EF4 Tornado — Faulkner, Arkansas

2014-04-27 · near Palarm, Faulkner, Arkansas

Event narrative

This tornado exited Pulaski County 1.6 miles northeast of Roland, while crossing the Arkansas River, and entered Faulkner County 0.6 mile southwest of Palarm. The tornado reached its maximum intensity of EF4 in Faulkner County. It tracked through the River Plantation subdivision and White City, then struck Mayflower, where residences and businesses were destroyed. The tornado then moved across Interstate 40 at Mayflower, throwing cars, trucks, and road construction equipment off the freeway. Traffic along the interstate was backed up for weeks following the tornado as motorists slowed to view the damage. Next, the tornado crossed a part of Lake Conway and moved across part of Camp Robinson, a National Guard facility, where the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lost a clubhouse, shop, horse barn, residence, metal carports, shower house, and dog kennels. The tornado then continued on through Saltillo and then caused devastation to homes and businesses in Vilonia. About 400 people had taken shelter in a safe room at the Vilonia high school.

According to the American Red Cross, in Faulkner County, the tornado destroyed 261 houses and 121 mobile homes; caused major damage to 77 houses, 29 mobile homes, and 5 apartments; caused minor damage to 96 houses, 14 mobile homes, and 4 apartments; and affected 257 houses, 32 mobile homes, and 4 apartments. Hundreds of cars and pickup trucks were mangled along the path of the tornado.

In Mayflower, a home improvement store was badly damaged, and a vehicle repair shop, millwork company, construction company, electric substation, and church were destroyed. A recreational vehicle dealership and dozens of RVs were also destroyed. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission eventually removed 627 tons of tornado debris from Lake Conway. In Vilonia, the new intermediate school under construction was destroyed, as were nearly two dozen businesses along Main St. (U.S. 64B), including a dollar store, a strip mall, two auto repair shops, the old city hall, a gas station, a real estate office, an investment firm, an auto parts store, and a fried chicken restaurant.

There were 12 fatalities in Faulkner County. In the Mayflower area, a 72-year-old woman was killed in a house on Plantation Dr., a 51-year-old man was killed in a house on Fortner Dr., and an 82-year-old man was killed in a house on Dam Rd. The other 9 fatalities were all in the Vilonia area. These included: brothers 7- and 9-years-old in a house on Cody Ln., a 50-year-old woman in a vehicle on U.S. 64, a 52-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman in a house on Cemetery Rd., a 57-year-old man in a house on North St., a 31-year-old man in a house on Aspen Creek Dr., and a 22-year-old man in a house on Clover Ridge Dr. In addition, a woman who was injured in a mobile home on Ponderosa Dr. gave birth to a baby which died immediately. More than 150 people were treated at hospitals.

The tornado hit Vilonia three years and two days after a tornado had destroyed some of the same structures. The tornado exited Faulkner County 4.6 miles southeast of Naylor and entered White County 2.2 miles west-northwest of El Paso.

Wider weather episode

A round of showers and thunderstorms occurred during the morning of the 27th. Some of the storms produced hail in central Arkansas. New storms during the afternoon dropped hail in the northern and western parts of the state. The cool outflow from the morning storms left a boundary draped across the middle of the state. This boundary separated cool air to the north and much warmer air to the south. During the evening, as a strong area of low pressure approached, a supercell erupted rapidly along the boundary. Altogether, the supercell produced five separate tornadoes, the first of which was rated EF4 and killed 16 people. It was the deadliest single tornado in Arkansas since 1968. Nearly 200 people were treated at hospitals.

Large amounts of rain fell over the northeastern quarter of the state. For the 24-hour period ending at 7 AM on the 28th, some of the larger totals included 7.60 inches at Batesville Lock and Dam (Independence Co.), 6.10 inches at Calamine (Sharp Co.), 5.34 inches at Evening Shade (Sharp Co.), 5.05 inches at Melbourne (Izard Co.), 4.46 inches at Hardy (Sharp Co.), 4.18 inches at Blanchard Springs (Stone Co.), 3.96 inches at Armstead Mountain (Pope Co.), 3.95 inches at Saddle (Fulton Co.), 3.92 inches at Poughkeepsie (Sharp Co.), 3.91 inches at Greers Ferry Dam (Cleburne Co.), and 3.72 inches at Mountain View (Stone Co.).

President Barack Obama declared a disaster in the following counties: Faulkner, Pulaski, White, Cleburne, Independence, Jackson, Izard, Sharp, and Fulton.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9130, -92.4572)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 504760. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.