Draft:2023 Little Rock tornado

Little Rock–North Little Rock–Jacksonville, Arkansas

The Little Rock EF3 wedge tornado as seen from Camp Joseph T. Robinson
Meteorological history
Formed	March 31, 2023, 2:18 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
Dissipated	March 31, 2023, 2:58 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
Duration	40 minutes
EF3 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Highest winds	165 mph (266 km/h)
Overall effects
Casualties	0 fatalities (+1 indirect), 54 injuries
Damage	$90 million
Economic losses	$489 million (total insurance payouts)

On the afternoon of March 31, 2023, a high-end EF3 tornado struck much of the Little Rock Metro, primarily the Little Rock and North Little Rock subdivisions of Martindale, Indian Hills, and Parnell in Arkansas.

Meteorological synopsis

See also: Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023

Radar loop highlighting Arkansas and the evolution of the Little Rock and Wynne supercells

The Storm Prediction Center outlined a High risk (5/5) convective outlook over much of central and western Arkansas on March 31, as a significant severe weather outbreak with the possibility for large hail initially, before transitioning into an environment supportive to the development of long-tracked and potentially violent tornadoes. In the early afternoon, a capped environment would limit tornadic potential, however eventually this would erode and MLCAPE values would reach 1500–2500 J/kg and storm-relative helicity values would reach 300–600 m²s² as storms pushed towards the state's borders with Tennessee and Mississippi. Little Rock was included in that afternoon's outlook's Moderate risk (4/5) contour.

A supercell over Pike and Saline counties would attain tornadic characteristics as it tracked towards Little Rock, dropping a funnel cloud over Garland County at 1:18 pm. The National Weather Service in Little Rock issued a tornado warning at 2:03 pm as the storm made its final approach to Pulaski County, fifteen minutes before the Little Rock tornado was first spotted.

Tornado summary

Damage from the tornado primarily affected residential areas of the Little Rock metro

Formation

This tornado, a high-end EF3 that would become the first tornado of the historic outbreak, began in Martindale.

, where damage to trees occurred before the tornado entered a residential district of the city. As it passed Chenal Parkway, it rapidly intensified and severely damaged apartment buildings and homes along Shackleford Road, where multiple homes were left with exterior walls collapsed leaving only interior rooms standing. As the tornado crossed Interstate 430, it damaged a shopping center before approaching another residential area where more homes and apartments suffered severe damage. Hundreds of trees were also uprooted. As the tornado approached the Arkansas River, it damaged more homes before crossing the river and uprooting and snapping hundreds to thousands of trees at Burns Park. The tornado then crossed I-40 near exit 150 and struck an under-construction fire station on Military Drive. Further damage to homes, buinesses, and apartments occurred, with some homes losing their roofs, before the tornado approached North Little Rock's Indian Hills subdivision, where further tree and house damage occurred. The tornado appeared to weaken at this point, producing less severe damage to homes and businesses, before ripping the roof off of an apartment and passing over Indianhead lake. Further damage to homes and trees occurred. The tornado then exited residential areas and enter a marsh where further tree damage occurred, before crossing US 67 where a tractor-trailer was flipped. Following this, the tornado re-entered populated areas and re-strengthened as more homes and businesses sustained severe damage, before completely destroying a church and entering Lonoke county in the Holland Bottoms wildlife preserve. The tornado entered Parnell, where roofs were damaged and garages destroyed before the tornado crossed Arkansas 89 and destroyed a mobile home. After this, the tornado entered primarily rural areas, while damaging more homes and trees, before crossing AR 321 and lifting. One indirect fatality occurred in Pulaski county, and the tornado was responsible for $90 million of direct property damage.

Aftermath

Insurance claims

Over $489 million of insurance claims from Little Rock were paid by December 31, 2023, including from other area severe weather that day. One area policy holder reported that their $1100 monthly Farm Bureau policy rose $600 following the tornado, up to $1700 per month. An Allstate policyholder reported a $128 dollar hike in their auto coverage.