11– 31

lornajarrettblanchard April 2, 1982

–31 Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below.

–31 NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, N. 4, Apr 1982, including indirect of policeman at roadblock.

–30 NCDC. “Tornado Outbreak on April 2, 1982,” Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, Apr 1982, p. 4.

Arkansas (15)

–15 Blanchard tally, with the range explained by inclusion of indirect fatality of policeman.

–15 NCDC. Event Record Details, Tornado, Arkansas, 2 Apr 1982.

–2 Faulkner Co., Conway, ~19:00. Young woman and 9-month-old stillborn child.[1]

–1 Faulkner County, Conway. Policeman killed while on duty at a road block.[2]

–2 Fulton County, Vidette, 18:20. Home destroyed.[3]

–5 Hempstead Co., ~Hope, 18:20. Family of 5 “crushed under a mattress” in home. [4]

–3 Howard Co., Buck Range. Family home. NCDC, Storm Data, 24/4, April 1982, 11.[5]

–1 Little River County, south of Ashdown. Home destroyed. [6]

–1 St. Francis County, Forrest City. Mobile home used as an office at used car lot.[7]

–14 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 514, 1235-1238.

Mississippi ( 3)

— 3 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1238.

— 3 Leake, Neshoba, Kemper counties, 23:35 CST, April 1 – 00:01 CST, April 2. Mobile home.[8]

Missouri ( 2)

— 2 Ozark and Howell counties, 18:15-1835 CST, F4. Girl, 8, and male, age not noted.[9]

Texas (11)

–11 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 514, 1209.

— 1 Fannin County, near north end of Farm Road 1743. Mobile home, female, 74.[10]

–10 Lamar County/Red River County.[11]

–2 Mobile home.

–6 Out in the open.

–2 Permanent homes

Narrative Information

NCDC Storm Data: “An outbreak of 56 tornadoes occurred on April 2, killing 30 persons and injuring 383. The map below [excluded here] includes locations and F-scale ratings for these tornadoes, which left behind a total of 410 miles of damage path. Note that a violent tornado, which occurred in extreme southeastern Oklahoma, was rated F5 (incredible damage). {Prior to this, no F5 has been reported in the U.S. since the Birmingham, Alabama Tornado on April 4, 1977.) The total tornadoes for each F category are: 1 F5, 3 F4, 11 F3, 13 F2, 21 F1 and 7 F0.” (NCDC. “Tornado Outbreak on April 2, 1982,” Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 4.)

NCDC Storm Data on Red River Region Tornadoes: “The Red River Region…[we omit map] includes 17 tornadoes: 1 F%, 2 F4, 5 F3, 4 F2, 5 F1 and no F0. Note that these tornadoes were produced by two major thunderstorms which moved west to east at the rate of about 50 mph. The southern storm moved over Paris, Texas, spawning an F4 tornado which caused 10 fatalities and 170 injuries. Fortunately, the F5 tornado near Hugo, Oklahoma did not move through major populated areas.” (NCDC. “Red River Region of the April 2, 1982 Tornado Outbreak,” Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 6.)

[Blanchard note: The map shows:

1 death to the east of Bonham, TX

10 deaths in Paris, TX

1 death just to the south of Ashdown, AR

5 deaths to the south of Hope, AR

3 deaths to the south of Nashville, AR.

Arkansas

Grazulis: “TX-OK-AR APR 2, 1982 1640 1k 4inj 250y 55m F3 RED RIVER/ BOWIE,TX/ MCCURTAIN, OK /LITTLE RIVER, AR–From 4m ENE of Clarksville, the tornado destroyed brick homes, mobile homes, and barns at Whiterock and north of Annona, Avery, and English. In Bowie County, five homes were destroyed at Beaver Dam, and two people were slightly injured. The funnel crossed briefly into Oklahoma. After a 29-mile-long path in Texas, the funnel crossed the southern tip of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, causing four miles of timber damage. In Arkansas, the tornado passed 2m S of Wallace and north of Richmond and just south of Ashdown, lifting 5m SE of Ashdown. One person was killed in Arkansas. An historic home was destroyed and 17 other homes were damaged….” (Grazulis 1993, 1236.)

Grazulis: “AR APR 2, 1982 1715 1k 13inj 2m F2. ST. FRANCIS — One person was killed in a trailer used as an office at a used car lot at Forrest City. Five trailers and three businesses were destroyed, and a school, two trailers, three businesses and 12 homes were damaged….” (Grazulis 1993, 1236.)

NCDC: Forrest City, Saint Francis County, April 2, 17:15, path 1.6 miles, width 60 yards, 1 killed, 13 injured, F2 tornado: “The storm destroyed 5 mobile homes and 3 businesses. It damaged 2 mobile homes, 3 businesses, 12 homes and 1 elementary school. The single fatality occurred in a mobile home used as an office for a sued car lot.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado, Arkansas, St. Francis, April 2, 1982.)

NCDC: Little River County, April 2, path 15.5 miles, 1 killed, 2 injured, F3 tornado. “Tornado touched down about 1.5 miles south of Wallace and moved eastward at 25 mph passing just north of Richmond and about 1 mile south of Ashdown. It lifted about 5 miles southeast of Ashdown. Besides the paper mill, damages included 17 homes, a granary and an orchard.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Little River, April 4, 1982.)

NCDC: Sevier, Howard and Hempstead Counties, F4 Tornado, April 2, 17:20, path 45 miles, 200 yards wide, 3 killed, 23 injured. “Tornado touched down 4 miles east of Horatio and moved generally eastward about 25 mph. Damage ranged between F1 and F4 category, mostly F2 and F3. Storm moved near or through Frog Level, Melrose and Milford communities in Sevier County, destroying 5 homes, 1 mobile home 4 poultry houses; also damaging 10 homes, 1 mobile home, 12 poultry houses and other out buildings. Three fatalities occurred within a home in the small community of Buck Range in Howard County. Tornado lifted off the ground about 3 miles east of Blevins in Hempstead County without details on damage within this county….” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F4), Arkansas, Howard, April 2, 1982.)

NCDC: Hempstead County, F3 Tornado, April 2, 17:55-18:40, 18 mile path, 200 yards wide, 5 killed, 4 injured. “This tornado was produced by the same thunderstorm cell that moved through Little River County…Tornado touched down approximately 14 miles east of where the last one lifted off, or about 1 mile south of McNab. Path was not straight. Lift off was just east of Hope. A family of 5 was crushed under a mattress in the center of their home, in the outskirts of Hope, by a huge 40 ft. oak tree that was hurled by the tornado. Fifteen other homes were destroyed and 22 were damaged…” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Hempstead, April 2, 1982.)

NCDC: Vidette, Fulton County, F3 Tornado, April 2, 18:20, 1.5 mile path, 2 killed, 2 injured. “Fatalities occurred as home was destroyed by brief touch down of a tornado. Five other houses damaged, 1 barn, plus cattle killed.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Fulton, April 2, 1982.)

NCDC: Conway, Faulkner County, F3 Tornado, April 2, about 19:00, 3.5 mile path, 2 killed, 37 injured. “The first fatality was a young woman 9 months pregnant. The second one was her stillborn child. An indirect fatality occurred when a policeman was killed while manning a road block on street leading to storm damaged area. Several of the injuries were very serious requiring hospitalization. Ten houses and 38 mobile homes were leveled. Three houses and 2 mobile homes had major damage. Minor damages were done to 3 other homes. One machine shop was totally destroyed.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Faulkner, April 2, 1982.)

Mississippi

NCDC on Leake, Neshoba, Kemper counties tornado, 23:35 CST, Apr 1-00:01 CST, Apr 2:

“A strong tornado touched down just south of Cartage and moved east over the southern edge of the town of Philadelphia and continued before lifting 12 miles of De Kalb. The tornado killed three people when their mobile home was destroyed. A total of 40 people were injured. Totally destroyed were 29 houses, 7 businesses, 25 mobile homes, 5 barns and 5 vehicles. Major damage was suffered by 47 houses, 7 businesses, 16 mobile homes, 25 vehicles and one apartment. Total damage was over 5 million dollars.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 20.)

Texas

Grazulis: “TX APR 2, 1982 1520 lk l inj 150y 32m F3. FANNIN/LAMAR — Moved E from 3m SSE of Ravenna to 7m W of Paris. The tornado destroyed six frame homes, two mobile homes, 10 barns and numerous other rural buildings across Fannin County. A 74-year-old woman was killed and her husband was injured when their home was destroyed just north of Bonham. $1,000,000….

“TX APR 2, 1982 1600 10k 170inj 250y 23m F4. LAMAR/RED RIVER — Moved E from the NW corner of Paris, across the northern part of Paris. This tornado, a member of a family of tornadoes which began in Fannin County, formed near Campbell Road and Loop-286. It ripped apart 465 homes and apartments. While most residents of a mobile home park had left when warnings were issued, a family of four did not, and two of them were killed. Six of the other eight deaths occurred out in the open, and two deaths occurred in destroyed homes. Damage totaled about $50,000,000. After leaving Paris, the tornado hit the north sections of Reno and Blossom. Nearly 100 buildings were damaged or destroyed in those communities….

“TX-OK-AR APR 2, 1982 1640 1k 4inj 250y 55m F3 RED RIVER/BOWIE,TX/ MCCURTAIN, OK /LITTLE RIVER, AR–From 4m ENE of Clarksville, the tornado destroyed brick homes, mobile homes, and barns at Whiterock and north of Annona, Avery, and English. In Bowie County, five homes were destroyed at Beaver Dam, and two people were slightly injured. The funnel crossed briefly into Oklahoma. After a 29-mile-long path in Texas, the funnel crossed the southern tip of McCurtain County, Oklahoma, causing four miles of timber damage. In Arkansas, the tornado passed 2m S of Wallace and north of Richmond and just south of Ashdown, lifting 5m SE of Ashdown. One person was killed in Arkansas. An historic home was destroyed and 17 other homes were damaged….

“AR APR 2, 1982 1715 1k 13inj 2m F2. ST. FRANCIS — One person was killed in a trailer used as an office at a used car lot at Forrest City. Five trailers and three businesses were destroyed, and a school, two trailers, three businesses and 12 homes were damaged….

“MS APR 2, 1982 2335 3k 35inj 400y 42m F3. LEAKE/NESHOBA/KEMPER — Hit south of Carthage, the south part of Philadelphia, to 12m N of DeKalb. Twenty-nine homes, 25 trailers, seven businesses, and five cars were destroyed. The deaths occurred in a trailer. There was major damage to 47 houses, 16 trailers, 25 vehicles, and seven businesses.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 1236-1238.)

Sources

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993.

National Climatic Data Center. Event Record Details, Tornado, Arkansas, 2 Apr 1982, Faulkner County, 1900. NCDC, NOAA, Department of Commerce. Accessed 2-6-2009 at: http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~8776

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, 47 pages. Accessed 5-16-2017 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/sd/sd.html

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Search Results for All Counties in Arkansas, 4-2-1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=04&beginDate_dd=02&beginDate_yyyy=1982&endDate_mm=04&endDate_dd=02&endDate_yyyy=1982&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=5%2CARKANSAS

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Faulkner, April 2, 1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9980192

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Fulton, April 2, 1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9980190

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Hempstead, April 2, 1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9980187

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F4), Arkansas, Howard, April 2, 1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9980184

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F3), Arkansas, Little River, April 2, 1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9980180

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado (F2), Arkansas, St. Francis, April 2, 1982. Accessed 8-14-2015: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=9980179

[1] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 12. Also Grazulis, p. 514.

[2] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 12.

[3] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 11. Also Grazulis, p. 514.

[4] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 11. Also Grazulis, p. 514.

[5] Also Grazulis, within his Sevier/Howard/Hempstead Counties entry, at p. 514.

[6] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 11. Also Grazulis, p. 1236.

[7] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 11. Also Grazulis, p. 1236.

[8] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 20.

[9] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 22.

[10] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 29.

[11] Also: NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 1982, p. 29.