NWS Little Rock, AR - Damaging Wind/Isolated Tornadoes on June 18, 2023

Arkansas endured an incredible amount of giant hail (up to softball size) from June 11th through the 16th. Unfortunately, there was one more round of severe weather to come. A storm system and associated cold front tracked toward the region from the central Plains on the 17th/early on the 18th, and triggered clusters of thunderstorms that produced a lot of wind and isolated tornadoes.

As the event began, there were two large clusters of storms in Oklahoma. The northernmost storms pounded Tulsa, OK with up to 100 mph gusts by 1230 am CDT on the 18th. Trees and power lines were downed all over the city, and power was knocked out to more than 200,000 utility customers. North/east of the city, at least three weak tornadoes (all rated EF1) were spawned. These storms mostly bypassed Arkansas. Farther south, more storms were bearing down on western sections of the state, and arrived in Fort Smith (Sebastian County) between 130 am and 200 am CDT. A few trees/power lines were blown downed, and power poles were snapped. About the same took place farther east at Altus and Ozark (both in Franklin County), and some poultry houses were roughed up near Branch (Franklin County).

As the storms raced toward Scranton (Logan County), a somewhat rare June tornado (rated EF2) was produced about two to three miles south of town at 112 am CDT.

The tornado destroyed a few chicken houses, damaged the roof of a home, removed a garage from its foundation, dismantled outbuildings, and uprooted/snapped trees. Looking back at state records, the last tornado of at least this magnitude in June tracked just north of Bee Branch (Van Buren County) on the 11th of 1989.

An hour later, a brief weak tornado (rated EF0) was confirmed a mile northeast of Toad Suck (Perry County). Homes and outbuildings had minor roof damage. A chicken house was roughed up, and a carport was blown sideways. The tornado dissipated as it reached the Arkansas River.

Elsewhere, additional trees and/or power poles were leveled at many locations in central and southern Arkansas including Aplin (Perry County), Ashdown (Little River County), Atkins (Pope County), Augusta (Woodruff County), Bearden (Ouachita County), Conway (Faulkner County), Crossett (Ashley County), Dardanelle (Yell County), Dover (Pope County), Gibson (Pulaski County), Grape (Saline County), Knoxville (Johnson County), Lockesburg (Sevier County), Murfreesboro (Pike County), Nashville (Howard County), Prescott (Nevada County), Russellville (Pope County), Searcy (White County), and Vanndale (Cross County). A 63 mph gust was measured at Russellville (Pope County), and a 71 mph gust was registered near Dardanelle (Yell County).

Given so much wind, power outages topped 100,000 at one point, which is similar to what happens during an ice storm.

There was a report of a lightning strike at Plumerville (Conway County). A home was apparently hit by the lightning, a fire started, and the structure burned to the ground. It appears there were no injuries.

Storms weakened in the morning, with a little time to breathe after a very busy week. Not only was there a ridiculous amount of severe weather, there was beneficial rain since the 11th. Two inches of precipitation or more was common across the central and southern counties. For the month (through the 18th), statewide totals were largely above to well above average.

Heading into the afternoon of the 18th, the aforementioned cold front was through about the northwest half of the state. Ahead of the front, warm/soupy air (from the southwest) was trying to build into the area. That made the atmosphere more unstable, and thunderstorms were likely to redevelop.

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms managed to pop up in the northeast and far south. One storm prompted Tornado Warnings from Pocahontas (Randolph County) to Paragould (Greene County). Trees were toppled and half dollar size hail occurred. Tornado Warnings were also posted for another storm that went from southern Bradley County into eastern Union County. A debris signature (confirming a tornado) was detected by radar close to New London (Union County). This is where several chicken houses were obliterated.

A weak tornado (rated EF1) was identified about five miles south of Pocahontas (Randolph County). Another tornado (rated EF2) carved a ten mile path from seven miles southeast of Calion (Union County) to eight miles north-northeast of Strong (Union County). This was the second tornado of this intensity or higher on the same day in June, which had not happened in Arkansas since 1979 (on the 28th).