Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Arkansas · County tornado history

Grant County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 27 tornadoes in Grant County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.8 years. That ranks it 40 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on April 30, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
27
Since 2000
15
Strongest
F3, January 21, 1999
Most recent
EF0, April 30, 2022
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
43
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Grant County

April has brought the most, 7 of 27. About 63% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 30% 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) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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 Grant County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 12, 1966 F3 4.5 mi 10 yd 2
January 21, 1999 F3 11 mi 400 yd
May 2, 2008 EF2 40.7 mi 300 yd 1 3
April 30, 2010 EF2 18 mi 550 yd 8
February 12, 1950 F2 0.1 mi 100 yd
December 3, 1982 F2 6 mi 60 yd
May 16, 2003 F2 25.8 mi 500 yd
May 2, 2008 EF2 22.9 mi 200 yd
May 30, 2013 EF1 0.4 mi 200 yd 1
December 20, 2012 EF1 0.6 mi 200 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Grant County was an EF2 on May 2, 2008. It killed 1 person and injured 3 along its 40.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 30, 2022 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
December 17, 2016 EF1 0.5 mi 100 yd
May 30, 2013 EF1 0.4 mi 200 yd 1
December 20, 2012 EF1 0.6 mi 200 yd 1
April 30, 2010 EF2 18 mi 550 yd 8
April 30, 2010 EF1 2.8 mi 75 yd
October 29, 2009 EF1 0.6 mi 75 yd
October 29, 2009 EF1 1.6 mi 200 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 Grant County as relatively low, with a score of 54 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 $1,423,838 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 Grant County had?

27 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Grant County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on April 30, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Grant County?

An F3 on January 21, 1999, with a 11-mile path.

When is tornado season in Grant 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.