Lonoke County, Arkansas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05085 · population 74,002 · 772 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 976 records for Lonoke County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 549 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (372 records). The deadliest day on its record was March 21, 1952: tornado records filed for Lonoke County that day count 11 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1968, 27 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
976on 549 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
26132 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$401Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
89strongest F4
FEMA declarations
29latest 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 Lonoke County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 372 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.

Lonoke County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 372 233 1955-2026 2 14 $6.1M 12 of 75
Hail 275 146 1956-2026 0 0 $17M 22 of 75
Tornadoes 89 64 1951-2026 18 115 $348M 2 of 75
Floods 86 56 1996-2025 1 3 $19M 30 of 75
Winter storms 65 65 1997-2026 2 0 $4.6M 37 of 75
Drought 19 19 2000-2017 0 0 – 53 of 75
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 14 10 1997-2013 0 0 – 2 of 75
Heat 13 13 1999-2015 2 0 – 31 of 75
High wind and dust storms 11 11 1998-2017 1 0 $562K 13 of 75
Heavy rain 10 9 2006-2024 0 0 – 14 of 75
Lightning 9 9 1996-2021 0 0 $3.4M 10 of 75
Extreme cold 6 6 2007-2014 0 0 – 46 of 75
Hurricanes and tropical storms 6 6 2005-2020 0 0 $2.3M 17 of 75
Wildfires 1 1 2012-2012 0 0 – 51 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 Lonoke County had?

NOAA records 89 tornadoes in Lonoke County from 1951 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 18 deaths and 115 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd of 75 Arkansas counties and 98th of 3,080 U.S. 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 85 tornadoes whose track touched Lonoke County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 89: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 22 people, 18 of them in Lonoke County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Lonoke County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1952-03-21 17:00, as SPC files itHumnokeF316.2 mi9
1976-03-29 15:07, as SPC files itJacksonville to CabotF317.2 mi5
1988-11-15 21:36, as SPC files itWrightsvilleF249 mi5
1952-03-21 17:00, as SPC files itCarlisleF47.6 mi2
2008-05-02 10:15, as SPC files itKeoEF240.72 mi1
2023-03-31 13:18, as SPC files itLittle Rock to North Little RockEF334.23 mi0
2003-05-04 18:52, as SPC files itViloniaF334.9 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.

Every tornado record filed for Lonoke County (89)
The 60 most recent of 89 tornadoes in Lonoke County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-12 McCreanor, Lonoke County EFU 3.12 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2025-04-20 Mountain Spgs, Lonoke County EF1 5.5 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2023-03-31 South Bend, Lonoke County EF2 8.5 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $4.2M
2021-06-09 Tomberlin, Lonoke County EF0 0.28 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $5K
2021-06-09 Blakemore, Lonoke County EFU 0.38 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2020-01-11 Seaton, Lonoke County EF1 0.43 mi x 130 yd 0 0 $46K
2019-03-09 Melba, Lonoke County EF1 3.92 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $23K
2019-03-09 Culler, Lonoke County EF1 8.38 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $346K
2019-03-09 Toltec, Lonoke County EF1 3.92 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $81K
2017-04-30 Ryan, Lonoke County EF1 5.12 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $12K
2014-10-13 England Flying Svc A, Lonoke County EF1 3.31 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $93K
2014-10-02 Keo, Lonoke County EF1 7.53 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $125K
2012-10-17 Seaton, Lonoke County EF0 0.07 mi x 8 yd 0 0 –
2012-06-04 Culler, Lonoke County EF0 0.11 mi x 15 yd 0 0 –
2012-01-22 Tomberlin, Lonoke County EF1 0.76 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $129K
2011-04-26 Coy, Lonoke County EF1 8.31 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $2.3M
2011-04-25 England Flying Svc A, Lonoke County EF1 20.46 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $459K
2011-04-15 Willow Belle, Lonoke County EF1 1.05 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $7K
2011-04-15 Pettus, Lonoke County EF2 6.98 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $26M
2011-02-24 Lonoke County EF1 1.57 mi x 235 yd 0 0 $525K
2011-02-24 Scott, Lonoke County EF1 2.32 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $98K
2010-04-30 Kerr, Lonoke County EF2 19.03 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $6.2M
2009-10-29 Hamiter, Lonoke County EF0 3.02 mi x 35 yd 0 0 $1K
2008-09-13 Cabot, Lonoke County EF1 0.65 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $411K
2008-05-10 Geridge, Lonoke County EF1 2.46 mi x 400 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-02 Carlisle Municipal Airport, Lonoke County EF1 0.13 mi x 30 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-02 Carlisle, Lonoke County EF1 2.55 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $1.4M
2008-05-02 Cobbs, Lonoke County EF2 11.01 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $4.1M
2008-04-03 Mountain Spgs, Lonoke County EF1 2.07 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $14K
2008-04-03 Cabot, Lonoke County EF2 9.45 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $2.7M
2006-03-09 Scott, Lonoke County F1 1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2005-09-24 Parnell, Lonoke County F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2005-09-24 Bevis Corner, Lonoke County F2 7.2 mi x 100 yd 0 5 –
2004-11-01 Keo, Lonoke County F0 8.6 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2004-10-18 Seaton Dump, Lonoke County F2 1.8 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2004-10-18 England, Lonoke County F0 3.3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2004-04-24 Pettus, Lonoke County F0 2.3 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-16 Furlow, Lonoke County F0 1.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-04 Cabot, Lonoke County F3 1.5 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2002-12-18 England, Lonoke County F0 5.5 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
2001-12-07 Cabot, Lonoke County F0 5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-02-24 Allport, Lonoke County F1 2.7 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2001-02-24 Cabot, Lonoke County F2 7.5 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
2001-02-24 Lonoke County F1 9 mi x 60 yd 0 3 –
2000-05-04 Cabot, Lonoke County F0 0.1 mi x 15 yd 0 0 –
2000-02-13 Furlow, Lonoke County F2 17.5 mi x 100 yd 0 2 –
1999-04-03 Tomberlin, Lonoke County F1 1.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-21 Ward, Lonoke County F1 2 mi x 200 yd 0 1 –
1999-01-21 Furlow, Lonoke County F2 4 mi x 400 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-21 Coy, Lonoke County F1 11 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-21 Cabot, Lonoke County F1 4 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-04 Lonoke County F1 3.5 mi x 250 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-04 Furlow, Lonoke County F1 5 mi x 250 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-04 Cabot, Lonoke County F1 0.2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1998-04-16 Bevis Corner, Lonoke County F0 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1997-03-01 Furlow, Lonoke County F2 2.3 mi x 100 yd 0 3 $276K
1997-03-01 Cabot, Lonoke County F1 3 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $18K
1994-06-07 Carlisle-, Lonoke County F1 1.5 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $995K
1988-11-15 Lonoke County F2 12 mi x 250 yd 2 8 $25M step
1988-11-15 Lonoke County F2 12 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $25M 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 Lonoke County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 25, 2023 thunderstorm wind (2 deaths and 1 injury).

A large tree fell on a house causing 2 fatalities and 1 injury in Carlisle.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1114255)
The 12 most recent records kept for Lonoke County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-12 TornadoMcCreanor, Lonoke County EFU 3.12 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2026-06-12 Thunderstorm WindLonoke County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-15 HailWoodlawn, Lonoke County 0.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-01-23 Winter StormLonoke County · forecast zone Lonoke 0 0 –
2025-06-28 Thunderstorm WindSisemore, Lonoke County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-04-30 Thunderstorm WindCabot, Lonoke County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-04-20 TornadoMountain Spgs, Lonoke County EF1 5.5 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2025-04-05 Flash FloodOld Austin, Lonoke County 0 0 –
2025-04-05 Flash FloodCabot, Lonoke County 0 0 –
2025-04-05 Flash FloodAustin, Lonoke County 0 0 –
2025-04-05 Flash FloodParnell, Lonoke County 0 0 –
2025-04-05 FloodCabot, Lonoke 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Lonoke County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1952-03-21 TornadoLonoke County F3 16.2 mi x 33 yd 9 9 $250K step
1976-03-29 TornadoLonoke County F3 12.5 mi x 100 yd 5 64 $25M step
1988-11-15 TornadoLonoke County F2 12 mi x 250 yd 2 8 $25M step
1952-03-21 TornadoLonoke County F4 7.6 mi x 33 yd 2 6 $250K step
2023-06-25 Thunderstorm WindCarlisle, Lonoke County A large tree fell on a house causing 2 fatalities and 1 injury in Carlisle. 56 kt wind 2 1 –
2015-07-10 Excessive HeatLonoke County · forecast zone Lonoke A 73 year old woman died as a result of excessive heat during the afternoon hours of the 10th. 1 0 –
2014-02-04 Ice StormLonoke County · forecast zone Lonoke Arctic air was over Arkansas on the 4th, and an area of low pressure aloft moved in from the southwest. As a result, widespread precipitation developed. Freezing rain and sleet began moving into western Arkansas before dawn on the 4th. A swath of counties from west central Arkansas through the central part of the ... 1 0 $249K
2011-05-01 FloodAustin, Lonoke County Widespread areal flooding continued from April into May. Parts of Arkansas Highways 13, 236, and 381 as well as U.S. Highway 70 were closed due to flooding. On the morning of the 1st, two sections of U.S. Highway 67/167 Southbound were closed due to flooding, and one section of the highway was closed Northbound. On ... 1 0 $12M

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 Lonoke County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2011-04-15 TornadoPettus, Lonoke County EF2 6.98 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $26M
2009-06-30 HailKerr, Lonoke County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $17M
2010-04-30 TornadoKerr, Lonoke County EF2 19.03 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $6.2M
2023-03-31 TornadoSouth Bend, Lonoke County EF2 8.5 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $4.2M
2008-05-02 TornadoCobbs, Lonoke County EF2 11.01 mi x 200 yd 0 2 $4.1M
2009-12-24 Flash FloodWard, Lonoke County 0 0 $2.8M
2009-12-24 FloodMountain Spgs, Lonoke County 0 1 $2.8M
2008-04-03 TornadoCabot, Lonoke County EF2 9.45 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $2.7M

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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 29, 1976 (tornado, Lonoke County, 5 killed); November 15, 1988 (tornado, Lonoke County, 2 killed); November 15, 1988 (tornado, Lonoke 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 Lonoke 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).

Lonoke County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind531035771079837
Hail2141867983847
Tornadoes451391224166
Floods––––325499
Winter storms––––5153213
Drought––––01180

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 Lonoke County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 46 · Feb 75 · Mar 83 · Apr 168 · May 109 · Jun 136 · Jul 99 · Aug 86 · Sep 32 · Oct 40 · Nov 53 · Dec 49 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Lonoke County

FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Lonoke County: 20 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and tornado (6).

Declarations including Lonoke County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-24EM-3636Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2025-05-21DR-4873FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2025-04-05EM-3627Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2023-11-14DR-4748Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2023-04-02DR-4698Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2020-08-27EM-3541HurricaneHurricane Laura
2020-04-03DR-4518BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3461BiologicalCovid-19
2013-01-29DR-4100Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2011-05-02DR-1975Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Associated Flooding
2010-02-04DR-1872Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2009-01-28EM-3301Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2008-05-20DR-1758Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2008-03-26DR-1751Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2005-09-02EM-3215HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2003-06-06DR-1472Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
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
1997-03-02DR-1162Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
1988-11-23DR-817TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1987-12-31DR-807FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1982-04-23EM-3085TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1980-04-16DR-617TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1978-04-22EM-3062TornadoTornadoes
1976-04-01DR-498TornadoTornadoes
1969-02-15DR-254FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
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 Lonoke County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 86 flood or flash flood records for Lonoke County from 1996 to 2025, on 56 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lonoke County ranks 1366th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Lonoke County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Tropical Storm Ike2008-09-1310
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0210

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.3 million on 89 claims filed in Lonoke County; the most in one year was 32 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 2 · 1979: 2 · 1984: 2 · 1987: 3 · 1988: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 2 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2008: 4 · 2009: 32 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 20 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 5 · 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 Lonoke County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lonoke County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $41.1 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 Lonoke County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$2.1M1.1 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$2.1M3 a year (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$9.9Monce in about 182 years (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$6.7Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.4M18 modeled event-days a year
LightningRelatively Moderate$537K59 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$132K5 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Low$717K4.7 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 Lonoke County

  1. Pulaski County 2,074
  2. White County 1,047
  3. Lonoke County 976
  4. Faulkner County 951
  5. Jefferson County 793
  6. Arkansas County 587
  7. Prairie County 503

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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