Clark County, Arkansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05019 · population 21,403 · 866 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 756 records for Clark County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 495 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (260 records). The deadliest single record is the March 1, 1997 tornado: 6 deaths, 100 injuries and $221 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1973, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 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
- 756on 495 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10127 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $270Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 35strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Clark County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 260 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 | 260 | 181 | 1957-2026 | 1 | 2 | $3.0M | 35 of 75 |
| Hail | 192 | 129 | 1965-2026 | 0 | 0 | $995 | 35 of 75 |
| Floods | 137 | 101 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 2 | $8.5M | 14 of 75 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 50 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 64 of 75 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 31 | 1950-2025 | 6 | 121 | $253M | 42 of 75 |
| Drought | 22 | 22 | 2000-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 75 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 1999-2012 | 1 | 0 | – | 53 of 75 |
| Lightning | 11 | 9 | 1997-2013 | 2 | 2 | $393K | 14 of 75 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | $581K | 44 of 75 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 6 | 2005-2020 | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | 25 of 75 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 7 | 2010-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 75 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 6 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 75 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2007-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 75 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 2011-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 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 Clark County had?
NOAA records 35 tornadoes in Clark County from 1950 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 6 deaths and 121 injuries 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 36 tornadoes whose track touched Clark County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 35: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 6 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-01 14:20, as SPC files it | Arkadelphia | F4 | 27 mi | 6 |
| 1999-03-05 19:16, as SPC files it | Kirby | F3 | 13 mi | 0 |
| 1996-05-27 13:25, as SPC files it | Okolona | F3 | 26 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.
Every tornado record filed for Clark County (35)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-20 | Ozan Point, Clark County | EF1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-11-04 | Copeland Ridge, Clark County | EF1 7.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-10-13 | Griffithtown, Clark County | EF1 3.32 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $187K |
| 2013-05-30 | Amity, Clark County | EF2 4.08 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 5 | $158K |
| 2011-04-25 | Amity, Clark County | EF1 3.29 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $52K |
| 2011-04-04 | Whelen Spgs, Clark County | EF1 3.96 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2004-04-09 | Amity, Clark County | F1 8.8 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-11-26 | Griffithville, Clark County | F1 1.4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-04 | Arkadelphia, Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-03-05 | Alpine, Clark County | F2 20 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-03-05 | Amity, Clark County | F3 13 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.5M |
| 1997-03-01 | Okolona, Clark County | F4 27 mi x 1,056 yd | 6 | 100 | $221M |
| 1996-05-27 | Okolona, Clark County | F3 26 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.4M |
| 1988-11-15 | Clark County | F2 10 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1988-05-08 | Clark County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-03-24 | Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-05-01 | Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-11-01 | Clark County | F1 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-14 | Clark County | F1 8 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-04-01 | Clark County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-04-01 | Clark County | F1 13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-12-23 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-12-02 | Clark County | F2 19 mi x 220 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-04-02 | Clark County | F1 8 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-05-03 | Clark County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-05-03 | Clark County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-11-24 | Clark County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-01-03 | Clark County | F2 10.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $25K step |
| 1965-02-09 | Clark County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-04-12 | Clark County | F1 0.5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-04-12 | Clark County | F1 0.5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-03-12 | Clark County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-02-09 | Clark County | F0 2 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-05-02 | Clark County | F1 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1950-03-26 | Clark County | F2 4.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K 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 Clark County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 13, 2014 tornado ($187,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Hundreds of trees were snapped off or blown down. Several trees landed on one house. Outbuildings were damaged or destroyed.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 539781)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-02 | Thunderstorm WindOkolona, Clark County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailAmity, Clark County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailBritts, Clark County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailAlpine, Clark County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailDegray, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailAmity, Clark County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | HailAlpine, Clark County | 4.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | HailGriffithtown, Clark County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-25 | Winter WeatherClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-20 | TornadoOzan Point, Clark County | EF1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindAmity, Clark County | 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-01 | TornadoOkolona, Clark County The tornado moved out of Nevada County and into Clark County approximately 6.5 miles south of Okolona at 220 pm CST. The tornado continued moving northeastward, causing considerable tree damage and downing a number of power lines. The first fatality occurred along I-30, several miles southwest of Arkadelphia where a ... | F4 27 mi x 1,056 yd | 6 | 100 | $221M |
| 1997-07-23 | LightningGum Spgs, Clark County Three men were working in a landfill when lightning struck where they were standing. One man was killed instantly when he was directly struck. Two other men standing nearby sustained only minor injuries. | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 1999-08-08 | LightningAlpine, Clark County An Alpine man was struck by lightning at the Brushy Creek Campground on DeGray Lake. The man was sitting in a lawn chair under a tree. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-07-30 | HeatClark County · forecast zone Clark Excessive heat claimed the life of an elderly man at Gurdon. He was found in his mobile home. There was an air conditioner, but it was not running. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1990-07-30 | Thunderstorm WindClark County | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1971-01-03 | TornadoClark County | F2 10.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 10 | $25K step |
| 2013-05-30 | TornadoAmity, Clark County This tornado exited Pike County 1.5 miles northeast of Rosboro and entered Clark County 2.3 miles northwest of Amity. In Clark County, the tornado destroyed a mobile home, injuring five people. Four houses had minor damage. A large metal building was badly damaged. Many trees were uprooted or snapped off; one of the ... | EF2 4.08 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 5 | $158K |
| 1950-03-26 | TornadoClark County | F2 4.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-01 | TornadoOkolona, Clark County | F4 27 mi x 1,056 yd | 6 | 100 | $221M |
| 1999-03-05 | TornadoAmity, Clark County | F3 13 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.5M |
| 1996-05-27 | TornadoOkolona, Clark County | F3 26 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.4M |
| 2009-12-23 | Flash FloodAmity, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2009-12-24 | FloodAmity, Clark County | 0 | 2 | $1.7M | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2008-09-03 | FloodArkadelphia Municipal Arp, Clark County | 0 | 0 | $864K | |
| 2008-09-02 | Tropical DepressionClark County · forecast zone Clark | 0 | 0 | $747K |
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: May 3, 1979 (tornado, Clark County); November 15, 1988 (tornado, Clark 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 Clark 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 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 68 | 86 | 56 | 20 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 67 | 59 | 24 | 21 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 50 | 61 | 24 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 14 | 22 | 12 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
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 Clark County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 49 · Mar 66 · Apr 116 · May 136 · Jun 81 · Jul 90 · Aug 55 · Sep 25 · Oct 25 · Nov 29 · Dec 40 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clark County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Clark County: 18 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3636 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4873 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-04-05 | EM-3627 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2015-06-26 | DR-4226 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2013-01-29 | DR-4100 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2011-05-02 | DR-1975 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding |
| 2010-02-04 | DR-1872 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-06-16 | DR-1845 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-10-22 | DR-1804 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Ike |
| 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 |
| 2001-03-13 | DR-1363 | 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 |
| 1997-03-02 | DR-1162 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1992-07-24 | DR-950 | Severe Storm | Severe Thunderstorms |
| 1990-05-15 | DR-865 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1988-11-23 | DR-817 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 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 Clark County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 137 flood or flash flood records for Clark County from 1996 to 2025, on 101 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clark County ranks 1874th 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 | 3 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $891,000 on 32 claims filed in Clark County; the most in one year was 9 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 1 · 2003: 6 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 9 · 2015: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2025: 6; 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 Clark County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.1M | 65 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $746K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $651K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $775K | once in about 360 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $497K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $652K | 18 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $99K | 19 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clark 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 Clark CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clark County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis