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Arkansas · County tornado history

Van Buren County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 35 tornadoes in Van Buren County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.1 years. That ranks it 30 of 75 counties in Arkansas with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on December 23, 2015.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
35
Since 2000
17
Strongest
EF4, February 5, 2008
Most recent
EF1, December 23, 2015
Peak month
April (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
48
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 Van Buren County

April has brought the most, 9 of 35. About 63% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 17% 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
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 Van Buren County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 5, 2008 EF4 121.8 mi 1,320 yd 13 139
March 15, 1984 F4 41 mi 440 yd 2 13
May 2, 2008 EF3 45.3 mi 1,600 yd 5 24
April 30, 2010 EF3 20.3 mi 700 yd 1 15
November 15, 1988 F3 29 mi 400 yd 1 10
February 14, 1956 F3 33 mi 300 yd 1 5
December 2, 1982 F3 23 mi 400 yd
March 5, 1999 F3 10 mi 350 yd
January 8, 2008 EF2 20.5 mi 440 yd 1 2
June 11, 1989 F2 1 mi 50 yd 6

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Van Buren 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
December 23, 2015 EF1 0.2 mi 75 yd
April 10, 2013 EF2 17.3 mi 800 yd 5
April 15, 2012 EF1 2.3 mi 300 yd
April 30, 2010 EF2 11.8 mi 200 yd
April 30, 2010 EF1 8.9 mi 150 yd
April 30, 2010 EF3 20.3 mi 700 yd 1 15
May 2, 2008 EF1 1.1 mi 100 yd
May 2, 2008 EF3 45.3 mi 1,600 yd 5 24

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 Van Buren County as relatively moderate, with a score of 83 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.53 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,730,522 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 Van Buren County had?

35 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 17 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Van Buren County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on December 23, 2015. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Van Buren County?

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

When is tornado season in Van Buren 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.