Tornado damage south of Stamps
STAMPS – The torrential rain event that affected parts of south Hempstead County had a severe weather component for Lafayette County. The National Weather Service in Shreveport assisted by the Lafayette County Office of Emergency Management survey evidence of a tornado touchdown south of Stamps.
The Weather Service released the following summary: During the early morning hours on Wednesday, July 12th, a large convective system moved through southwest Arkansas. This storm system was mainly a heavy rain producer that caused significant Flash Flooding across portions of Arkansas, including Lafayette County. As the storm approached the community of Stamps, it began to strengthen some and was able to produce a short-lived weak tornado just to the south of Stamps. While there was some straight-line wind damage in the town of Stamps near West 1st Street and Conlan Street, the tornado damage was not evident till the storm moved over Highway 53 (McKamie Road) between Lakeside Cemetery and Lake June.
There were a number of trees uprooted and snapped just to the east of the lake near the parking lot. A large tree snapped across the road at the cemetery. From here the tornado tracked southward along Highway 53 where more damage was found near Ferguson Hill Road and Hamilton Street. The tornado then strengthened some from Fuller Drive south to County Road 84 where EF1 damage was observed. The tornado continued to track to the south across County Road 85 and County Road 23 before lifting again near Highway 53 just south of County Road 23.