A comparison of the May 1990 and May 2015 high impact river flooding events in Arkansas

Several heavy precipitation events occurred throughout May of 2015 which brought record breaking rainfall amounts of 15 to 20 inches or more across Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas, with numerous locations surpassing their previous all-time rainfall records. This resulted in major flooding along parts of the Arkansas River and its tributaries as dams were forced to release water. Some of these crests broke into the top-ten record and were the highest they had been since the spring 1990 Arkansas flood event, when an analogous event took place. An analysis of the atmospheric and hydrologic similarities of these events will be presented. Furthermore, the Impact-based Decision Support Services that occurred throughout the most recent episode will be discussed.