EF3 Tornado — Conway, Arkansas

2008-02-05 · near Hattieville, Conway, Arkansas

Event narrative

The tornado moved out of Pope County, northeast of Atkins, into Conway County, west of Hattieville. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 56 residences (both houses and mobile homes) suffered damage. Altogether, 32 residences were destroyed, 6 had major damage, and 18 had minor damage. Several chicken houses were destroyed, and approximately 80,000 chickens were killed. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down. An elderly couple was killed about 3.2 miles south-southwest of Cleveland when their mobile home was destroyed. The tornado then moved into Van Buren County, south-southeast of Beverage Town.

Wider weather episode

Early on the 5th, a strong storm system approached from the Plains. Ahead of the system, breezy southerly winds provided well above normal temperatures and abundant moisture. Warmth and moisture destabilized the atmosphere and fueled developing thunderstorms. A cold front moved across the state causing numerous severe storms and several tornadoes. One of the tornadoes tracked from Yell County to Sharp County, staying on the ground for 121.84 miles. This track length set a record for the longest tornado path ever recorded in Arkansas. The continuous track was confirmed by two National Weather Service meteorologists who flew the track with the Civil Air Patrol. The final track was based on ground surveys, the Civil Air Patrol flight, and an aerial mapping flight performed for the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.2835, -92.8538)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 81031. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.