EF2 Tornado — Washington, Arkansas

2025-05-19 · near (fyv)fayetteville Ar, Washington, Arkansas

Event narrative

This tornado developed along SW Campbell Road, west of I-49, where trees were snapped and uprooted. It moved northeast across I-49, severely damaging a metal building structure, and then turned to the east across the southern portion of Drake Field. It then turned east-northeast, crossing Highway 16 and dissipated near Combs Bell Road. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted along the path of this tornado, industrial buildings and homes and businesses were damaged, many power poles were snapped, and outbuildings were destroyed. The tornado produced a tornadic debris signature from the KSRX WSR-88D. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 115 to 125 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 → (35.9690, -94.2080)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1264127. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.