PlainHazard

Grant County, Arkansas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05053 · population 17,894 · 632 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 486 records for Grant County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 346 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (190 records). The deadliest single record is the January 8, 2014 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Grant, which covers the county: 1 death and 4 injuries. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1968, 17 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
486on 346 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
28 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$25Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
27strongest F3
FEMA declarations
19latest 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 Grant County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 190 since 1968. 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.

Grant County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 190 136 1968-2026 0 1 $1.6M 31 of 75
Hail 106 82 1967-2024 0 0 – 42 of 75
Winter storms 55 54 1997-2026 1 4 $970K 36 of 75
Floods 44 33 1997-2021 0 0 $5.4M 55 of 75
Tornadoes 27 23 1950-2022 1 3 $13M 38 of 75
Drought 17 17 2000-2017 0 0 – 46 of 75
Heat 10 10 2007-2012 0 0 – 39 of 75
Heavy rain 10 9 2006-2025 0 0 – 9 of 75
High wind and dust storms 8 8 2006-2013 0 0 $494K 23 of 75
Extreme cold 7 7 2007-2014 0 0 – 26 of 75
Hurricanes and tropical storms 6 6 2005-2020 0 0 $2.9M 4 of 75
Lightning 3 3 1998-2025 0 0 $11K 38 of 75
Wildfires 2 2 2010-2010 0 0 – 34 of 75
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1 1 2012-2012 0 0 – 48 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 Grant County had?

NOAA records 27 tornadoes in Grant County from 1950 to 2022, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 38th of 75 Arkansas counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Grant County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 27, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Grant County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Grant County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2008-05-02 10:15, as SPC files itKeoEF240.72 mi1
2013-05-30 20:36, as SPC files itTullEF10.36 mi1
1999-01-21 18:18, as SPC files itPoyenF311 mi0
1966-04-12 21:00, as SPC files itUnnamedF34.5 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.

Every tornado record filed for Grant County (27)
Every tornado recorded in Grant County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-04-30 Tull, Grant County EF0 0.34 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $5K
2016-12-17 Cedar Branch, Grant County EF1 0.48 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $123K
2013-05-30 Tull, Grant County EF1 0.36 mi x 200 yd 1 0 $32K
2012-12-20 Sheridan, Grant County EF1 0.64 mi x 200 yd 0 1 $225K
2010-04-30 Ico, Grant County EF1 0.23 mi x 350 yd 0 0 $14K
2010-04-30 Belfast, Grant County EF1 2.78 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $54K
2009-10-29 Junet, Grant County EF1 1.57 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $206K
2009-10-29 Turin, Grant County EF1 0.57 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $69K
2008-05-02 Leola, Grant County EF2 21.96 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $4.8M
2008-05-02 Belfast, Grant County EF1 12.56 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $2.1M
2008-04-10 Prattsville, Grant County EF1 13.75 mi x 175 yd 0 0 $27K
2004-11-01 Leola, Grant County F0 6 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-16 Leola, Grant County F1 4.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-16 Grapevine, Grant County F2 6 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-07 Cross Roads, Grant County F1 15.2 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
1999-03-05 Poyen, Grant County F1 7 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-22 Poyen, Grant County F1 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-21 Poyen, Grant County F3 3 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
1990-02-02 Grant County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1982-12-03 Grant County F2 6 mi x 60 yd 0 0 $250K step
1982-04-25 Grant County F1 0 0 $25K step
1979-04-01 Grant County F0 0.1 mi x 27 yd 0 0 –
1978-05-12 Grant County F0 0.3 mi x 27 yd 0 0 –
1978-01-07 Grant County F1 19.4 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $3K step
1966-04-12 Grant County F3 4.5 mi x 33 yd 0 2 $250K step
1961-03-12 Grant County F1 9.2 mi x 333 yd 0 0 $250K step
1950-02-12 Grant County F2 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 Grant County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 17, 2025 lightning ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Grant County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-03-15 Thunderstorm WindFenter, Grant County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-01-23 Winter StormGrant County · forecast zone Grant 0 0 –
2025-05-17 LightningSlabtown, Grant County 0 0 $10K
2025-04-30 Thunderstorm WindSheridan, Grant County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-04-06 Heavy RainSheridan, Grant County 0 0 –
2025-01-09 Winter StormGrant County · forecast zone Grant 0 0 –
2024-01-12 Thunderstorm WindSheridan, Grant County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2023-06-16 HailSheridan, Grant County 2.75 in hail 0 0 –
2023-06-14 HailSlabtown, Grant County 4.00 in hail 0 0 –
2022-04-30 TornadoTull, Grant County EF0 0.34 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $5K
2020-04-12 Thunderstorm WindDogwood, Grant County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2020-01-11 Thunderstorm WindCenter Grove, Grant County 70 kt wind 0 0 $23K

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

Records with deaths or injuries in Grant County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2014-01-08 Winter WeatherGrant County · forecast zone Grant A round of wintry precipitation moved into western Arkansas on the morning of the 8th and spread to all sections during the daylight hours of the 8th. Although some precipitation was in the form of light snow or sleet at the onset in northern Arkansas, the vast majority of the precipitation in Arkansas fell as light ... 1 4 –
2013-05-30 TornadoTull, Grant County A brief EF1 tornado caused damage, mainly to trees. However, one of these trees killed a 33 year-old man when it fell on his car. He was driving on Main St./Arkansas 291 in Tull on his way to work. This was the first tornado fatality in Grant County in more than 60 years. A few houses had minor roof damage. EF1 0.36 mi x 200 yd 1 0 $32K
1966-04-12 TornadoGrant County F3 4.5 mi x 33 yd 0 2 $250K step
2012-12-20 TornadoSheridan, Grant County A double-wide mobile home was destroyed; the owner suffered minor injuries. The roof of a house was badly damaged. A couple of additional houses had minor roof damage, and one had a couple of windows blown out. Several shop buildings were damaged or destroyed. A camper was overturned. Trees and power lines were blown ... EF1 0.64 mi x 200 yd 0 1 $225K
1987-05-15 Thunderstorm WindGrant County 0 1 –

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.

The costliest records in Grant County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2008-05-02 TornadoBelfast, Grant County EF1 12.56 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $2.1M
2011-05-01 FloodIco, Grant County 0 0 $1.6M
2008-09-02 Tropical DepressionGrant County · forecast zone Grant 0 0 $1.2M
2009-05-06 Flash FloodTull, Grant County 0 0 $825K
2009-10-29 Flash FloodTull, Grant County 0 0 $550K
2014-10-02 Thunderstorm WindTurin, Grant County 74 kt wind 0 0 $499K
2008-09-03 FloodSlabtown, Grant County 0 0 $411K
2008-09-03 Flash FloodIco, Grant County 0 0 $411K

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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 12, 1966 (tornado, Grant County); March 12, 1961 (tornado, Grant County); December 3, 1982 (tornado, Grant 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 Grant 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).

Grant County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind0362057503024
Hail027730271716
Winter storms––––3152710
Floods––––121157
Tornadoes12324951
Drought––––01160

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 Grant County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 34 · Feb 36 · Mar 30 · Apr 78 · May 68 · Jun 63 · Jul 48 · Aug 40 · Sep 16 · Oct 27 · Nov 17 · Dec 29 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Grant County

FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Grant County: 13 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (6) and hurricane (3).

Declarations including Grant County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-24EM-3636Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2025-04-05EM-3627Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2023-04-04DR-4700Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-08-27EM-3541HurricaneHurricane Laura
2020-07-10DR-4556TornadoSevere Storms and Straight-Line Winds
2020-04-03DR-4518BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3461BiologicalCovid-19
2013-01-29DR-4100Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-02-04DR-1872Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2009-12-03DR-1861Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2009-06-16DR-1845Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2008-09-18DR-1793HurricaneSevere Storms and Flooding Associated With Hurricane Gustav
2008-05-20DR-1758Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2005-09-02EM-3215HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2000-12-29DR-1354Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2000-12-28EM-3159Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
1999-01-23DR-1266Severe StormAr Severe Weather 1-21-99
1997-04-14DR-1176FloodFlooding, Severe Storms
1968-05-29DR-239TornadoTornadoes, 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 Grant County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 44 flood or flash flood records for Grant County from 1997 to 2021, on 33 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Grant County ranks 2181st of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Grant County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Tropical Storm Ike2008-09-1310
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0230

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $145,000 on 16 claims filed in Grant County; the most in one year was 6 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

2007: 1 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2025: 3; 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 Grant County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grant County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.1 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Grant County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$444K1.3 a year (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Low$636Konce in about 285 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$603K19 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Low$1.4Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$505K3.1 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Low$217K4.9 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Low$104K63 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$23K4 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 Grant County

  1. Pulaski County 2,074
  2. Saline County 976
  3. Jefferson County 793
  4. Hot Spring County 728
  5. Grant County 486
  6. Dallas County 434
  7. Cleveland County 365

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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