2025 Paris-Scranton-Lamar, Arkansas tornado

the 2025 Paris-Scranton-Lamar tornado was a powerful, long-tracked and deadly EF4 tornado that impacted parts of Arkansas on March 9, 2025.

Meteorological history
On the morning of March 9, 2025, the SPC issued a Enhanced Risk of Severe Thunderstorms for large parts of the Ozarks.

CAPE values were averaging around 1,500-2,000 J/kg across large parts of the region.

By 1630z, the SPC issued a Moderate Risk, seeing a gradually increasing tornado threat. A 15% + hatched chance of tornadoes was in place, mainly north of the actual tornado location.

By 1900, PDS Tornado Watch #97 was issued for the region, which included the areas that would be hit in the future tornado.

At 1955, a tornado warning was issued for the area, and at 1957 a funnel cloud was spotted roughly 10 miles southwest of Paris.

A tornado touched down at 1959, and rapidly intensified into a near mile wide wedge tornado. The city of Paris was put under a tornado emergency at 2001 as the growing wedge tornado, now 1.2 miles wide approached. A house was hit at 2002, and sustained significant damage suggesting winds as high as 160 mph.

The tornado moved into Paris at 2005 with winds of 195-200 mph, sweeping various houses from their foundations. One house that was well built and was very well bolted to the ground was completely torn apart, possibly showing EF5 intensity, this is where 9 of the 11 deaths happened. The tornado weakened to a 180-190 mph EF4 as it moved through eastern Paris, before further weakening to a 170-180 mph EF4 at 2017.

The tornado moved southeast of Wilkins at 2030 as a 160-165 mph EF3, before re-intensifying into a 180-190 mph EF4 as it approached Scranton, and at 2034 the tornado struck northwestern Scranton with winds of 190-200 mph.

One well built house was completely destroyed, and it's foundation scoured, with winds of 200+ mph likely occurring at this location, however only rated it high-end EF4, despite likely showing EF5 intensity at this point.

The tornado continued to weaken, hitting the Cane Creek Public Use Area, showing winds of 145-155 mph, before it crossed the Arkansas River at 2044 with winds of 120-130 mph, making it a EF2. The tornado began to rapidly rope out as it hit southern Lamar, with one house sustaining possible EF3 damage there.

The tornado finally lifted at 2055 southeast of Lamar.

Aftermath
The tornado was initially rated a 230 mph EF5 due to damage in Scranton and Paris, before the National Weather Service controversially downgraded it to a 200+ mph EF4. The Storm Prediction Center still lists it as a 250-270 mph EF5, primarily due to damage to several houses in Paris and Scranton.

Many groups, such as the Tornado History Project, rated the tornado a 240-260 mph EF5.

The governor of Arkansas declared a state of emergency on March 10 for the entire state following devastating severe weather.