NWS Little Rock, AR - Cooling Down/Spotty Severe Storms/Heavy Rain on August 15-29, 2022

The pattern changed in mid-August. A big ridge of high pressure in the Plains (that was responsible for heat/spotty rain in Arkansas) exited to the west, and a storm system and cold front approached from the north.

On the 15th, the front made headway through northeast Arkansas, and afternoon temperatures were only in the 80s. It was still hot farther to the southwest, with readings in the 90s to around 104 degrees. It was the hottest day of the year to this point at Little Rock (Pulaski County) as the mercury hit 104 degrees. It was also 104 degrees at De Queen (Sevier County), Fort Smith (Sebastian County), and Russellville (Pope County). The front was surrounded by plenty of moisture in the low levels of the atmosphere, and this fueled scattered afternoon thunderstorms.

The storms unleashed strong to damaging winds in places. Between Hot Springs and Royal (both in Garland County), numerous trees were downed. There was some roof damage, as well as damage to a shed and a fence.

Behind the front, it was a different world by the 17th. High temperatures were only in the 70s and 80s. The front wobbled around in or near the region the next few days before a new cold front pushed through from the north on the 21st/22nd. By this time, moisture levels were through the roof as remnants of a tropical system in south Texas came into play. A heavy rain event was in the works as the front and moisture collided.

Tropical moisture led to pop up showers and several funnel clouds in eastern Arkansas on the 22nd. A funnel may have actually touched the ground briefly (making it a tornado) near Jennette (Crittenden County).

Once the heavy rain kicked in (along the aforementioned front that crossed Arkansas on the 21st/22nd), there was a lot of it (more than ten inches in places) from northeast Texas all the way to the Florida panhandle. Crossett (Ashley County), El Dorado (Union County), and Magnolia (Columbia County) picked up more than four inches of precipitation.

Life threatening flash flooding was noted late on the 21st/22nd in Dallas, TX and surrounding areas. Late on the 23rd and into the 24th, it was the same scenario in Jackson, MS.

Torrential rain fell in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX on August 21st/22nd. A whopping 9.19 inches of liquid was measured, which was the second most twenty four hour amount on record locally (not far behind the 9.57 inch total on September 4th/5th, 1932). Even with an ongoing extreme drought (and sixty seven days with no measurable rain from June 4th through August 9th), there was a lot of flooding. Intersections became lakes, cars were submerged, and water flowed into homes/businesses. Three to four hundred people were rescued. A woman was killed when her vehicle was swept away by fast moving current.

On the 23rd/24th, it happened again in Mississippi. A two day total of 8.58 inches of rain at Jackson, MS wreaked havoc, and sent the Pearl River toward a Top 15 record crest. It was the wettest August day on record on the 24th, with 5.05 inches of precipitation tallied. In nearby Canton, MS, people were on top of their cars to escape rising water. Dozens of children were rescued at a day care center at Florence, MS. Water overwhelmed a nursing home in Brandon, MS, and at least three dozen residents were taken to safety. Northeast of Conehatta, MS, a portion of Highway 489 was completely washed away. Due to complications from an overflowing Pearl River (and other long term issues), the water system failed in Jackson, MS, and officials scrambled to provide water for 180,000 people.

There was not enough rain in Arkansas to end a drought that became widespread in July. On the 23rd, the worst drought conditions (D2/D3 intensity) affected the central, west central, and northwest counties.

On the 29th, one more cold front headed this way from Missouri. Showers and thunderstorms ahead of the front dumped one to more than two inches of rain in about the northern two rows of counties in Arkansas. Lead Hill (Boone County) and Mammoth Spring (Fulton County) had more than two inches, as did portions of Benton County. At Bentonville (Benton County), an 11-year-old boy was swept into a storm drain, as was a 47-year-old woman who tried to save him. They were pulled from the drain and taken to a nearby hospital. They both passed away.