National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Rainfall records were shattered at Leola (Grant County), Camden (Ouachita County), Fordyce (Dallas County) and North Little Rock (Pulaski County). Not only was it the wettest October in recorded history, it was the wettest month...period. Several spots were experiencing (or close to experiencing) a record wet year. 

There were a couple of notable events that led to so much rain. The first of these occurred late on the 8th/early on the 9th.

This created a baroclinic zone, or an area where temperatures (and moisture values) varied widely. Precipitation tended to focus in this region, which included northern and western sections of the state. Once the rain arrived, it was excessive. Through 100 pm CDT on the 9th, much of the northwest half of Arkansas received two to four inches of rain, with locally more than six inches.

Along the leading edge of the large rain area, a line of thunderstorms caused widespread wind damage across the southern counties during the morning of the 9th. There were numerous trees and power lines downed, with several reports of roof damage. Buildings at a high school in Hampton (Calhoun County) sustained damage, with debris blown onto the football field. A 61 mph gust was measured at Grider Field near Pine Bluff (Jefferson County).

On the morning of the 18th, temperatures dropped into the mid 30s to lower 40s across the region. There were some upper 20s and lower 30s (a freeze) in portions of northern Arkansas, including Fayetteville (Washington County) and Harrison (Boone County).

The next big rain event arrived on the 29th. A large storm system in the Rockies headed through the Plains into the upper Midwest. Precipitation increased ahead of the system, and became widespread in Arkansas. Meanwhile, a cold front arrived from the west. Because the system was so far to the north, it did not give the front much push. The front slowed down, which prolonged the rain.

Precipitation built slowly from central into eastern sections of the state, and that is where it remained through the morning of the 30th. Three to five inch amounts were common in the central/eastern counties, and there was locally more than six inches.

The heaviest band of rain was noted from Camden (Ouachita County) to Little Rock (Pulaski County) and Batesville (Independence County). There were numerous roads under water and water rescues occurred. Water flowed into some homes and apartments. A couple of subdivisions in Cabot (Lonoke County) had to be evacuated.

There was one flash flood fatality. About 2 miles north of Bethesda (Independence County), high water swept a man from his pickup truck.

Isolated tornadoes became a concern in southern sections of the state where the atmosphere was the most unstable (warm/moist) to promote storm growth. Nine (9) tornadoes (rated EF0 to EF2) were spawned between 3 pm CDT and 11 pm CDT in the Little Rock County Warning Area.

October was fairly quiet in the tropics, with only two systems. Tropical Storm Grace developed well out in the Atlantic (northeast of the Azores) on the 4th, and did not last long. The system formed over relatively cool ocean water, and was absorbed by a front on the 5th as it approached Ireland.

Henri did not fare much better as it formed much farther south and west toward the Leeward Islands on the 6th. The system remained below hurricane strength and fell apart on the 8th over open water.