The January 21, 1999 tornado

F4Clay County, Arkansas

An F4 tornado on a 16.0-mile path. It was one of 86 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day, 10 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Watch how it happened Part of the outbreak of January 21, 1999: 86 tornadoes in 6 states

F4 tornado · January 21, 1999

How it happened

Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.

About this replay

Local time (CST)—Historical replay — logged times

Distance—of 16.0 miles

Now in—

RatingF4

The tornado

Rating: F4; Fujita scale
Path length: 16.0 mi; Width up to 400 yards
Killed: 0; Along the whole path
Injured: 0; Along the whole path
Date and time: Thursday, January 21, 1999; 5:05 PM CST
That day: 86; tornadoes in the U.S.; every one, with a replay of the day

The National Weather Service account

Written by the local Weather Service office after its damage survey.

The tornado started southeast of Knobel and tracked northeast. The most serious damage occurred early in the life of the tornado. Two homes were destroyed on County Road 238. Several other homes were damaged. Two trailer trucks were rolled over. As the tornado continued east it gradually diminished in intensity. Several trees and power lines were knocked down along the way.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Counties on its path

Clay CountyAR

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database. Path drawn as a straight line from the recorded start to end point.