Jefferson County, Arkansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05069 · population 67,108 · 872 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 793 records for Jefferson County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 513 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (325 records). The deadliest single record is the April 21, 1955 tornado: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1973, 23 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
- 793on 513 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1039 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $51Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 37strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 25latest 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 Jefferson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 325 since 1955. 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 | 325 | 215 | 1955-2026 | 4 | 10 | $2.1M | 23 of 75 |
| Hail | 198 | 119 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 75 |
| Floods | 78 | 68 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $26M | 28 of 75 |
| Winter storms | 68 | 67 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $691K | 42 of 75 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 31 | 1954-2024 | 1 | 24 | $16M | 43 of 75 |
| Drought | 21 | 21 | 2000-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 75 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 8 | 2006-2021 | 1 | 1 | $14K | 22 of 75 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2012 | 2 | 1 | – | 45 of 75 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 12 | 2006-2016 | 0 | 0 | $319K | 15 of 75 |
| Lightning | 10 | 8 | 1997-2019 | 1 | 2 | $182K | 17 of 75 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 7 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 75 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 1 | $5.6M | 41 of 75 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 1998-2009 | 1 | 0 | – | 61 of 75 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2010-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Jefferson County from 1954 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 24 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 38 tornadoes whose track touched Jefferson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-04-21 01:41, as SPC files it | White Hall | F2 | 0.5 mi | 1 |
| 1983-05-14 18:50, as SPC files it | Pine Bluff | F3 | 5 mi | 0 |
| 1957-12-19 15:40, as SPC files it | Sherrill | F3 | 3.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.
Every tornado record filed for Jefferson County (37)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-08 | Warbritton, Jefferson County | EF0 5.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-08 | Faith, Jefferson County | EF1 3.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-10 | Henslee Hgts, Jefferson County | EFU 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-03 | Five Forks, Jefferson County | EF0 0.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-03-27 | Reydell, Jefferson County | EF1 3.31 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-08 | Pine Bluff, Jefferson County | EF1 0.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 9 | $234K |
| 2016-03-13 | Dolton, Jefferson County | EF0 0.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2013-12-20 | Redfield, Jefferson County | EF0 1.48 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2012-01-22 | Linwood, Jefferson County | EF1 3.78 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $225K |
| 2012-01-22 | Sweden, Jefferson County | EF2 5.41 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $964K |
| 2009-10-29 | Brewster, Jefferson County | EF1 2.57 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 4 | $550K |
| 2009-07-21 | Sulphur Spgs, Jefferson County | EF0 1.64 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2005-11-15 | Pine Bluff, Jefferson County | F0 0.7 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-09-24 | Reydell, Jefferson County | F0 1.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-11-01 | Humphrey, Jefferson County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-07 | Sulphur Spgs, Jefferson County | F1 9.6 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-18 | Reydell, Jefferson County | F0 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-18 | Reydell, Jefferson County | F0 1.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-12-18 | Cornerstone, Jefferson County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-03 | Gethsemane, Jefferson County | F1 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-01-21 | Tucker, Jefferson County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-01-21 | Whitehall, Jefferson County | F1 14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.5M |
| 1994-11-09 | Pine Bluff, Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1988-07-12 | Jefferson County | F0 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-04-23 | Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1983-05-14 | Jefferson County | F3 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-05-03 | Jefferson County | F1 0.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-12-03 | Jefferson County | F1 3.8 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-01-07 | Jefferson County | F1 3.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-01-07 | Jefferson County | F0 3 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1970-11-19 | Jefferson County | F2 2.7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1969-08-16 | Jefferson County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1968-04-27 | Jefferson County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1968-04-03 | Jefferson County | F2 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-12-19 | Jefferson County | F3 3.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-04-21 | Jefferson County | F2 0.5 mi x 83 yd | 1 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1954-02-19 | Jefferson County | F2 1.2 mi x 167 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 Jefferson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 10, 2021 thunderstorm wind ($54,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Thunderstorm winds damaged the side of a building at 4th Ave. and State St.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 994101)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindWarbritton, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindBrewster, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindWhite Hall, Jefferson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | HailWhite Hall, Jefferson County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-09 | HailWhite Hall, Jefferson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-26 | Winter WeatherJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-07 | Thunderstorm WindBrewster, Jefferson County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindPine Bluff Airport, Jefferson County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-05 | Flash FloodPine Bluff, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-05 | Flash FloodDexter, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-03 | Flash FloodPine Bluff, Jefferson County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955-04-21 | TornadoJefferson County | F2 0.5 mi x 83 yd | 1 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2009-09-15 | Heavy RainHardin, Jefferson County A tree fell on a car that was traveling on Arkansas Highway 104. The car overturned into a water-filled ditch, killing the driver and injuring a passenger. Winds at the time of the accident were light. However, in the 24 hours prior to the accident, approximately 3 inches of rain had fallen, and according to the State ... | 1 | 1 | $14K | |
| 2002-07-30 | HeatJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson An 83 year old woman was found deceased in her home, in Pine Bluff, as a result of heat-related stress. The woman's 81 year old sister was also found unconscious in the home and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The temperature inside the house was 101 degrees when medical personnel arrived. The house did have ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 1997-08-13 | LightningPine Bluff, Jefferson County Two men were standing near a bulldozer when lightning struck the bulldozer. The lightning travelled through the ground and struck them. One man sustained minor injuries and was later released from the hospital. The second man suffered a heart attack after being struck. He eventually died from his injuries about 2 ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2020-04-12 | Thunderstorm WindWhite Hall, Jefferson County Numerous trees and power lines were down in the area. One fatality occurred after a tree fell on a residence. | 61 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $34K |
| 2017-06-23 | Thunderstorm WindHardin, Jefferson County One fatality occurred...when a tree was blown over onto a car. There were other people in the car but none of the others were hurt. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1999-07-23 | HeatJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson Excessive heat claimed the life of a man in Pine Bluff. He was found dead in his home. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-12-23 | Cold/Wind ChillJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson In addition to a major ice storm, much of Arkansas was affected by sub-freezing temperatures during the latter part of December. The cold weather apparently claimed the life of a man in Jefferson County who was found near some railroad tracks 3 miles east of Pine Bluff. | 1 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-28 | FloodPine Bluff, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | |
| 1999-01-21 | TornadoWhitehall, Jefferson County | F1 14 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.5M |
| 2019-05-26 | FloodRob Roy, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2008-03-21 | FloodWright, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2009-12-24 | Flash FloodRedfield, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2009-12-24 | FloodRedfield, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2012-01-22 | TornadoSweden, Jefferson County | EF2 5.41 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $964K |
| 2012-08-31 | Flash FloodWhite Hall, Jefferson County | 0 | 0 | $964K |
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 14, 1983 (tornado, Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 | 6 | 7 | 15 | 39 | 79 | 93 | 53 | 33 |
| Hail | 2 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 58 | 38 | 45 | 18 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 29 | 34 | 12 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 16 | 34 | 15 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 20 | 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 Jefferson County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 60 · Feb 52 · Mar 60 · Apr 141 · May 117 · Jun 76 · Jul 69 · Aug 54 · Sep 27 · Oct 43 · Nov 43 · Dec 51 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jefferson County
FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Jefferson County: 18 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2020-07-10 | DR-4556 | Tornado | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4518 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3461 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-06-08 | DR-4441 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2019-05-30 | EM-3414 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2016-02-05 | DR-4254 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2015-06-26 | DR-4226 | 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 |
| 2009-06-16 | DR-1845 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-03-26 | DR-1751 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-02 | EM-3215 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-12-29 | DR-1354 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 2000-12-28 | EM-3159 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1999-01-23 | DR-1266 | Severe Storm | Ar Severe Weather 1-21-99 |
| 1997-04-14 | DR-1176 | Flood | Flooding, Severe Storms |
| 1997-03-02 | DR-1162 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1990-05-15 | DR-865 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-06-07 | DR-471 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1974-06-08 | DR-437 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 78 flood or flash flood records for Jefferson County from 1997 to 2025, on 68 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Jefferson County ranks 451st 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 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $14.4 million on 596 claims filed in Jefferson County; the most in one year was 84 in 2019. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 8 · 1981: 8 · 1982: 34 · 1983: 24 · 1984: 46 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 10 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 19 · 1990: 41 · 1991: 19 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 9 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 19 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 2 · 2000: 4 · 2001: 4 · 2002: 7 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 5 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 29 · 2009: 20 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 12 · 2012: 19 · 2013: 13 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 80 · 2016: 28 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 84 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2025: 4; 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 Jefferson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $37.1 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | $1.6M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.2M | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $5.9M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $652K | 60 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $11M | once in about 250 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | 19 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $12M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $125K | 4.1 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jefferson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)25 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis