EF3 Tornado — Izard, Arkansas

2008-02-05 · near Guion, Izard, Arkansas

Event narrative

The tornado moved out of Stone County, northeast of Mountain View, into Izard County, just northwest of Guion. A survey by the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicated 106 residential structures (houses and mobile homes) suffered damage. This included 43 residences destroyed, 14 with major damage, 36 with minor damage, and 13 others affected. A cattle farmer lost hundreds of cattle to the tornado. Two fatalities occurred: One in a mobile home in the Rose Trail area, and the other in a mobile home at Zion. The tornado continued into Sharp County, in the area northwest of Evening Shade.

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 → (35.9379, -91.9624)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 81054. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.