EF1 Tornado — Washington, Arkansas

2025-05-19 · near Lincoln, Washington, Arkansas

Event narrative

This tornado developed along W South Street and moved across the south side of Lincoln. It moved east-northeast until it crossed County Road 438, then moved east. The tornado crossed Hogeye Road, turning northeast before dissipating east of Highway 265. The tornado damaged homes, several severely, uprooted or snapped numerous trees, snapped power poles, and destroyed outbuildings. It produced a tornadic debris signature from the KSRX WSR-88D. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 100 to 110 mph.

Wider weather episode

Severe thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma along and ahead of a dry line during the afternoon of the 19th, as an upper level disturbance approached the Southern Plains. These thunderstorms moved northeast off the dry line and across portions of northwestern Arkansas during the evening hours. The atmosphere east of the dry line across northwestern Arkansas became very unstable during the afternoon and evening, and this instability combined with strong deep-layer and low-level wind shear, resulted in the development of a severe squall line. Multiple tornadoes and large hail up to quarter size occurred with these thunderstorms across portions of northwestern Arkansas. Locally heavy rainfall also produced some flash flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.9410, -94.4290)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1264119. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.