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F3 tornado in Pulaski County, Arkansas

Tornado January 21, 1999 · Pulaski County, Arkansas

F3
Rating
22.0 mi
Whole path
700 yd
Path width
3
Deaths
72
Injuries

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 700 yards (0.40 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 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

A strong tornado moved from eastern Saline County into southwest Pulaski County. Trees were downed as the tornado entered Pulaski County, with some roof damage to a business along Interstate 30 about 5 miles southwest of Little Rock. The tornado continued northeast into eastern sections of the downtown area...crossing near the intersection of Interstates 30 and 630. In this area, many homes and businesses (at least 235 structures) were heavily damaged or destroyed. It was estimated that around 750 structures sustained at least some damage. This included homes in an historic district which were built at the turn of the century. Trees were also downed throughout the area. One tree fell on a car, taking the life of a woman inside. The Governor's Mansion was not spared, with numerous trees down and one tree damaging a fence around the property. A grocery store was also destroyed at the corner of 17th and Main. One man lost his life at this location. Farther northeast, the tornado weakened as it crossed Interstate 40 just east of Highway 67/167. However, the tornado blew a tree down on a mobile home about 2 miles southeast of Sherwood. A man lost his life as a result. The tornado finally dissipated in Sherwood, with a new tornado forming in southeast Pulaski County.

Began near Little Rock (34.6300, -92.4000).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5685650. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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