Thunderstorm Wind — Scott, Arkansas

2020-08-31 · near Y City, Scott, Arkansas

Event narrative

A tree was down at Hwy. 270 and 71 at Y City and on Hwy. 28 West near Cauthron.

Wider weather episode

The heat/humidity energized the environment on the 29th, and this happened as a cold front slowly approached from Missouri. Ahead of the front, strong to severe thunderstorms popped up in northern Arkansas in the afternoon. There was an estimated 60 mph wind gust just northeast of Damascus (Van Buren County) and a 70 mph gust at Alicia (Lawrence County). Trees were blown down at the latter location, and also at Lynn (Lawrence County). As storms dropped to the south toward Little Rock (Pulaski County), a building on a school campus was struck by lightning in Pulaski Heights (Pulaski County). This started a fire that damaged the roof.

Later in the evening, the focus shifted to the west. A storm near Boothe (Scott County) cranked out golf ball size hail at the intersection of Highways 23 and 71. Trees were pushed onto Highway 28 just east of Hon (Scott County) and Mena (Polk County).

Two to more than four inches of rain fell in west central Arkansas. Since this part of the state had already been pounded with deluge after deluge in August, the soil was saturated and could not hold much liquid. A flash flood event unfolded in a hurry, and it was serious. Water was over Highway 23 at Elm Park (Scott County). Several roads were under water and impassible at Mena (Polk County). At the airport just southeast of town, 2.74 inches of rain fell in an hour. People on all-terrain vehicles were stranded by high water at Wolfpen Gap Campground just west of Big Fork (Polk County). Sections of Highways 270 and 27 were flooded near Mount Ida (Montgomery County).

Early on the 31st, the sky opened again in the west. Many roads were inundated with water at Waldron (Scott County). Flooding was also experienced on Highway 298 near Story (Montgomery County), and along several thoroughfares in Hot Springs (Garland County).

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.7300, -94.0800)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 916604. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.