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Arkansas · County tornado history

Yell County, Arkansas tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 34 tornadoes in Yell County, Arkansas from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.2 years. That ranks it 31 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
34
Since 2000
19
Strongest
EF4, February 5, 2008
Most recent
EF-U, November 4, 2024
Peak month
April (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
36
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 Yell County

April has brought the most, 9 of 34. About 65% 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 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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 Yell County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 5, 2008 EF4 121.8 mi 1,320 yd 13 139
March 14, 1953 F3 12.2 mi 880 yd 7
March 26, 1976 F3 16.1 mi 100 yd 4
October 23, 1951 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 4
February 22, 1975 F2 26.2 mi 80 yd 4
April 7, 1980 F2 20.9 mi 200 yd 1
March 12, 1961 F2 2 mi 417 yd
April 7, 1980 F2 4.1 mi 150 yd
October 26, 1995 F2 12.5 mi 800 yd
January 12, 2006 F2 14.7 mi 75 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Yell 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
November 4, 2024 EF-U 2.4 mi 190 yd
November 4, 2022 EF1 2.3 mi 100 yd
November 4, 2022 EF1 3.7 mi 600 yd
April 26, 2017 EF0 0.5 mi 50 yd
May 25, 2015 EF1 1.9 mi 250 yd
May 25, 2015 EF1 0.4 mi 100 yd
April 14, 2011 EF1 2.1 mi 75 yd
April 14, 2011 EF1 0.8 mi 25 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 Yell County as relatively moderate, with a score of 81 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.65 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,050,890 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 Yell County had?

34 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 19 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Yell 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 Yell County?

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

When is tornado season in Yell 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.