Battiest, OK Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Battiest is lower than Oklahoma average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Battiest is much lower than Oklahoma average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #563
Battiest, OK | 0.03 |
Oklahoma | 0.31 |
U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
Battiest, OK | 0.0000 |
Oklahoma | 0.0000 |
U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #778
Battiest, OK | 158.94 |
Oklahoma | 363.83 |
U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 2,808 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Battiest, OK were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 3 | Cold: | 3 | Dense Fog: | 10 | Drought: | 18 |
Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 230 | Hail: | 1,415 | Heat: | 5 | Heavy Snow: | 29 |
High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 11 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 15 |
Thunderstorm Winds: | 947 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 1 | Winter Storm: | 18 | Winter Weather: | 22 |
Other: | 81 |
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Battiest, OK.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 1 historical earthquake event that had a recorded magnitude of 3.5 or above found in or near Battiest, OK.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
44.9 | 1977-06-02 | 4.3 | 10 | 34.61 | -94.19 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 76 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Battiest, OK.
Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
11.8 | 1961-05-05 | 2 | 34°24'N / 94°48'W | 34°30'N / 94°41'W | 9.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Mccurtain |
18.3 | 1967-04-12 | 2 | 33°59'N / 95°06'W | 34°24'N / 95°06'W | 28.70 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mccurtain |
18.4 | 1983-11-22 | 2 | 34°28'N / 95°16'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pushmataha | |
18.5 | 1982-05-28 | 2 | 34°31'N / 94°42'W | 34°33'N / 94°36'W | 5.00 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Le Flore |
18.8 | 1983-11-22 | 3 | 34°39'N / 95°07'W | 34°41'N / 95°05'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Pushmataha |
20.6 | 1962-05-28 | 2 | 34°39'N / 95°06'W | 34°46'N / 95°01'W | 9.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pushmataha |
21.7 | 2000-04-23 | 2 | 34°18'N / 95°22'W | 34°17'N / 95°13'W | 9.00 Miles | 175 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pushmataha |
Brief Description: A F2 tornado touched down west of Cloudy and traveled just south of Cloudy through rural areas of Pushmataha county before lifting 9 miles later east southeast of Cloudy. Only tree damage was observered. | |||||||||||
23.2 | 1956-03-27 | 2 | 34°45'N / 95°03'W | 1.00 Mile | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Le Flore | |
24.4 | 1956-04-03 | 3 | 34°09'N / 95°13'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 25K | 0 | Pushmataha | |
24.9 | 1982-12-23 | 2 | 34°04'N / 95°00'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
25.1 | 1970-06-11 | 2 | 34°36'N / 95°20'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pushmataha | |||
25.3 | 1976-03-26 | 4 | 34°46'N / 95°05'W | 34°47'N / 95°04'W | 1.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Latimer |
27.2 | 1951-07-15 | 2 | 34°48'N / 94°48'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Kingfisher | |||
27.9 | 1976-03-26 | 4 | 34°47'N / 95°04'W | 34°52'N / 94°57'W | 8.80 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Le Flore |
28.2 | 1971-12-14 | 2 | 33°58'N / 95°06'W | 34°05'N / 95°00'W | 9.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mccurtain |
28.2 | 1982-04-02 | 5 | 34°03'N / 95°10'W | 34°01'N / 95°01'W | 7.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Mccurtain |
29.2 | 2009-04-09 | 2 | 34°37'N / 94°33'W | 34°39'N / 94°27'W | 7.00 Miles | 550 Yards | 0 | 4 | 100K | 0K | Le Flore |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado destroyed a mobile home, injuring four occupants, two of which were severely injured. Several other mobile homes were also severely damaged and a permanent home was damaged. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. Based on this damage, maximum winds were estimated to be between 120 and 130 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Widespread severe thunderstorms occurred across eastern Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 9th. | |||||||||||
29.3 | 2000-04-23 | 2 | 34°02'N / 94°59'W | 34°00'N / 94°38'W | 20.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 40K | 0 | Mccurtain |
Brief Description: Numerous trees toppled and broken. Tornado was described as rope like by chasers in the area during most of its path. A house on the south side of Oak Hill was split in half from a fallen tree. The tornado moved through downtown Broken Bow and through a WalMart store. The tornado was only F0 intensity as it moved through Broken Bow and F2 near Oak Hill. | |||||||||||
29.4 | 1961-05-05 | 4 | 34°44'N / 95°02'W | 34°57'N / 94°39'W | 26.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 16 | 58 | 250K | 0 | Le Flore |
30.1 | 1982-04-02 | 5 | 34°01'N / 95°01'W | 34°00'N / 94°34'W | 24.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mccurtain |
30.4 | 1974-05-14 | 2 | 34°50'N / 94°45'W | 1.00 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Le Flore | |
30.5 | 1960-05-05 | 4 | 34°53'N / 95°18'W | 34°38'N / 95°18'W | 17.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 13 | 100 | 2.5M | 0 | Latimer |
31.1 | 1992-05-11 | 2 | 34°41'N / 95°27'W | 34°49'N / 95°12'W | 16.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Latimer |
31.1 | 2003-05-01 | 2 | 34°05'N / 94°48'W | 33°57'N / 94°38'W | 13.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 260K | 0 | Mccurtain |
Brief Description: A supercell thunderstorm moved southeast across Broken Bow, OK. Two new frame homes under construction had roofs torn off. A total of 30 to 40 wood frame homes had roof and frame damage with windows broken. One home was destroyed. Numerous trees uprooted and snapped. Several power poles blown down. | |||||||||||
32.1 | 1977-11-15 | 2 | 34°35'N / 94°25'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Polk | |
32.1 | 1964-04-03 | 2 | 34°53'N / 94°51'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Le Flore | |||
32.9 | 1961-07-23 | 2 | 33°57'N / 94°54'W | 1.00 Mile | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
33.1 | 2008-05-10 | 2 | 34°45'N / 95°30'W | 34°42'N / 95°18'W | 11.00 Miles | 580 Yards | 0 | 4 | 1.0M | 0K | Latimer |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This tornado continued from Pittsburg County. As it moved into Latimer County, the tornado destroyed a double-wide mobile home, severely damaged another home and barn, and rolled an F350 pickup truck about 50 yards. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted as the tornado approached Yanush. In Yanush, about 50 homes were damaged, eight of those were destroyed along with one business. Numerous sheds, barns, and outbuildings were destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Elevated severe thunderstorms containing large hail developed north of a warm front that was moving slowly northward across eastern Oklahoma and west central Arkansas during the morning and early afternoon of the 10th. Another round of severe thunderstorms developed late in the afternoon as a dry line approached the area from the west. Extreme instability and strong vertical wind shear resulted in the development of long-lived supercell thunderstorms that moved across eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas during the late afternoon and evening. Several of these supercells became tornadic and a few produced long-lived damaging tornadoes. One such supercell developed and moved along the Oklahoma-Kansas border and then into southwestern Missouri. This storm produced a tornado in northeastern Craig County OK that remained on the ground for 29 miles in Oklahoma, continued for about 31 miles in Newton County MO, and finally dissipated about 15 miles into Barry County MO. It produced EF-4 damage in several locations, including Picher, a small town in north-central Ottawa County OK. Twenty-one fatalities, over 350 injuries, and an estimated $60 million in property damage resulted from this tornado in Oklahoma and Missouri. Six of the fatalities and about 150 injuries occurred in Picher OK. Other strong tornadoes developed and moved across portions of Pittsburg and Latimer Counties. A EF-2 tornado was on the ground for about eight miles west of McAlester, damaging numerous homes in its path. Another EF-2 tornado developed southwest of Hartshorne in Pittsburg County and moved 19 miles before dissipating just east of Yanush in Latimer County. Four injuries resulted from that tornado and numerous homes were severely damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
33.1 | 1950-01-13 | 3 | 34°24'N / 94°22'W | 0.60 Mile | 17 Yards | 1 | 1 | 3K | 0 | Polk | |
33.2 | 1982-04-02 | 5 | 34°08'N / 95°34'W | 34°03'N / 95°10'W | 22.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Choctaw |
33.9 | 2000-03-26 | 2 | 34°51'N / 94°38'W | 34°49'N / 94°36'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.2M | 0 | Le Flore |
Brief Description: A tornado touched down 1.5 miles northwest of Hodgen and moved southeast passing near the town of Hodgen before lifting 2 miles southeast of Hodgen. Three mobile homes were destroyed and as many as eight others were damaged. In addition, two broiler houses were destroyed, killing all the chickens inside. A few other agriculture structures were damaged and a few power lines were blown down. | |||||||||||
34.2 | 1979-04-11 | 2 | 34°00'N / 94°36'W | 34°08'N / 94°28'W | 11.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Mccurtain |
34.3 | 1960-05-04 | 4 | 34°09'N / 95°37'W | 34°23'N / 95°25'W | 19.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pushmataha |
34.3 | 1979-04-11 | 2 | 34°08'N / 94°28'W | 34°15'N / 94°22'W | 10.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sevier |
34.7 | 1953-04-23 | 2 | 34°02'N / 94°34'W | 0.80 Mile | 17 Yards | 1 | 14 | 0K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
35.2 | 1999-05-04 | 2 | 33°50'N / 95°02'W | 34°00'N / 94°57'W | 12.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6K | Mccurtain |
Brief Description: Numerous trees blown over or snapped. A Pecan orchard was laid to waste. This tornado moved into McCurtain county from Red River county, TX. | |||||||||||
36.3 | 1957-04-02 | 2 | 34°50'N / 95°06'W | 35°03'N / 95°01'W | 15.70 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Latimer |
36.4 | 2000-04-23 | 2 | 34°20'N / 95°39'W | 34°19'N / 95°30'W | 9.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pushmataha |
Brief Description: A F2 tornado touched down northeast of Moyers and traveled 9 miles east southeast before lifting 1 mile south of Finley. A mobile home and several outbuilding were destroyed. Some roof damage was reported to several buildings. | |||||||||||
36.5 | 1993-11-13 | 2 | 34°26'N / 94°27'W | 34°37'N / 94°11'W | 20.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 11 | 50.0M | 0 | Polk |
Brief Description: An F2 tornado touched down in Polk County and traveled approximately 20 miles before it lifted. Even though the tornado was not on the ground continuously, it still managed to cause extensive damage to several towns along its path. The tornado initially touched down approximately 2.50 miles west of Cove, along Highway 4. The storm passed through Cove where it damaged and destroyed several homes and businesses. The tornado then struck the Hatfield area where it destroyed or damaged a number of homes. The tornado continued moving northeastward and struck the southwest part of Mena. In Mena, a large number of homes and businesses sustained damage. Most of the buildings that were struck were either destroyed or received major damage. Eleven people in Mena were treated for minor injuries. A local park in Mena lost a number of large trees. Some of these trees were over 100 years old. A number of buildings in Mena were damaged as a result of trees falling on the structures. The tornado finally lifted about three miles northeast of Mena, in the community of Hillcrest, where it destroyed a few mobile homes and damaged several others. Initial estimates placed the damage at over $6 million. | |||||||||||
36.8 | 1953-04-23 | 2 | 33°54'N / 94°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
36.8 | 1972-10-22 | 3 | 33°54'N / 94°50'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
37.3 | 1952-11-17 | 2 | 34°34'N / 94°24'W | 34°42'N / 94°17'W | 11.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Polk |
37.9 | 1955-04-12 | 2 | 34°14'N / 95°37'W | 34°18'N / 95°33'W | 6.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Pushmataha |
37.9 | 1959-03-04 | 2 | 33°53'N / 94°50'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
37.9 | 1962-04-30 | 2 | 33°53'N / 94°50'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mccurtain | |||
38.1 | 1972-10-22 | 2 | 33°53'N / 94°49'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Mccurtain | |
38.9 | 1973-05-26 | 2 | 34°57'N / 94°42'W | 1.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Le Flore | |
39.1 | 1982-05-28 | 2 | 34°13'N / 95°38'W | 34°17'N / 95°34'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pushmataha |
39.2 | 2003-05-14 | 2 | 33°59'N / 95°05'W | 33°44'N / 94°44'W | 26.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Mccurtain |
Brief Description: A violent thunderstorm moved rapidly southeast across McCurtain County, OK into Bowie County, TX and Cass County, TX. This thunderstorm also produced a strong Microburst in McCurtain County southeast of Idabel, OK and again southeast of Maud, TX. Numerous trees and limbs were snapped or pushed over while several large corporate and private corn fields were ripped up. The only structure in the path of this tornado was located next to the Highway 259 bridge which crosses the Red River into Bowie County, TX.. This tornado moved into Bowie and Cass Counties, TX. | |||||||||||
39.2 | 1975-12-05 | 2 | 34°53'N / 95°20'W | 34°55'N / 95°19'W | 2.30 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Latimer |
39.4 | 1999-03-05 | 2 | 34°12'N / 94°22'W | 34°11'N / 94°16'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Polk |
Brief Description: A strong tornado was spawned in southern Polk County. The tornado hit the town of Grannis and caused some property damage. Damage was most extensive at a chicken farm. Two chicken houses were completely destroyed at the farm, with one chicken house thrown into the other house. Roughly 8,000 chickens were lost. Several trees and a few power lines were downed as well. The tornado tracked about 8 miles before moving into Howard County (Shreveport County Warning Area). | |||||||||||
40.0 | 1979-04-11 | 2 | 34°15'N / 94°22'W | 34°28'N / 94°08'W | 20.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Polk |
40.1 | 1982-04-02 | 2 | 34°03'N / 95°29'W | 0.50 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Bryan | |
40.2 | 2009-04-09 | 2 | 34°00'N / 94°28'W | 34°00'N / 94°28'W | 0 | 0 | 1K | 0K | Mccurtain | ||
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado first touched down in extreme east central McCurtain County just one quarter of a mile from the McCurtain County, Sevier County line. Several trees were downed on the McCurtain County side of the state line with a few power lines downed as well. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm system along with a surface dry line/front over northeast Texas moved east during the evening hours of April 9th into the early morning hours of April 10th causing long lived supercell thunderstorms. These thunderstorms caused long track tornadoes to occur across southeast Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas, northeast Texas, and north Louisiana. | |||||||||||
40.3 | 1999-05-04 | 2 | 33°50'N / 95°03'W | 33°51'N / 94°56'W | 1.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 7 | 600K | 0 | Red River |
Brief Description: Supercells developed in unstable airmass ahead of strong upper low over central plains states. Numerous trees blown over or broken. Nine mobile homes and 1 frame home destroyed. This tornado moved into McCurtain county, OK. | |||||||||||
40.9 | 2000-04-23 | 2 | 33°50'N / 95°16'W | 33°53'N / 95°03'W | 12.50 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Red River |
Brief Description: Tornado occurred across farm land and wooded areas with few structures or homes present. The county sheriff, his deputy, and a farmer were talking when the tornado, which was described as a long tube, moved out of the woods to their east and crossed within several hundred yards to their north. | |||||||||||
40.9 | 1992-05-11 | 2 | 34°32'N / 95°38'W | 34°34'N / 95°40'W | 11.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pushmataha |
41.0 | 1968-04-19 | 2 | 34°58'N / 94°39'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Le Flore | |
41.1 | 1977-02-23 | 2 | 33°53'N / 94°39'W | 33°54'N / 94°36'W | 3.30 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Mccurtain |
41.3 | 2008-05-10 | 2 | 34°46'N / 95°36'W | 34°45'N / 95°30'W | 8.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0K | Pittsburg |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado destroyed mobile homes, severely damaged permanent homes, snapped or uprooted numerous trees, destroyed barns and outbuildings, and blew down power poles and power lines. This tornado continued into Latimer County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Elevated severe thunderstorms containing large hail developed north of a warm front that was moving slowly northward across eastern Oklahoma and west central Arkansas during the morning and early afternoon of the 10th. Another round of severe thunderstorms developed late in the afternoon as a dry line approached the area from the west. Extreme instability and strong vertical wind shear resulted in the development of long-lived supercell thunderstorms that moved across eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas during the late afternoon and evening. Several of these supercells became tornadic and a few produced long-lived damaging tornadoes. One such supercell developed and moved along the Oklahoma-Kansas border and then into southwestern Missouri. This storm produced a tornado in northeastern Craig County OK that remained on the ground for 29 miles in Oklahoma, continued for about 31 miles in Newton County MO, and finally dissipated about 15 miles into Barry County MO. It produced EF-4 damage in several locations, including Picher, a small town in north-central Ottawa County OK. Twenty-one fatalities, over 350 injuries, and an estimated $60 million in property damage resulted from this tornado in Oklahoma and Missouri. Six of the fatalities and about 150 injuries occurred in Picher OK. Other strong tornadoes developed and moved across portions of Pittsburg and Latimer Counties. A EF-2 tornado was on the ground for about eight miles west of McAlester, damaging numerous homes in its path. Another EF-2 tornado developed southwest of Hartshorne in Pittsburg County and moved 19 miles before dissipating just east of Yanush in Latimer County. Four injuries resulted from that tornado and numerous homes were severely damaged or destroyed. | |||||||||||
42.3 | 1961-05-05 | 3 | 34°01'N / 95°30'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Choctaw | |||
42.6 | 1992-05-11 | 2 | 34°32'N / 95°44'W | 34°32'N / 95°38'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Atoka |
42.9 | 1960-05-05 | 4 | 34°58'N / 95°18'W | 35°04'N / 95°03'W | 15.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Latimer |
42.9 | 2008-05-10 | 2 | 34°34'N / 95°42'W | 34°33'N / 95°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0K | Atoka |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado continued into Pushmataha county before lifting 2.75 miles WSW of Adel. In Atoka County, three houses were damaged. The roof was removed and some of the exterior walls on one well-built home were collapsed. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped above the ground. Monetary damage were estimated. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful storm system strengthened over the central Plains during the day on Saturday, drawing rich gulf moisture north into eastern Oklahoma. A surface low pressure developed with a trailing cold front that moved quickly through western Oklahoma, and a dry line extending to the east of the cold front. Isolated severe thunderstorms developed near Hughes county early in the afternoon, with large hail reported in a few locations. Later in the afternoon, supercells over eastern Oklahoma expanded southwest. One supercell developed over far eastern Atoka county, producing a tornado near Daisy and large hail. Damage was reported with the tornado, but there were no injuries. Monetary damages were estimated. | |||||||||||
43.8 | 2009-04-09 | 3 | 34°32'N / 94°19'W | 34°37'N / 94°05'W | 15.00 Miles | 1075 Yards | 3 | 30 | 130.0M | 0K | Polk |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado began to the west-southwest of Mena, then tracked through the northwest side of Mena. According to the Polk County Judge, 165 houses were destroyed, 701 houses had major damage, and more than 11,000 trees were blown down. The Polk County Courthouse, county jail, Mena City Hall, and the police and fire departments were damaged in downtown Mena, as were several businesses. Mena Middle School, also located downtown, was structurally damaged beyond repair. A nursing home was also damaged. Most of the city lost electricity. The tornado then tracked to the northeast, badly damaging several industrial buildings. There was considerable roof damage at Rich Mountain Community College, and lesser damage to the hospital. As the tornado continued to the northeast, a tractor dealership was destroyed. A number of rural residences and farms were damaged as the tornado moved out into rural Polk County. North of Ink, damage was noted along Polk 74 and Polk 71; these same areas had been damaged by a tornado on October 6, 2008. Three fatalities occurred on the northwest side of Mena. One was a woman at a Masonic Lodge, and the others were a man and woman at separate residences. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Low pressure aloft approached from the west and collided with moisture and instability. Thunderstorms developed in eastern Oklahoma during the afternoon, then became more numerous as they entered western Arkansas during the evening. The storms brought a few tornadoes and numerous hailstorms to Arkansas during the evening hours. | |||||||||||
43.8 | 1954-04-30 | 3 | 34°00'N / 95°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 12 | 250K | 0 | Choctaw | |
44.2 | 1971-05-23 | 2 | 34°37'N / 94°26'W | 34°35'N / 93°58'W | 26.70 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Polk |
45.2 | 2009-04-09 | 3 | 34°00'N / 94°28'W | 34°08'N / 94°06'W | 24.00 Miles | 850 Yards | 0 | 7 | 3.5M | 0K | Sevier |
Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Tornado destroyed at least 10 to 12 mobile homes along US-71 just north of De Queen, AR. Numerous trees and powerlines were also uprooted or snapped. There were 7 reported injuries, all in the mobile home park north of Dequeen, Arkansas but none were life threatening. The Arkansas governor declared Sevier County a disaster area because of the tornado damage in the county. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong upper level storm system along with a surface dry line/front over northeast Texas moved east during the evening hours of April 9th into the early morning hours of April 10th causing long lived supercell thunderstorms. These thunderstorms caused long track tornadoes to occur across southeast Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas, northeast Texas, and north Louisiana. | |||||||||||
45.4 | 1973-11-20 | 2 | 34°02'N / 94°21'W | 34°03'N / 94°15'W | 5.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Sevier |
45.5 | 1957-04-02 | 2 | 34°51'N / 95°34'W | 34°58'N / 95°25'W | 11.70 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pittsburg |
46.1 | 1960-05-04 | 4 | 34°04'N / 95°42'W | 34°09'N / 95°37'W | 7.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Choctaw |
46.1 | 1953-03-13 | 2 | 35°00'N / 94°32'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Le Flore | |||
46.7 | 1957-04-02 | 2 | 35°03'N / 95°01'W | 35°09'N / 94°58'W | 7.60 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Haskell |
47.2 | 1991-04-26 | 2 | 33°45'N / 95°05'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Red River | |
48.3 | 1998-06-08 | 2 | 35°05'N / 95°14'W | 35°05'N / 95°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 60K | 0 | Haskell |
Brief Description: An F2 tornado destroyed one single family dwelling, while another single family dwelling received major damage. Summary of events for the evening of June 8 and the early morning of June 9 1998: A classic southern plains severe weather event shaped up on the afternoon and evening of June 8 as a number of isolated severe thunderstorms developed over central Oklahoma to the east of a dryline. The first severe thunderstorm to affect eastern Oklahoma scraped the northwestern part of Osage County, causing a report of a severe thunderstorm gust. This storm quickly died as it entered Kansas. A second more serious severe thunderstorm formed west of Oklahoma City and tracked all the way to the Arkansas state line south of Fort Smith, traversing Pittsburg, Haskell, and Le Flore Counties. This storm travelled east along an instability axis and a warm front. From a radar perspective, this storm was impressive in that it kept a classic, well-defined hook on its entire journey across southeast Oklahoma. From a human perspective, this storm was impressive in that it produced ten tornadoes in southeast Oklahoma, hail as large as golfballs, damaging thunderstorm winds, and torrential flooding rains. A third cluster of severe thunderstorms developed over Creek County and moved east across Okmulgee, Muskogee, Cherokee, and Adair Counties before weakening as it entered Arkansas. These storms slowed their movement across Muskogee County and regeneration along the southwest flank of the storms caused torrential rainfalls that dumped nearly three inches of rain in northern Muskogee, southern Cherokee, southern Adair, and northern Sequoyah Counties. In addition to flooding rains, these storms produced hail as large as nickels and damaging thunderstorm winds. | |||||||||||
49.0 | 1999-03-05 | 2 | 34°10'N / 94°13'W | 34°16'N / 94°02'W | 18.70 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 60K | 0 | Howard |
Brief Description: Tornado entered Howard County from Polk County, moved across Howard County, then into Pike County. Damage was largely confined to rural wooded area with little or no population. A mobile home was heavily damaged and scores of trees were toppled along the tornado path. |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.