Share This Article
The United States National Weather Service Little Rock has released its damage survey for the tornado event that occurred in Boone and Marion County.
The tornado has been ranked as an EF-3 tornado and was estimated to have traveled for 21 miles before petering out. The NWS estimates that the tornado was 1500 yards wide, with winds reaching up to 145 mph.
“Our damage survey crew found evidence of an EF-3 tornado beginning in Boone County, continuing into Marion County from early Sunday morning storms. At 21 miles long, 1500 yards wide, packing winds up to 145 mph this was an incredibly intense tornado,” said NWS when releasing their report.
According to NWS, Sunday’s tornado likely began just west of Bellefonte Road, near the intersection of Maxie Camp Road in Boone County. There it damaged trees and downed power poles as it crossed the road.
A few homes in the area sustained some damage, mainly to their roofs and their southern and southeastern exterior walls. NWS reports that a hay barn was also completely destroyed.
The tornado then continued to move east into an open field, damaging and snapping trees in its path before crossing US Highway 65. The tornado then passed near the Boone County Sheriff’s Department Building and an Arkansas State Police Troop Center. Both buildings received minor damage.
A loaded trailer from the Boone County Sheriff’s Department was lifted into the air and tossed into a gate, rendering it inoperable.
East of the highway, a storage unit sustained damage to all three of its buildings and an RV was flipped on its side. Another business behind the storage unit had its glass windows blown out and its garage door broken. A building south of the complex was badly damaged, with most of its walls collapsing.
The tornado continued to move east, knocking down trees and power poles along Maxie Camp Road. As it approached the intersection of Maxie Camp and Starkey Road, a mobile home was lifted from the ground and destroyed. A few homes in the area were also lifted off the ground and destroyed. No anchoring was found on the homes by the NWS survey crew.
Despite the lack of anchoring on the homes, NWS estimates that the tornado had reached EF3 wind speeds of 140 to 145 miles per hour. One resident of the destroyed homes sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The tornado then moved northeast, paralleling US Highway 62, moving southeast of Olvey and causing damage to trees and destroying small outbuildings. BCSD reported one fatality near Olvey following the destruction of a mobile home.
The tornado then crossed into Marion County as it continued to follow US. 62 to the south, near Pyatt. Marion County OEM reported three deaths to the National Weather Service during their survey of the tornado’s damage.
NWS reports that the tornado lifted and destroyed several mobile homes along Country Road 4010 before moving up the Crooked Creek Valley where it would heavily damage trees and roofs in the area.
The tornado continued its track northeast, crossing Crooked Creek and County Road 40006 and the Snow Access Road and Snow Campground. It then crossed US 62 again, causing moderate damage to homes near the municipality of Snow.
As it continued, the tornado crossed US 62, causing tree damage along the highway. It then crossed State Highway 125 North and County Road 3032, where extensive tree damage was found by NWS. Another mobile home was destroyed in the area.
The tornado continued off into the tree line at this point and is believed to have dissipated in rural territory.
NWS has not released its survey of Baxter County’s tornado at this time. Monetary losses are currently unknown in Boone and Marion County.
