Calhoun County, Arkansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05013 · population 4,734 · 629 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 376 records for Calhoun County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 286 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (96 records). The most damaging was the October 29, 2009 tornado ($2.4 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1973, 21 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Bunker Fire” on September 15, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 376on 286 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 01 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $26Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 20strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Calhoun County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 96 since 1957. The rank column places the county among Arkansas's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 96 | 73 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 73 of 75 |
| Floods | 84 | 74 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | 13 of 75 |
| Hail | 76 | 55 | 1967-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 69 of 75 |
| Winter storms | 38 | 38 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $64K | 61 of 75 |
| Drought | 26 | 26 | 2000-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 75 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 16 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $15M | 64 of 75 |
| Heat | 10 | 10 | 2007-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 75 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 2007-2019 | 0 | 0 | $505K | 21 of 75 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 5 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 13 of 75 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2007-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 75 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2006-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 75 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2010-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 75 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | $712K | 61 of 75 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Calhoun County had?
NOAA records 20 tornadoes in Calhoun County from 1955 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 18 tornadoes whose track touched Calhoun County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 20: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-04-08 17:16, as SPC files it | Chidester to Hampton | F3 | 62.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.
Every tornado record filed for Calhoun County (20)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | Chambersville, Calhoun County | EF1 14.58 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-12-27 | East Camden, Calhoun County | EF1 3.59 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2015-12-27 | Artesian, Calhoun County | EF1 7.22 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $68K |
| 2012-01-22 | Little Bay, Calhoun County | EF1 4.04 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2010-05-01 | Artesian, Calhoun County | EF0 0.66 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2009-10-29 | East Camden, Calhoun County | EF2 0.92 mi x 1,250 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.4M |
| 2009-10-29 | East Camden, Calhoun County | EF1 2.96 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $413K |
| 2009-10-29 | Locust Bayou, Calhoun County | EF1 4.32 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2005-12-03 | Woodberry, Calhoun County | F1 2.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-11-01 | Hampton, Calhoun County | F1 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-04-29 | Hampton, Calhoun County | F0 7.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-12-09 | Woodberry, Calhoun County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-18 | Hampton, Calhoun County | F0 1.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-18 | Locust Bayou, Calhoun County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-15 | Locust Bayou, Calhoun County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 1979-04-08 | Calhoun County | F3 26.2 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1978-12-03 | Calhoun County | F1 8.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-11-23 | Calhoun County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1968-05-10 | Calhoun County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-10-28 | Calhoun County | F2 0.5 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Calhoun County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 19, 2019 thunderstorm wind ($115,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Numerous trees were down across the area. A damage survey confirmed 80 to 85 mph straight line winds at Harrell. Numerous trees were downed or snapped, with some trees on houses. Several carports were damaged. A brick wall at a car wash perpendicular to the wind was blown down.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 834144)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | TornadoChambersville, Calhoun County | EF1 14.58 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-18 | HailHopeville, Calhoun County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-09-24 | Flash FloodWoodberry, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-01 | FloodArtesian, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-27 | FloodArtesian, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-01 | FloodArtesian, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-05 | FloodArtesian, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-03 | Thunderstorm WindLittle Bay, Calhoun County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-03 | FloodArtesian, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-09 | Ice StormCalhoun County · forecast zone Calhoun | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-01 | FloodArtesian, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-03-27 | Thunderstorm WindWoodberry, Calhoun County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-04-08 | TornadoCalhoun County | F3 26.2 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10-29 | TornadoEast Camden, Calhoun County | EF2 0.92 mi x 1,250 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.4M |
| 2009-05-04 | FloodDelhi, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | $825K | |
| 2007-05-15 | LightningWoodberry, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | $712K | |
| 2008-09-02 | Flash FloodLocust Bayou, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | $685K | |
| 2009-10-09 | Thunderstorm WindHampton, Calhoun County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $619K |
| 1996-09-15 | TornadoLocust Bayou, Calhoun County | F1 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 2008-04-08 | Thunderstorm WindThornton, Calhoun County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 2009-10-29 | Flash FloodThornton, Calhoun County | 0 | 0 | $275K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 8, 1979 (tornado, Calhoun County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Calhoun County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 45 | 23 | 8 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 34 | 12 | 37 |
| Hail | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 28 | 6 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 21 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Calhoun County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 22 · Mar 30 · Apr 56 · May 70 · Jun 31 · Jul 25 · Aug 23 · Sep 21 · Oct 31 · Nov 12 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Calhoun County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Calhoun County: 16 major disasters, 6 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (9) and hurricane (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-15 | FM-5676 | Fire | Bunker Fire |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3636 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-05 | EM-3627 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-04-04 | DR-4700 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-08-27 | EM-3541 | Hurricane | Hurricane Laura |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4518 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3461 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-05-06 | DR-4270 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2016-02-05 | DR-4254 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-02 | DR-1975 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding |
| 2010-02-04 | DR-1872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-12-03 | DR-1861 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-06-16 | DR-1845 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-09-18 | DR-1793 | Hurricane | Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Hurricane Gustav |
| 2008-03-26 | DR-1751 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-02 | EM-3215 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-06-30 | DR-1528 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-12-29 | DR-1354 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 2000-12-28 | EM-3159 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1011 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1990-05-15 | DR-865 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-04-11 | DR-574 | Tornado | Tornado |
| 1973-04-27 | DR-375 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Calhoun County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 84 flood or flash flood records for Calhoun County from 1997 to 2025, on 74 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Calhoun County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ike | 2008-09-13 | 1 | 0 |
| Hurricane Gustav | 2008-09-02 | 4 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $148,000 on 9 claims filed in Calhoun County; the most in one year was 3 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2008: 2 · 2009: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2018: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Calhoun County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Calhoun County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $2.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $213K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $211K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $412K | once in about 349 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $20K | once in about 29 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $162K | 20 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Very Low | $385K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $5K | 20 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Very Low | $68K | 65 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Calhoun County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in ArkansasEvery Arkansas tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in ArkansasThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Arkansas recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Calhoun CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Calhoun County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis