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Arkansas · County tornado history

Arkansas County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 46 tornadoes in Arkansas County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.6 years. That ranks it 10 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on May 5, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
46
Since 2000
21
Strongest
EF3, May 10, 2008
Most recent
EF2, May 5, 2022
Peak month
May (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
44
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Arkansas County

May has brought the most, 10 of 46. About 57% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 22% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 15
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 13
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Arkansas County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 10, 2008 EF3 14.1 mi 1,320 yd 9
February 9, 1965 F3 10.5 mi 333 yd 4
May 2, 1954 F3 0.4 mi 50 yd
May 14, 1983 F3 0.8 mi 250 yd
August 24, 1950 F2 3.6 mi 200 yd 7
March 26, 1961 F2 1.5 mi 333 yd 6
November 19, 1970 F2 14.6 mi 300 yd 2
May 6, 1967 F2 25.1 mi 100 yd 1
April 3, 1968 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
May 14, 1961 F2 5.9 mi 417 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 5, 2022 EF2 1.5 mi 300 yd
March 7, 2022 EF1 7 mi 550 yd
March 27, 2021 EF2 18.6 mi 600 yd
March 13, 2016 EF0 1.2 mi 50 yd
March 13, 2016 EF0 1.3 mi 50 yd
January 22, 2012 EF1 9.4 mi 75 yd
January 22, 2012 EF2 14.4 mi 400 yd
January 22, 2012 EF2 17 mi 300 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Arkansas County as relatively moderate, with a score of 70 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.70 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,785,049 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Arkansas County had?

46 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 21 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Arkansas County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on May 5, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Arkansas County?

An EF3 on May 10, 2008, with a 14.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Arkansas County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.