as it moved across northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas, producing multiple tornadoes, several of which were strong. Large hail to baseball size and swaths of damaging straight-line wind also occurred, resulting in considerable damage.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1184528. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.