This report, while providing a general overview of the severe weather event, focuses on the Fort Smith metropolitan area of northwest Arkansas, where a strong tornado caused extensive property damage, two fatalities, and more than forty injuries.
Does Fort Smith Arkansas get tornadoes?
The Fort Smith tornado is tied with one that struck Warren in 1949 for the deadliest tornado to strike Arkansas. Both tornadoes were estimated to be rated F4 on the Fujita scale.
Where do most tornadoes occur in Arkansas?
Since 1950, counties with 35 or more tornadoes are mostly clustered along Interstate 30 and U.S. Highway 67/167. This includes areas from Arkadelphia (Clark County) to Little Rock (Pulaski County) and Jonesboro (Craighead County). Tornado deaths are highest in this part of the state as well.
What area of Arkansas has the least tornadoes?
Arkansas Tornado Index City Rank
| Rank | Tornado Index ▼ | City / Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 539.81 | El Paso, AR |
| 2. | 535.21 | Mount Vernon, AR / 195 |
| 3. | 522.85 | Cabot, AR / 24,768 |
| 4. | 519.39 | Romance, AR |
Did the tornado touch down in Fort Smith Arkansas?
FORT SMITH, Ark. — The National Weather Service of Tulsa says that two EF-1 tornadoes with winds up to 100 mph touched down in the River Valley Monday, April 11, just after 5 p.m.
How many tornadoes have hit Fort Smith Arkansas?
Historical Tornado Events. A total of 93 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Fort Smith, AR.
When was the last tornado in Van Buren Arkansas?
Smith and Van Buren, Arkansas, tornado of April 21, 1996 was prepared by a NWS Disaster Survey Team (DST). The DST conducted the field survey over a period of four days. The initial work was conducted through investigations and interviews in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ft.
Has Arkansas ever had an F5 tornado?
Late on the afternoon of April 10th 1929, a tornado ranked as F5 (the maximum intensity on the Fujita scale of tornado intensity) struck northern Jackson County. This is the only F5 tornado ever documented in Arkansas. It has come to be known as the “Sneed Tornado”.
How long is tornado season in Arkansas?
Although tornadoes can happen year-round in Arkansas, there are two main tornado seasons, Shelton says. The first is March to May. The secondary season takes place from November through January.
What cities in Arkansas were affected by the tornados?
Earlier Wednesday, a tornado that struck Springdale, Arkansas, and the adjoining town of Johnson, about 145 miles (235 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock, about 4 a.m. injured seven people, two critically, said Washington County, Arkansas, Emergency Management Director John Luther.
What part of Arkansas is safe from tornadoes?
Tornadoes arent common in NW Arkansas, but they can happen. Most of the tornadic activity actually occurs west of the Fort Smith Area. The Ozark and Boston mountain ranges do a considerable job in preventing most tornadoes from forming.
What states don’t have tornadoes?
What states don’t have tornadoes? Alaska, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C. rarely see tornadoes — they averaged zero tornadoes annually over the last 25 years, according to our analysis of NOAA data.
Do they have alligators in Arkansas?
Fortunately, alligator populations in Arkansas have increased following twenty years of protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The waters of Arkansas Post National Memorial provide valuable habitat to over a dozen alligators, some of which are fourteen feet in length.
How many tornadoes were produced during the largest tornado outbreak in US history?
360 tornadoes
The 2011 Super Outbreak was the largest tornado outbreak spawned by a single weather system in recorded history; it produced 360 tornadoes from April 25–28, with 216 of those in a single 24-hour period on April 27 from midnight to midnight CDT, fifteen of which were violent EF4–EF5 tornadoes. 348 deaths occurred in
Has Springdale Arkansas ever had a tornado?
A powerful EF3 tornado with winds up to 145 mph tore through Springdale, Arkansas, leaving buildings and vehicles severely damaged and debris strewn across the city.
What is an F5 tornado?
The scale ranks tornadoes from F0 to F5, with F0 being the least intense and F5 being the most intense. F5 tornadoes were estimated to have had maximum winds between 261 mph (420 km/h) and 318 mph (512 km/h).
Were there tornadoes in the 1800s?
The first written accounts of tornadoes in the Great Plains were from settlements near and along the Missouri River in Kansas during the mid-1800s. On October 25, 1844, a tornado moved northeast from present-day Mission, Kansas, into Missouri. Many pioneer farms were damaged or destroyed.
Is a brick house safer in a tornado?
The durability of bricks means they can better withstand high impact and are less likely to crack and dent. However, brick houses aren’t safe from tornados. Regular bricks can’t withstand tornados, especially those above the EF-3 intensity.
Can you survive an f5 tornado in a basement?
EF5. Barring a storm cellar or a specially constructed, reinforced room, a basement is the place where you’re likeliest to survive a direct hit from a tornado. It’s a pretty good bet, but it’s not failsafe.
Can you tornado proof a house?
Homes built with insulated concrete forms (ICF), like Fox Blocks, maintain their integrity during the high winds of a tornado. Insulating concrete forms can withstand winds of over 200 mph.
How many tornadoes Does Arkansas have in 2022 so far?
Arkansas. Since the start of 2022, the NWS confirmed 23 tornadoes in the state. The NWS confirmed that four EF-1 tornadoes hit Arkansas on April 11. A woman was killed in Rison when a tree toppled onto her home on April 13.