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

Little River County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 23 tornadoes in Little River County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.3 years. That ranks it 49 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 9, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
23
Since 2000
13
Strongest
F3, May 4, 1999
Most recent
EF1, April 9, 2021
Peak month
April (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
41
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 Little River County

April has brought the most, 6 of 23. About 43% touched down between 1 pm and 7 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 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Little River County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 4, 1999 F3 71.5 mi 50 yd 1 22
April 2, 1982 F3 52 mi 233 yd 1 4
April 30, 1954 F3 111.6 mi 1,760 yd 2
October 13, 2014 EF2 2.5 mi 400 yd 1 4
October 17, 1980 F2 0.5 mi 440 yd 2
May 13, 1957 F2 1 mi 77 yd 1
November 24, 1973 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
July 7, 1975 F1 2 mi 50 yd 2
August 20, 1964 F1 4.1 mi 100 yd
March 12, 1971 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Little River County was an F3 on April 2, 1982. It killed 1 person and injured 4 along its 52-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 9, 2021 EF1 2.4 mi 150 yd
May 16, 2020 EF0 0.1 mi 20 yd
May 16, 2020 EF-U 2.2 mi 20 yd
January 21, 2018 EF1 6.3 mi 295 yd
October 13, 2014 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
October 13, 2014 EF2 2.5 mi 400 yd 1 4
November 21, 2011 EF0 2.7 mi 75 yd
April 25, 2011 EF0 7.4 mi 70 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 Little River County as relatively low, with a score of 55 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.36 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $982,009 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 Little River County had?

23 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 13 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Little River County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 9, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Little River County?

An F3 on May 4, 1999, with a 71.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Little River 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.