Flash Flood — Perry, Arkansas

2011-04-25 · near Casa, Perry, Arkansas

Event narrative

The driver of a feed truck exited his vehicle at a low-water crossing to remove a large log that was in the road at Casa-Aplin Rd. and Deer Run Ln. While he was outside his truck, he was swept away by high water. The incident occurred around 8:00 PM CDT on the 25th, but the accident was not discovered until around 8:00 AM CDT on the 26th.

Wider weather episode

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.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.0171, -93.0400)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 302349. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.