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January 21, 1999 NW Mississippi and E Arkansas Chase

1999 started off with quite a bang across Arkansas and Tennessee. Numerous
damaging tornadoes raked across this area Jan. 17, with the Jackson Tn area
hit hardest by the early season supercells. I was doing damage surveys in the
NE Arkansas/W Tennessee area on the 20th, and spent the night in Jackson Tn.
I was fully aware that yet another severe weather outbreak was expected across
Arkansas, Mississippi, N Louisiana, and W Tennessee on the 21st. I planned on
staying in this area, and hoped to hook up with my chase partner Brian Stertz
later in the day. Brian was going to leave Tulsa and head into Little Rock later in
the day. I held my position in and around Forrest City Arkansas during the early
afternoon hours. While I was stopped there, I reviewed lots of weather data and
monitored radar very closely.

The Storm Prediction Center outlooked much of Arkansas, N and W Mississippi,
N Louisiana, and W Tennessee with a moderate risk for severe storms including
the potential for damaging tornadoes. Very warm temperatures for January and
a strong surge of deep moisture from the Gulf was forecasted to be in place in
the moderate risk area. An intense mid level vort max was expected to approach
Arkansas from the southwest by afternoon, and swing out negatively tilted across
the moderate risk area. The surface low was deepening by late morning to the
west of Tulsa and was expected to track to the east during the day. A very nasty
severe storm/tornado outbreak was ready to begin, the big question was where
the outbreak would originate and when would the supercells fire. The morning
soundings showed great low level turning, and forecasted capes were 1500 to
2000 j-kg, not bad for January!! One thing for certain was that development of
supercells would be very explosive.

Brian called me and told me he was leaving Tulsa at 10:30 am and would be
in the Little Rock area by 2-3 pm depending on traffic. I was watching radar, and
I noticed convective development in 2 areas. The first area was in the Texarkana
Arkansas vicinity(SW Arkansas), and the second area was over NE Louisiana. I
was in prime position to intercept the storms which were developing rapidly in
the northeast parishes of Louisiana. I did not hear from Brian until much later as
he was eventually going to be chasing the C.Arkansas activity( his chase story
will follow later). I was growing ever concerned that the outbreak was starting to
my south, so I decided to head for the supercells forming very near the Arkansas
Louisiana border. I left Forrest City around 3 pm and headed for SE Arkansas. I
also noticed rapidly developing storms near Greenville Ms that were heading to
the n-ne. Tornado warnings soon were issued for Chicot Co. Arkansas and I was
in great position to intercept. I continued on to the W.Helena Ar area and headed
into Mississippi. The storms would be entering into Bolivar Co. Ms during the
next hour, so I planned an intercept near the town of Clarksdale. By this time,
supercells were exploding across Arkansas, N Louisiana, and W Mississippi. A
tornado watch soon followed.

I continued on towards Clarksdale as numerous tornado warning were being
issued for Chicot, Ashley, De Sha Co. in Arkansas, and Washington and Bolivar
Co. in Mississippi. Several storms had very distinguishable hook echoes, but the
supercell I was most interested in was near Greenville tracking almost due north
along the Mississippi River. I heard reports of funnel clouds with the storm as it
continued north from the Greenville Ms area. I was quickly approaching the town
of Clarksdale and the storm was reported to be near Rosedale ( 25 miles to the
southwest of Clarksdale). Around 4:15pm, a tornado was reported by a pilot and
other spotters very close to Rosedale Ms. I picked up the pace, and approached
the Clarksdale area by 4:40pm. Tornado warnings were soon extended into
Coahoma Co. as I was entering Clarksdale( Coahoma Co.). I could see the storm
well to the southwest, but more importantly was able to see under the base . As
I passed through town, I started to notice more cloud features including striation
bands on the main updraft tower. A small funnel also was trying to touch down
under the barrel shaped updraft. The funnel angled out eastward from the small
lowering at cloud base. I watched the funnel quickly dissipate, but radar was
still indicating vigorous rotation with this storm. I headed west out of Clarksdale
to reach Highway 1 which ran parallel to the river.

At 4:48 pm, the supercell was near Sherard Ms and was rapidly approaching
from the south-southwest. The storm looked like it was starting to weaken some,
but roation was still visible at low and mid levels. A new supoercell also erupted
to the east of this storm, and unfortunately started to interrupt the inflow with the
Sherard storm. Between 4:50 and 5pm, the Sherard storm gradually weakened
and started to shrink. Also at this time, supercells were going to town once again
in the Greenville area, and I saw a very impressive supercell approaching the
Forrest City area. This particular storm was the storm which passed near the town
of Wheatley, producing F-3 tornado damage across Arkansas, Monroe, and also
St.Francis counties in E Arkansas.

I was watching the Sherard storm quickly wind down when the NWS issued a
new tornado warning for Bolivar Co. at 5:16pm. A possible tornado was located
17 miles sw of Benoit Ms, or about 20 miles north of Greenville. This storm was going to pretty much track parallel to Highway 1, so I moved just a little further south from Rosedale. The supercell was tracking n-ne towards my location, and
I could see well pronounced inflow bands to my south. I pulled over and let the
storm approach rapidly from the south. At this time, the storm's forward speed
had increased to an estimated 50 mph. The highly sheared storm continued to
race north at my location revealing the strongly rotating updraft tower. The core
was separated well from the updraft, leaving the updraft region rai-free and very
interesting. The updraft was leaning heavily to the north and was taking on a
contorted, cork-screwed appearance. This is hardly the storm structure a storm
chaser would believe was on the Mississippi River!! The Texas Panhandle
maybe, but certainly not in the Lower Mississippi Valley!! I continued to watch
the storm spin it's way northbound.

The storm was going to pass right along the river so a new tornado warning was
posted for Coahoma Co. and N.Bolivar Co. I continued to video this impressive
storm which at 5:36pm was about 5 miles s-sw of Rosedale. A Mississippi State
Trooper also joined me watching this storm. He was also tracking the storm, and
was interested in my opinion. Rotation was still very evident and the RFD was in
the process of working around to the east side of the circulation. I was not overly
optimistic this would drop a tornado. I've seen too many of these types of storms
in W.Texas spin like a top, but never produce a tornado. I was beginning to think
that this was another one of those storms!!! Pretty to look at, but generally not a
huge tornado threat. I followed the storm along Highway 1 north to Clarksdale
but turned my attention to radar to see a much larger and dangerous supercell
tracking northeast from the Pine Bluff area. Radar showed a slow decline with the
storm I was on near Clarksdale. Sunset was approaching so I figured I might as
well intercept the supercell north of Pine Bluff.

The storm near Pine Bluff was steadily progressing to the northeast, and I was making my way back through E.Arkansas to try to get ahead of the supercell. A
tornado warning was in effect for Monroe Co. once again, and I was planning on
intercepting the storm near the Forrest City area. Tornadoes were becoming more
numerous across Arkansas between 6-7 pm. Brian finally reached me on my cell
phone and said he saw a tornado near Cabot Arkansas. He was wondering if
we were going to be able to hook up. Brian was in Searcy and I was still down
by the Mississippi border, so chances of this happening were slim. Brian was
planning to track down an isolated tornadic supercell near Hazen Arkansas that
was going to pass about 20-25 miles to the east. I wished him well and continued
my course towards Forrest City. I quickly made my way up towards I-40, and
reached the Wheatley area that was cleaning up after an encounter with a F-2/
possibly F-3 tornado. My progress was slowed in this area by cleanup crews, but
I was able to get ahead of the supercell which was going to pass east of Forrest
City.

I reached I-40 and headed east from Forrest City. The supercell's circulation still
very strong and possibly tornadic was in S St.Francis Co. heading northeast. I
pulled over under an overpass to safely watch the supercell cross I-40 about
3 miles to my west. Incredible cloud to ground lightning signaled the approach
of the circulation. Thick inflow bands and east-southeast winds also were also
evident in the area. Lightning helped illuminate the large bowl-shaped wall cloud
as it moved across I-40. I was unable to make out any appendages from the wall
cloud, but rotation about the wall cloud was quite pronounced. After this storm
headed into Cross Co., and quite rapidly I might add, I decided to head back to
the west towards Little Rock. Brian called me again to tell me that he had heard that Beebe and McRae had been hit hard by a violent tornado. Details were on
the sketchy side, but he heard a report that major damage was done in town. I
quickly headed back to the Little Rock area as new supercells were organizing
just to the southwest of Little Rock, and looked to be headed directly into Little
Rock, and more specifically the downtown area. I hurried up west but knew I
wouldn't be able get ahead of the storm. As I was about 16 miles east of Little
Rock, I came upon flipped tractor trailer rigs on I-40. This was at mile marker
162. I decided to pull over and survey the damage done by the circulation that
headed n-ne and hit Beebe and McRae. After I surveyed the damage, and inter-
viewed an Arkansas State Trooper, I headed up towards Beebe for more damage
survey. I also came back the morning after to see the true scope of the massive
damage done to both Beebe and McRae.

After reviewing damage extensively the next day, the track of the worst damage
was about 50-70 yards wide through Beebe and into McRae. Surrounding this
area the total damage path was in the 200 yard range. Significant damage was
done to the Beebe High School, and homes in this area were destroyed. Later
the tornado was rated as a F-3 tornado, but in some areas I would classify the
damage at the lower end of F-4. The tornado moved rapidly, and debris was
piled up almost to roof level in some areas. This tornado was definitely violent
categorically. Fortunately early warning and earlier tornadoes in the area did
reduce the casualties from the intense tornado.

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