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Arkansas · County tornado history

Johnson County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 40 tornadoes in Johnson County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.9 years. That ranks it 19 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on November 4, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
40
Since 2000
14
Strongest
EF4, May 24, 2011
Most recent
EF-U, November 4, 2024
Peak month
November (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
58
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 Johnson County

November has brought the most, 9 of 40. About 57% touched down between 4 pm and 10 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) 8
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 1

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 Johnson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 24, 2011 EF4 45.7 mi 2,200 yd 4 27
May 24, 2011 EF3 29 mi 1,430 yd 1 4
April 7, 1980 F3 3.6 mi 1,707 yd 76
February 15, 1954 F3 1 mi 100 yd 24
March 14, 1953 F3 40.1 mi 880 yd
April 14, 1960 F3 2 mi 100 yd
June 6, 1974 F3 11.7 mi 300 yd
March 12, 1961 F2 28.8 mi 17 yd 1 18
November 23, 2001 F2 31.5 mi 500 yd 1 4
November 15, 1988 F2 16 mi 150 yd 9

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Johnson County was an EF4 on May 24, 2011. It killed 4 people and injured 27 along its 45.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 4, 2024 EF-U 0.9 mi 30 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 3.5 mi 400 yd
October 9, 2018 EF1 1.2 mi 100 yd
October 9, 2018 EF1 0.2 mi 50 yd
April 13, 2018 EF1 5 mi 250 yd
March 1, 2017 EF1 0.1 mi 200 yd
May 24, 2011 EF3 29 mi 1,430 yd 1 4
May 24, 2011 EF4 45.7 mi 2,200 yd 4 27

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 Johnson County as relatively moderate, with a score of 79 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 $2,668,485 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 Johnson County had?

40 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 14 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Johnson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on November 4, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Johnson County?

An EF4 on May 24, 2011, with a 45.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Johnson County?

November 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.