EF4 Tornado — Stone, Arkansas

2008-02-05 · near Rushing, Stone, Arkansas

Event narrative

The tornado moved from Van Buren County, north of Shirley, into Stone County, south-southwest of Rushing. According to a Red Cross survey, 24 houses were destroyed, 11 suffered major damage, 11 had minor damage, and 21 others were affected. Mobile home damage included 14 destroyed, 4 with major damage, 4 with minor damage, and 6 others affected. Major damage to businesses occurred near the intersection of Arkansas Highways 5 and 14 on the southeast side of Mountain View. A car dealership was destroyed and some of the cars on the sales lot were thrown across the highway. One car was lofted over a building across the highway and then thrown down into a ravine. Nearby, a utility pole was pulled up by the tornado, and then a large part of the pole was jammed back into the ground with all the wires still attached. The Stone County Medical Center suffered substantial damage, and a number of doctors' offices nearby were destroyed. Other businesses destroyed included a body shop, a paint shop, and a car parts store. A fire station had major damage. A major electrical transmission line outside of Mountain View was destroyed. It was nearly a week before the line could be rebuilt and power restored. One person was killed in a house just east of the Highway 5/14 intersection. The tornado continued into Izard County, in the area just northwest of Guion.

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 → (35.7130, -92.2759)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 81045. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.