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Flash Flood in Independence County, Arkansas

Flash Flood October 29, 2009 · Independence County, Arkansas

1
Death
$15K
Damage as recorded

Where the report was made, with tornadoes recorded within 15 miles over the years.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A pickup truck was swept off Webber Chapel Road into an unnamed creek. The driver was killed after being swept downstream. A passenger in the vehicle saved himself by clinging to a tree.

The wider storm

A large storm system in the Rockies headed through the Plains into the upper Midwest on the 29th. Rain increased ahead of the system, and became widespread in Arkansas. Meanwhile, a cold front arrived from the west. Because the system was so far to the north, it did not give the front much push. The front slowed down, which prolonged the rain. The result was widespread flash flooding, which gave way to areal flooding and river flooding. Winds changed direction and speed up through the atmosphere, a favorable condition for tornadoes. However, instability was sufficient only in southern Arkansas for the development of tornadoes.

Began near New Hope (35.8082, -91.7748).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

7 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 197838. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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