Excessive Heat — Faulkner, Arkansas

2010-08-02 to 2010-08-05 · Faulkner, Arkansas

Event narrative

A 66 year-old woman died from the heat in Mayflower on August 4th. According to the Faulkner County coroner, the woman went grocery shopping and fell in her driveway when she returned home. Due to recent ill health, she was unable to get up after the fall. She was discovered several hours later, having already succumbed to the heat. Her car was still running with the groceries inside.

Wider weather episode

Hot, humid weather prevailed in early August as high pressure aloft settled over Arkansas. Most reporting stations saw high temperatures rise to 100 degrees or greater, with a few highs reaching 106 to 108 degrees. The only exceptions were some of the higher elevations. Heat indices climbed to 105 to 110 degrees across the north, with a few places seeing heat indices close to 115. Over central and southern Arkansas, heat indices in the 112 to 117 range were common, and a few spots recorded heat indices near 120. A cold front pushed into Arkansas on the 5th and 6th, bringing scattered to numerous thunderstorms and putting a temporary end to the heat wave.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 239549. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.