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Arkansas · County tornado history

Stone County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 23 tornadoes in Stone County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.3 years. That ranks it 48 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
23
Since 2000
10
Strongest
EF4, February 5, 2008
Most recent
EF2, March 31, 2023
Peak month
April (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
38
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 Stone County

April has brought the most, 8 of 23. About 78% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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 9
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Stone 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
December 2, 1982 F3 23 mi 400 yd
November 15, 1988 F2 13 mi 400 yd 4
March 14, 1953 F2 36.2 mi 333 yd
April 30, 1970 F2 7.2 mi 100 yd
May 12, 1978 F2 12.1 mi 200 yd
November 27, 2005 F2 7 mi 250 yd
March 31, 2023 EF2 6.8 mi 125 yd
May 14, 1974 F1 62 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Stone 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 31, 2023 EF2 6.8 mi 125 yd
March 6, 2022 EF1 2.4 mi 200 yd
April 10, 2013 EF1 4.1 mi 300 yd
April 30, 2010 EF1 8.9 mi 150 yd
February 5, 2008 EF4 121.8 mi 1,320 yd 13 139
September 22, 2006 F0 5.2 mi 25 yd
November 27, 2005 F2 7 mi 250 yd
April 24, 2003 F0 0.2 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 Stone County as relatively moderate, with a score of 75 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.41 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,975,451 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 Stone County had?

23 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 10 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Stone County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Stone County?

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

When is tornado season in Stone 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.