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EF3 tornado in Garland County, Arkansas

Tornado April 25, 2011 · Garland County, Arkansas

EF3
Rating
16.8 mi
Whole path
300 yd
Path width
1
Death
20
Injuries
$23.0M
Damage as recorded

NOAA records this tornado county by county. Its path ran through Garland County → Saline County; the totals above are for the whole tornado.

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 300 yards (0.17 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF3 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF3 is severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, consistent with estimated gusts of 136–165 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Homes were destroyed in the Walnut Valley, Ozark Lithia, Ranch Estates, and Mountain Valley areas. Church buildings and the Teen Challenge building on Arkansas Highway 7 were badly damaged. Vehicles were piled up in the parking lot of the church. An 8-month old baby was killed in the Walnut Valley area. A Red Cross survey indicated approximately 25 houses and 21 mobile homes were destroyed, 22 houses and 5 mobile homes suffered severe damage, 18 houses and 4 mobile homes had minor damage, and 5 houses and 2 mobile homes were affected. A two-story house had its top floor removed. Several outbuildings and a well-constructed barn were destroyed. A portion of the tornado's track was determined during an aerial survey by the Arkansas Forestry Commission. This tornado exited Garland County northwest of the incorporated portion of Fountain Lake and entered Saline County in Hot Springs Village.

The wider storm

From the 24th through the 27th, the arrival of a slow-moving cold front and several low pressure areas aloft triggered several rounds of thunderstorms. Tornadoes, severe storms, and flash flooding resulted. Widespread areal flooding followed the flash flooding. Some of this flooding was due to heavy rain, while some of it was caused by water from rivers, creeks, and bayous backing up onto the land. On the evening of the 25th, devastating tornadoes affected several areas in central Arkansas. More than 140,000 electric customers in Arkansas lost power. Heavy rains during this period were the beginning of the Great Flood of 2011 in Arkansas. Much of the flooding lasted well into May, and some even continued all the way to late June.

Began near Ozark Lithia (34.5903, -93.0390).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

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

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 289592. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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