A closed upper level low pressure system over portions of west Texas and the development of Tropical Storm Matthew over the western Gulf of Mexico combined to stream copious amounts of gulf moisture north across the four state region. This resulted in a prolonged period of light to moderate rainfall which persisted over the Columbus Day weekend. Rainfall amounts varied vastly from the western sections of northeast Texas to north central Louisiana. One to three inches fell across much of northeast Texas and southeast Oklahoma while four to eight inch totals were common across much of southwest Arkansas and north central Louisiana. However, a small area of north central Louisiana received the heaviest rainfall with rainfall totals of more than 11 inches. This area covered parts of Bienville, Claiborne, Lincoln and Webster parishes. The biggest rainfall totals were officially observed near Arcadia, Haynesville, and Homer Louisiana.

Despite the prolonged period of rainfall, the lack of excessively heavy rainfall for a long period of time kept ground runoff to a minimum, and only the typical low lying and poor drainage areas had problems with some minor flooding. Before this heavy rainfall event, the area had been quite dry since the last week of August, with rainfall totals generally between a quarter and a half inch. Area lakes, rivers, and bayous had a slight to moderate rises as a result of this storm system with only minor flooding on a couple of the rivers and bayous.

A special thanks goes out to the many observers who provided us with their rainfall totals, as well as the local television stations who helped accumulate these totals.

THE FOLLOWING RAINFALL TOTALS ARE A SAMPLE FROM AREA OBSERVERS FOR THE FOUR DAYS BEGINNING THURSDAY OCTOBER 7TH...AND ENDING AT 7 AM MONDAY OCTOBER 11TH:

IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...

ASHDOWN 4SSE                  3.26
DE QUEEN AIRPORT              2.65
DIERKS                        2.14
EL DORADO AIRPORT             7.06
HOPE                          4.92
LEWISVILLE                    4.35
MAGNOLIA                      7.86
NASHVILLE                     4.07
PRESCOTT                      6.01
TEXARKANA AIRPORT             2.21

IN NORTH LOUISIANA...

ARCADIA                      12.67
ASHLAND                       3.98
BENTLEY                       4.59
BIENVILLE                     9.53
BOSSIER CITY (FLAT RIVER)     3.77
CAMPTI                        3.85
CLARENCE                      3.72
COTTON VALLEY                 8.29
COUSHATTA                     3.90
DIXIE INN                     9.18
ELM GROVE                     3.72
HAYNESVILLE 6S               18.00+
HOMER 1N                     12.60
HOMER 3SSW                   15.71
JENA                          4.58
JONESBORO                     5.64
LAKE CLAIBORNE                8.65
LILLIE                        5.91
LOGANSPORT                    3.79
MONROE AIRPORT                6.49
NATCHITOCHES                  3.79
NATCHITOCHES #2               3.58
PLAIN DEALING                 4.05
PROVENCAL                     3.07
SHREVEPORT DOWNTOWN AIRPORT   6.13
SHREVEPORT REGIONAL AIRPORT   5.86
SHREVEPORT NORTH WALLACE LAKE 5.20
SHREVEPORT SOUTHERN HILLS     6.27
SHREVEPORT SOUTHERN HILLS #2  5.42
SPRINGHILL                    7.11
WINNFIELD 2W                  3.94

IN NORTHEAST TEXAS...

ALTO 5SW                      1.21
ATLANTA                       2.31
CENTER                        2.84
CLARKSVILLE                   2.92
DEKALB                        1.82
DIALVILLE                     0.90
GILMER                        0.91
HEMPHILL                      2.10
HENDERSON                     3.30
JEFFERSON                     3.48
KARNACK                       4.73
LAKE WRIGHT PATMAN            2.35
LONGVIEW                      2.90
LONGVIEW AIRPORT (RUSK COUNTY)3.02
LUFKIN AIRPORT                1.11
MOUNT PLEASANT                2.18
MOUNT VERNON                  1.56
NACOGDOCHES AIRPORT           1.93
NAPLES                        1.89
PITTSBURG                     1.53
QUITMAN                       1.09
SAN AUGUSTINE                 2.79
TATUM                         3.66
TYLER AIRPORT                 0.90

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...

BATTIEST                      2.29
BROKEN BOW (MESONET)          2.01
IDABEL (MESONET)              1.85
MOUNT HERMAN (MESONET)        1.88