A slow moving upper level low pressure system drifted east across Central and Eastern Texas during the daytime hours of May 16th. Meanwhile, the attendant surface low pressure system over East Central Texas drifted east into Northeast Texas during the afternoon, with a southerly low level jet allowing for a warm front to mix north into East Texas, extreme Northern Louisiana, into Southern Arkansas through the evening. Although daytime heating was limited due to extensive cloud cover and periods of showers, large scale forcing and adequate low level wind shear contributed to the development of numerous low-topped supercell showers and a few thunderstorms, several of which spawned tornadoes and wall clouds across portions of extreme Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and Southeast Oklahoma throughout the afternoon and evening. As drier air began to entrain ahead of this upper low pressure system, and the warm front had shifted north into the northern sections of Southwest Arkansas by mid-evening, the tornado threat subsided considerably.

Tornado in LITTLE RIVER, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 13:35:00 to 16-MAY-20 13:36:00 (CST-6)
Location: LANESPORT
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

Multiple witnesses documented a tornado via video and pictures touching down in an open field in extreme Southwest Little River County, where it tracked northwest into extreme Southeast McCurtain County Oklahoma. Since the NWS survey team could not access this area, an EF rating could not be assigned and thus this tornado will be rated EF-Unknown.

Flash Flood in LITTLE RIVER, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 17:45:00 to 16-MAY-20 19:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: FOREMAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Several streets were flooded in Foreman.

Tornado in MILLER, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 16:16:00 to 16-MAY-20 16:18:00 (CST-6)
Location: DOOLEY
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 100 mph touched down along Miller County 21 and Miller County 116 where it uprooted trees and snapped the wooden pole of a electrical transmission line. It continued moving northwest and crossed Highway 296, downing large limbs. Before the tornado lifted just north of Highway 296, it ripped off the shingles and destroyed the carport of a single family home.

Tornado in LITTLE RIVER, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 16:36:00 to 16-MAY-20 16:37:00 (CST-6)
Location: RED BLUFF
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 2.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-0 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 70 mph very briefly touched down at a residence off of LR-239 in extreme Southeast Little River County. This tornado partially damaged the roof of a single family home and downed multiple large tree branches before lifting.

Tornado in COLUMBIA, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 16:39:00 to 16-MAY-20 16:41:00 (CST-6)
Location: BRIGHT
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 100 mph touched down along Columbia Road 31 where it snapped tree limbs on several hardwood trees. The tornado continued to uproot approximately ten trees and flipped a car near a residence along Columbia Road 104. The tornado reached its maximum intensity when it snapped trees as it crossed Highway 355 before crossing over into Southern Nevada County.

Tornado in NEVADA, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 16:41:00 to 16-MAY-20 16:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: DELTA
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

This is the continuation of the Columbia County EF-1 tornado. This tornado, which had reached its peak intensity near 100 mph as it crossed Highway 355 in Northern Columbia County, weakened slightly to 95 mph as it crossed over into Southern Nevada County, where it continued to uproot several trees along Nevada 2 Road before lifting. The total path length of this tornado from Northern Columbia into Southern Nevada Counties was 2.65 miles.

Tornado in NEVADA, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 16:56:00 to 16-MAY-20 16:58:00 (CST-6)
Location: BODCAW
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds around 90 mph touched down near Highway 32, where it uprooted a few trees and snapped several large limbs. After crossing the highway, it moved northwest to near Nevada 15 where it picked up a metal overhang and threw it approximately 150 yards over a home and into a nearby field. The tornado also snapped and uprooted several hardwood and softwood trees near this location. It also uprooted several more trees as it crossed Nevada 15 and then lifted near the intersection of Nevada 120 and Nevada 15 in the Bodcaw community.

Tornado in HEMPSTEAD, ARKANSAS
From 16-MAY-20 17:46:00 to 16-MAY-20 17:47:00 (CST-6)
Location: DEANEYVILLE
Tornado F-scale: EF0
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-0 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 70 mph briefly touched down as it was crossing Highway 371 east of Blevins. It downed a few large tree limbs, one of which fell across the road and was documented through pictures posted to social media.