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F4 tornado in Pulaski County, Arkansas

Tornado March 1, 1997 · Pulaski County, Arkansas

F4
Rating
25.0 mi
Whole path
1,408 yd
Path width
15
Deaths
220
Injuries
$75.0M
Damage as recorded

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

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 1,408 yards (0.80 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F4 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F4 meant devastating damage: well-built houses levelled; the scale paired it with winds of 207–260 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

The wider storm

The Saline County tornado moved into Pulaski County about 2.5 miles southeast of Mabelvale at 341 pm CST. The tornado tracked northeastward and damaged or destroyed a number of homes and businesses in the area of Arch Street Pike and Dixon Road in the south part of Little Rock. One person was killed in the same area when the building he was in seeking shelter was destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down. The tornado continued to produce damage as it moved northeastward, but weakened and partially lifted as it approached the intersection of Highway 65 and Dixon Road. At this location, a building was destroyed and the tops of some trees were removed.The tornado reemerged near the College Station area around 349 pm CST, causing widespread damage. Many frame homes were either damaged or destroyed. 4 people were killed in the College Station area. A number of residents noted that there was a tremendous amount of flying debris. The tornado crossed I-440 and passed very close to Little Rock National Airport. The airport was closed for several hours after the storm passed, due to a large amount of debris on the runways. A hotel and a UPS Distribution Center near the airport sustained some damage. The tornado eventually lifted soon after it crossed the Arkansas River.Much of the damage along the path of the tornado was F2 and F3. However, some structural damage along the path was consistent with an F4 rating.

Began near Mabelvale (34.6200, -92.3500).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5592933. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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