Flash Flood — Desha, Arkansas

2021-06-08 · near Mc Gehee, Desha, Arkansas

Event narrative

The Desha County sheriff's office reported water over roads around McGehee. Additionally, several county roads were inundated by water.

Wider weather episode

Hit and miss thunderstorms ramped up on the 6th. Two to more than three inches of rain was measured at Cane Creek State Park (Lincoln County), Fordyce (Dallas County), Monticello (Drew County), Nashville (Howard County), and Pine Bluff (Jefferson County). Several roads were under water between Avilla (Saline County) and Ferndale (Pulaski County), and also at Monticello (Drew County).

During the predawn hours of the 7th, thunderstorm winds downed a tree on Highway 53 just south of Gurdon (Clark County). This caused a log truck to overturn. In the afternoon, more trees were toppled in Camden and East Camden (both in Ouachita County). A chapel roof was damaged just southwest of Cummins (Lincoln County), and part of a roof was blown off close to Sorrells (Jefferson County).

At least a dozen Tornado Warnings were issued in portions of Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Dallas, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, Ouachita, and Pike Counties. A funnel cloud was spotted by law enforcement at Gum Springs (Clark County). There was a brief tornado reported (rated EFU, where U is unknown because there was no damage to evaluate) to the west of Calion (Union County) at 426 pm CDT. The tornado apparently did little more than kick up some dust.

On the 8th, there was a life threatening deluge in southeast Arkansas. Showers and thunderstorms became widespread, and moved over the same areas for several hours.

Too much rain flooded roads at Star City and Varner (both in Lincoln County), Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), Stuttgart (Arkansas County), and also at Dumas and McGehee (both in Desha County). Water got into many homes. Crop and road damage (washouts) was reported in Bradley County. A creek was out of its banks just southeast of Timber Ridge (Pulaski County).

There was high water along Highway 114 between Calmer and Rison (both in Cleveland County), Highway 425 near Yorktown (Lincoln County), Highway 293 east of Garrett Bridge (Lincoln County), Highway 46 not far from Ebb (Grant County), Highway 276 on the south side of Stuttgart (Arkansas County), and Highway 1 at Kelso (Desha County). These highways were eventually closed temporarily.

The situation was the most serious in Desha and Drew Counties, and a Flash Flood Emergency was issued for the communities of Dumas, Pickens, Rohwer (all in Desha County), and Winchester (Drew County) at 1142 am CDT on the 8th. Radar estimated 10 to more than 15 inches of rain, and there was water everywhere. Some folks indicated (through social media) they had never witnessed flooding of this magnitude.

From an historic perspective, Rohwer (Desha County) received 9.25 inches of rain in the twenty four hour period ending at 700 am CDT on the 8th. This was the most rain in one day at the site, and the fourth largest one day total across the state in June. If that was not enough, 9.97 inches of liquid was measured the next day! Adding the numbers, the whopping 19.22 inches on the 8th/9th was the second biggest two day amount in Arkansas. It was just behind the 21.45 inches at Danville (Yell County) on December 3-4, 1982.

Relentless cloudbursts continued to start the 9th in eastern Arkansas. A rain gauge near DeValls Bluff (Prairie County) completely filled (to six inches) between 400 am and 700 am CST. Buildings were flooded and cars were stalled in Clarendon (Monroe County). It was the same story in Humnoke (Lonoke County), and sandbags were ordered to stop the water.

It was just getting worse in Stuttgart (Arkansas County), with one picture showing more water in a home than ever before (in the life of the photographer/42 years). That claim was likely true because the 7.50 inches of rain that caused the problem easily surpassed the previous one day June record of 4.07 inches on the 29th in 1939. At least fifteen homes were impacted by flooding at Altheimer (Jefferson County). Highway 302 from Highway 17 to Highway 79 was shut down in Monroe County, as was Highway 15 near Sherrill (Jefferson County), Highway 33 east of Tollville (Prairie County), and Highways 85 and 318 near Oneida (Phillips County).

As the weather calmed down in the east by the afternoon of the 9th, temperatures warmed well into the 80s to around 90 degrees across the northern and central counties. Heating and lots of humidity were enough to fuel isolated strong to severe storms toward evening.

Just after 700 pm CDT, a video showed a tornado (rated EFU) that lasted two minutes in a field near Blakemore (Lonoke County). Between 700 pm and 800 pm CDT, there was quarter size hail just east of College Station (Pulaski County). Little Rock (Pulaski County) got a quick 1.10 inches of rain. Trees were blown down at Cave City (Sharp County). At 805 pm CDT, there was a brief weak tornado (rated EF0) a few miles southeast of England (Lonoke County).

The focus shifted back to the southeast early on the 10th. You guessed it...the sky was falling again. Rain plus runoff from the soaking on the 8th/9th in northern and central Desha County inundated farms toward Halley (Desha County) in the south. At 200 pm CDT, an irrigation canal east of Pickens (Desha County) was breached, and adjacent farmland became a lake. The canal was patched by evening. At Florence (Drew County), residents were forced to use boats to get around. Water threatened structures at Dermott and Eudora (both in Chicot County), and sandbagging was in progress. It was clear that assistance was needed, and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson declared a state of emergency.

All was quiet quiet in Little Rock (Pulaski County) on the 10th, and the sun was out. For the first time in 2021, the temperature touched 90 degrees (the high was 92 degrees), and it was three weeks late (it normally happens by May 18th). Toward evening, it got loud toward Pinnacle Mountain (Pulaski County). A severe storm pumped out quarter size hail, winds strong enough to push over a few trees, and up to six inches of rain in less than two hours. The terrain accentuated the flow of water across roads and into neighborhoods.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.6300, -91.3900)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 962321. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.