Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Little Rock, AR
Issued by NWS Little Rock, AR
198 NOUS44 KLZK 280211 PNSLZK ARZ004>008-014>017-024-025-031>034-039-042>047-052>057-062>069- 103-112-113-121>123-130-137-138-140-141-203-212-213-221>223-230- 237-238-240-241-313-340-341-281300- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Little Rock AR 911 PM CDT Mon May 27 2024 ...NWS Damage Survey for 05/26/2024 Tornado Event - Update # 2 .Boone-Marion County Tornado... Rating: EF3 Estimated Peak Wind: 140 mph Path Length /statute/: 21.1 miles Path Width /maximum/: 1500 yards Fatalities: 4 Injuries: 1 Start Date: 05/26/2024 Start Time: 03:27 AM CDT Start Location: 2 S Bellefonte / Boone County / AR Start Lat/Lon: 36.177 / -93.048 End Date: 05/26/2024 End Time: 04:04 AM CDT End Location: 2 NNW Summit / Marion County / AR End Lat/Lon: 36.277 / -92.699 Survey Summary: This tornado started just to the west of Bellefonte road, near the intersection of Maxie Camp Road in Boone County, damaging trees and a few power poles as it crossed the road. A few homes sustained some damage, mainly to the their roofs and the southern and southeastern exterior walls. A hay barn was also completely destroyed. The tornado then kept moving east into an open field, snapping trees in it`s path and along Maxie Camp Road. The tornado crossed US highway 65, moving over the Boone County Sheriff`s Department Building and an Arkansas State Police Troop Center. The two buildings sustained very minor damage, mainly consisting of missing shingles and bent light poles. A loaded trailer of the BCSD was likely lofted and tossed onto a gate on the premises that sustained major damage to become inoperable. Just east of the highway, a storage unit complex sustained damage to all three storage buildings, and an RV was flipped on it`s side. Another business building behind the storage units only sustained damage to glass windows and a broken garage door. Just to the south of the storage complex, another large metal building with multiple bay doors facing the prevailing tornado forward speed winds was badly damaged, with most walls collapsed.The tornado kept moving east, likely expanding in width, and snapping trees and power poles along Maxie Camp road. As the tornado approached the intersection or Maxie Camp and Starkey Road, a mobile home was completely lofted and rolled, and destroyed. Extensive tree damage was observed all along the north south portion of Maxie Camp Road. A few homes, one with with CMU footprint and the other with a partial concrete pad and open crawlspace concrete footing were completely lifted off of their bases and destroyed. No anchoring was found on the homes and poor construction was observed from the damage. Trees in the immediate vicinity of the destroyed homes were completely snubbed as well. Despite the poor construction qualities and poor anchoring, the catastrophic damage was consistent with low-end EF3 windspeeds of 140 mph. A resident of one of the destroyed homes sustained non- life threatening injuries.The tornado began to move northeast, paralleling US highway 62, moving just southeast of Olvey, and causing mainly tree damage and damaging small outbuildings. BCSD reported one fatality in Boone County inside a destroyed mobile home, near the Olvey area.The tornado then crossed into Marion County, continuing to follow US highway 62 to the south, near Pyatt. Marion County EM reported 3 fatalities from this tornado. Extensive tree damage was observed across several county roads, and a few mobile homes were tossed and destroyed on county road 4010. The tornado then began to move up the Crooked Creek valley where extensive tree damage was observed, and moderate damage to the second level of a tin home was found as well. The tornado kept moving northeast, damaging or snapping most trees in it`s path as it crossed Crooked Creek and county road 4006 and the Snow Access Road and Snow Campground. The tornado then crossed US highway 62 again near the municipality of Snow, causing minor to moderate damage to a few homes around the area. As the tornado crossed US highway 62, it began moving northeast again, causing mainly tree damage to the north of the highway, and eventually crossed state highway 125 north, and county road 3032, where more extensive tree damage was observed, and another mobile home, which was untethered, was lofted and completely destroyed. The tornado continued to move east-northeast, mostly causing tree damage, before dissipating to the northwest of Summit. .Briarcliff Tornado... Rating: EF3 Estimated Peak Wind: 140 mph Path Length /statute/: 6.52 miles Path Width /maximum/: 1000 yards Fatalities: 1 Injuries: 17 Start Date: 05/26/2024 Start Time: 04:25 AM CDT Start Location: 2 W Salesville / Baxter County / AR Start Lat/Lon: 36.248 / -92.307 End Date: 05/26/2024 End Time: 04:40 AM CDT End Location: 5 NE Salesville / Baxter County / AR End Lat/Lon: 36.296 / -92.212 Survey Summary: This tornado started to the southwest of Highway 5, between Briarcliff and Salesville in Baxter County. Mostly tree damage was observed near the origin and to the west of Highway 5. As the tornado crossed the highway, widespread tree damage became prevalent, with most trees snapped at their trunks. A few structures were severely damaged, including a home, and a metal shop building. The tornado also impacted a local RV/trailer camping park, where five fifth-wheel recreation trailers were tossed and completely destroyed. One fatality was reported out of this area as well. The tornado then began to move northward, crossing over a 350 kV transmission line, snapping several wooden two-poled line towers, and bending two steel two-poled line towers to the ground, indicative of EF2 wind speeds. After crossing highway 5, the tornado moved into the Briarcliff residential area, encountering significant topography. 17 injuries were reported within the Briarcliff community. The tornado likely reached it`s widest point as it moved through this community, with significant tree damage observed over a large portion of the roads in the area. A few homes sustained moderate damage, likely exacerbated by debris and projectiles. The Briarcliff city hall building, which sat on top of a hill on Scenic Drive, sustained significant structural damage, with most of the second level of the building destroyed, indicative of EF3 wind speeds of up to 140 mph. The tornado then continued to move northeast, moving over several hills on the east side of Briarcliff, before reaching Norfork Lake, and crossing over a few peninsulas, where more tree damage was observed. The tornado crossed the lake, and then dissipated shortly after reaching the other side, with only some tree and powerline damage reported. && EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: EF0.....65 to 85 mph EF1.....86 to 110 mph EF2.....111 to 135 mph EF3.....136 to 165 mph EF4.....166 to 200 mph EF5.....>200 mph NOTE: The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS Storm Data. $$ 72/56/44