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Arkansas · County tornado history

Izard County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 26 tornadoes in Izard County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.9 years. That ranks it 43 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on March 6, 2022.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
26
Since 2000
11
Strongest
EF4, February 5, 2008
Most recent
EF2, March 6, 2022
Peak month
March (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
44
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 Izard County

March has brought the most, 5 of 26. About 65% 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 19% 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) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 Izard County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 5, 2008 EF4 121.8 mi 1,320 yd 13 139
April 14, 1996 F4 44 mi 880 yd 7 35
March 5, 1996 F3 46.5 mi 150 yd 2
March 26, 1950 F3 5.7 mi 200 yd 1
December 2, 1950 F3 7.8 mi 10 yd
March 6, 2022 EF2 11.3 mi 800 yd 5
May 13, 1957 F2 2 mi 400 yd 1
March 14, 1953 F2 36.2 mi 333 yd
February 14, 1956 F2 4.1 mi 10 yd
April 30, 1970 F2 20.1 mi 667 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Izard County was an EF4 on February 5, 2008. It killed 13 people and injured 139 along its 121.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 6, 2022 EF2 11.3 mi 800 yd 5
April 10, 2013 EF2 1.2 mi 100 yd
September 2, 2008 EF0 0.9 mi 60 yd
February 5, 2008 EF4 121.8 mi 1,320 yd 13 139
September 22, 2006 F1 8 mi 50 yd
September 22, 2006 F1 3.7 mi 40 yd
November 27, 2005 F1 5.8 mi 150 yd
April 24, 2003 F0 0.5 mi 20 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 Izard County as relatively low, with a score of 60 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.37 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,010,666 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 Izard County had?

26 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Izard County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on March 6, 2022. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Izard County?

An EF4 on February 5, 2008, with a 121.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Izard County?

March 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.