The May 24, 2011 tornado

EF4Franklin, Logan and Johnson counties, Arkansas

An EF4 tornado on a 45.7-mile path that killed 4 and injured 27. It was one of 48 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day, 7 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Watch how it happened Part of the outbreak of May 24, 2011: 48 tornadoes in 6 states

EF4 tornado · May 24, 2011

How it happened

Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.

About this replay

Local time (CST)—Historical replay — logged times

Distance—of 45.7 miles

Now in—

RatingEF4

Path milestones

Damage pathDrawn at its recorded maximum width, 2,200 yards

TownsSized by population today; those within 3 miles flash as it passes

Counties on the pathLit as the tornado enters them

Source: Storm Prediction Center start and end points. Times as logged by the National Weather Service. Towns are today’s Census places.

The tornado

Rating: EF4; Enhanced Fujita scale
Path length: 45.7 mi; Width up to 2,200 yards
Killed: 4; Along the whole path
Injured: 27; Along the whole path
Date and time: Tuesday, May 24, 2011; 10:53 PM CST
That day: 48; 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.

This is the third of six segments of this tornado. The tornado snapped or uprooted a number of large trees as it moved back into Franklin County from Logan County. The damage path widened considerably to about 3/4 of a mile as the tornado moved north of Highway 398 and approached Etna. In and near Etna, the tornado destroyed a number of permanent homes, destroyed mobile homes, destroyed a metal building, destroyed a number of outbuildings, snapped numerous power poles, and snapped or uprooted many large trees. One of the three tornado-related fatalities in Franklin County occurred when a double-wide mobile home was destroyed in Etna. At least six serious injuries occurred in this area and several of those were critical.||Several well-built, wood-framed permanent homes were destroyed in Etna with only a small amount of debris remaining on the foundation. Trees were debarked in this area and the ground was scoured by debris. A well-built, two-story, steel-framed home northeast of Etna on Highway 309 was also destroyed with only a few interior walls remaining on the first floor. Two people survived in the kitchen pantry as the home was destroyed around them. Maximum estimated wind speed in this segment of the tornado based on this damage was about 170 mph.||The tornado continued into Logan County, Arkansas, at 1.25 miles wide.

The storm system that day

Severe thunderstorms developed along a dry line over central Oklahoma during the afternoon hours. Very unstable air and strong wind shear east of the dry line supported supercell thunderstorm structures, which persisted as the storms moved into northwestern Arkansas late in the evening. These severe storms produced tornadoes, large hail, and damaging downburst wind across portions of northwestern Arkansas. One of the tornadoes was especially intense, resulting in considerable damage to several towns as well as three fatalities in Franklin County.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Counties on its path

Other notable tornadoes that day

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