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Arkansas · County tornado history

Crittenden County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 17 tornadoes in Crittenden County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 4.4 years. That ranks it 69 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
17
Since 2000
5
Strongest
EF3, March 31, 2023
Most recent
EF3, March 31, 2023
Peak month
April (4)
Per 1,000 sq mi
27
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 Crittenden County

April has brought the most, 4 of 17. About 65% touched down between 12 pm and 6 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

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) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
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 Crittenden County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 14, 1987 F3 25 mi 200 yd 6 121
March 31, 2023 EF3 72.5 mi 1,600 yd 4 26
April 2, 2006 F3 38 mi 500 yd 5
May 2, 2008 EF3 20.2 mi 400 yd 4
April 3, 1968 F2 14.9 mi 100 yd 15
February 11, 1965 F2 19.6 mi 250 yd 4
November 9, 2002 F2 50.6 mi 440 yd 1
April 25, 1975 F2 0.1 mi 40 yd
November 27, 1994 F1 5 mi 50 yd 2
May 1, 1985 F1 0.9 mi 30 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Crittenden County was an F3 on December 14, 1987. It killed 6 people and injured 121 along its 25-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF3 72.5 mi 1,600 yd 4 26
May 25, 2011 EF1 2.5 mi 100 yd
May 2, 2008 EF3 20.2 mi 400 yd 4
April 2, 2006 F3 38 mi 500 yd 5
November 9, 2002 F2 50.6 mi 440 yd 1
April 8, 1998 F0 0.5 mi 30 yd
November 27, 1994 F1 5 mi 50 yd 2
November 27, 1994 F1 3 mi 23 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 Crittenden County as relatively moderate, with a score of 73 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.44 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,196,466 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 Crittenden County had?

17 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 5 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Crittenden County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Crittenden County?

An EF3 on March 31, 2023, with a 72.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Crittenden County?

April 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.