2025 Diaz tornado

During the nighttime hours of March 14, 2025, a large and violent EF4 tornado moved near the town of Diaz, Arkansas. Part of a larger outbreak that took place on March 13–16, the tornado caused extensive damage during its 23-minute track across the towns of Departee, Jacksonport and Diaz before dissipating. It was the second violent tornado of the outbreak, and second violent tornado to occur in the state of Arkansas since the 2014 Mayflower–Vilonia tornado. The tornado was rated a high-end EF4 with winds of across a -long path.

Two people were injured as a result of the tornado, one of which was a police officer whose patrol car was lofted by the tornado. Remarkably, no fatalities occurred, despite the near-direct hit to Diaz as well as being at nighttime, where tornadoes are harder to see and less warning time.

Meteorological synopsis

A strong negatively-tilted upper-level shortwave trough detected on satellite on morning of March 14 was expected to produce an intense mid-level jet that followed its parent shortwave and move towards the center of the continental United States. These features produced strong ascent, which, alongside a powerful surface cyclone expected to form and move from the central High Plains towards the Upper Midwest, produced the conditions necessary for the development of significant severe weather, necessitating the issue of a moderate risk for a large portion of the Mississippi Valley by the Storm Prediction Center. Over much of the middle Mississippi Valley, strong diurnal heating was expected to occur, which, alongside a low-level jet to aid boundary-level moisture, allowed for the development of surface-based storms, which were expected to produce a single fast-moving band of convection that was expected to produce gusts up to over the region.

Further to the southeast over Missouri, forecasters outlined the risk of more discrete thunderstorms developing on the northern edge of a more concentrated area of low-level moisture. These storms were expected to form into at least semi-discrete supercells due to the presence of strong upper-level flow and strong deep-layer shear. The HRRR model suggested that widespread supercells could develop late in the afternoon, potentially as far south as the border of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee, with soundings of other forecast models, including the NAM model, favoring the development of intense supercells capable of producing large hail of and potentially significant or intense tornadoes.

The first complex of storms had emerged by 10:25a.m. Central Daylight Time (UTC–5) over southern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma, which moved into a region of high atmospheric stability and strong convective inhibition, with a minimal severe hazard risk expected to be limited to small hail up to . The Storm Prediction Center was expecting the formation of an intense squall line to initiate between 3 and 5p.m. that afternoon. In the evening, a PDS tornado watch was issued for an area in the Mississippi Valley, with severe thunderstorms expected to develop in conditions primed for supercells capable of producing strong, long-track tornadoes. As forecast, numerous supercells began developing across the main risk area, and began producing tornadoes, some of which have presumably been strong to intense.

Formation, Departee and Jones Farm

The tornado first developed at 11:17 p.m. CDT on March 14 in the small community of Departee near Departee Creek Road, initially snapping tree limbs. The tornado quickly intensified to low-end EF2 intensity, snapping several power poles along Buzzard Roast Road. Along Meadow Lake, several poultry homes were extensively damaged and multiple trees were snapped at EF1 intensity before the tornado crossed Departee Creek into Jackson County. The tornado grew in size and intensity as it traversed through rural areas. As the tornado crossed AR 14 east of Macks, the tornado impacted Jones Farm. A well-built office building was leveled at low-end EF4 intensity with estimated windspeeds of . Across the property, a one-story home in front of the office building was mostly leveled with the bathroom remaining, another home sustained similar devastation, four soy bean silos were destroyed, a farming equipment building was mangled with two metal pillars yanked out of the ground, a large metal tank was thrown and mangled by the tornado, and several large metal buildings were leveled and swept away. Large hardwood trees were also severely debarked and denuded and a trailer was thrown onto a home, injuring a resident sheltering in the home. The tornado reached its peak width of as it was impacting this neighborhood.

Peak intensity in Diaz and dissipation

Moving northeast, the tornado weakened to EF3 intensity. Several trees along the White River were snapped and severely debarked at . Nearby, multiple metal truss towers were heavily damaged and mangled. After crossing the river, the tornado made an abrupt north-northeast turn as it weakened to EF1 intensity, grazing the southern side of the town of Jacksonport. Pecan trees were uprooted as the tornado shifted back to a northeast direction. Narrowing in size, the tornado restrengthened to high-end EF2 intensity. Numerous trees and powerlines were snapped and uprooted along anoxbow lake called The Cut Off. As the tornado neared the community of Fitzgerald northwest of Diaz, the tornado reached its peak intensity of high-end EF4, with estimated windspeeds of as the tornado moved through a neighborhood along AR 17. A large, anchor-bolted home was leveled and partially swept off its foundation. Multiple metal buildings were obliterated near the home, several trees were debarked and denuded, and several vehicles and a dump truck were thrown . A nearby home sustained extensive damage to its southern exterior walls.

After crossing AR 17, the tornado weakened to low-end EF3 intensity as another metal building was destroyed, with a home nearby sustaining severe roof damage. The tornado weakened slightly more to high-end EF2 intensity, inflicting significant roof damage to a home and extensively snapping trees as the tornado began scouring the bare soil on the ground. The tornado struck the city of Campbell Station at low-end EF3 intensity, collapsing a microwave tower along Campbell Lane. Several homes in the city sustained significant roof damage and an SUV was thrown from one of the damaged homes into a field. A large steel tank was thrown and landed along AR 367. Several trees along Jackson 43 were snapped and uprooted before the tornado eventually dissipated southeast of Tuckerman along Village Creek south of AR 37 at 11:35 p.m CDT. Despite the intensity, no fatalities were reported from this tornado. Two people were injured, including a police officer who was seriously injured when his patrol car was tossed by the tornado.

The tornado was active for 23 minutes, during which time it traveled and reached a maximum width of . The tornado peaked at high-end EF4 intensity with winds of .

See also

  • Weather of 2025
  • Tornadoes of 2025
  • List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes
    • List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes (2020–present)
  • Tornado intensity and damage