Pope County, Arkansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05115 · population 63,305 · 811 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 735 records for Pope County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 492 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (317 records). The deadliest single record is the February 5, 2008 tornado: 5 deaths, 15 injuries and $15.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. 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
- 735on 492 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1046 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $92Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 29strongest EF3
- 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 Pope County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 317 since 1956. 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 | 317 | 225 | 1956-2026 | 1 | 5 | $4.7M | 18 of 75 |
| Hail | 190 | 126 | 1964-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 of 75 |
| Winter storms | 86 | 77 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $38M | 27 of 75 |
| Floods | 53 | 48 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9.6M | 38 of 75 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 27 | 1953-2023 | 7 | 41 | $38M | 49 of 75 |
| Drought | 15 | 15 | 2000-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 75 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 2007-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 75 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 2007-2013 | 0 | 0 | $483K | 47 of 75 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 2007-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 75 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 2011-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 75 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 1999-2018 | 1 | 0 | $61K | 30 of 75 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 45 of 75 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 3 | 2008-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 75 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 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 Pope County had?
NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Pope County from 1953 to 2023, the strongest rated EF3, with 7 deaths and 41 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 28 tornadoes whose track touched Pope County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 17 people, 7 of them in Pope County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-05 16:49, as SPC files it | Clinton to Highland | EF4 | 121.84 mi | 13 |
| 2011-05-24 23:25, as SPC files it | Clarksville | EF3 | 29.01 mi | 1 |
| 1956-02-14 22:30, as SPC files it | Center Ridge | F3 | 33 mi | 1 |
| 2008-01-08 08:26, as SPC files it | Oak Grove to Appleton | EF2 | 20.46 mi | 1 |
| 1961-05-05 20:30, as SPC files it | Dover | F2 | 1 mi | 1 |
| 1953-03-14 01:30, as SPC files it | London to Dover | F3 | 12.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.
Every tornado record filed for Pope County (29)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-25 | Scottsville, Pope County | EF1 0.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-06 | Augsburg, Pope County | EF1 15.6 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2020-03-19 | Lost Corner, Pope County | EF1 2.79 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2020-03-19 | Retta, Pope County | EF1 0.81 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-29 | Solo, Pope County | EF1 2.4 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-05-08 | Taral, Pope County | EF1 1.66 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $312K |
| 2011-05-24 | Bertha, Pope County | EF1 2.73 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2009-05-01 | Simpson, Pope County | EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-02-05 | Galla Rock, Pope County | EF3 10.82 mi x 1,050 yd | 5 | 15 | $16M |
| 2008-02-05 | Holla Bend, Pope County | EF1 2.04 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2008-01-08 | Moreland, Pope County | EF2 9.62 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 1 | $4.8M |
| 2006-01-12 | Russellville, Pope County | F2 1.7 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Atkins, Pope County | F2 2.3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-04-21 | Pottsville, Pope County | F1 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-26 | Russellville, Pope County | F2 6.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1999-03-05 | Dover, Pope County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-02-06 | Pottsville, Pope County | F2 8 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-03-01 | Oak Grove, Pope County | F1 7.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $9.2M |
| 1978-05-07 | Pope County | F2 12.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-26 | Pope County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-02-22 | Pope County | F2 14.3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1970-09-04 | Pope County | F2 12.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K step |
| 1961-05-05 | Pope County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 4 | $25K step |
| 1959-06-11 | Pope County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1957-04-23 | Pope County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1956-02-14 | Pope County | F3 8.9 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1954-04-30 | Pope County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-05-10 | Pope County | F2 2.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1953-03-14 | Pope County | F3 9.5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 7 | $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 Pope County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 15, 2022 thunderstorm wind (2 injuries).
A tree fell on a vehicle near East 4th Street in Russellville. Two people were extricated from the vehicle and taken to the local hospital.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1030931)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindRussellville, Pope County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindOdita, Pope County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-27 | Flash FloodTaral, Pope County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-27 | Flash FloodRussellville, Pope County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindFreeman Spgs, Pope County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindScottsville, Pope County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormPope County · forecast zone Southern Pope County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-04 | Winter WeatherPope County · forecast zone Pope County Higher Elevations | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-04 | Winter WeatherPope County · forecast zone Pope County Higher Elevations | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | Winter WeatherPope County · forecast zone Southern Pope County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-13 | Flash FloodRussellville, Pope County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindFreeman Spgs, Pope County | 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-05 | TornadoGalla Rock, Pope County The tornado moved out of the Carden Bottoms area of Yell County, crossing the Arkansas River, and re-entering Pope County southwest of Atkins. The intensity and width of the tornado increased quickly within just a couple of miles after it moved across the Arkansas River. According to a survey by the Red Cross, damage ... | EF3 10.82 mi x 1,050 yd | 5 | 15 | $16M |
| 1961-05-05 | TornadoPope County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 1 | 4 | $25K step |
| 2008-01-08 | TornadoMoreland, Pope County A tornado touched down in central Pope County and tracked to the northeast. The Pope County Office of Emergency Management reported that 42 residential structures were affected. Of these, seven were destroyed, six had minor damage, and the rest had moderate to heavy damage. In addition, six chicken houses, two barns, ... | EF2 9.62 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 1 | $4.8M |
| 2018-07-06 | LightningOakland Hgts, Pope County A 67 year old male was killed by a lightning strike. The man was outside working on his yard at the time of the strike. The time is estimated based on radar data, but there were storms near Russellville from 1 pm through 2 pm CDT. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-12-23 | Thunderstorm WindEconomy, Pope County Straight line winds blew over several trees, one of which fell onto a double-wide mobile home, killing 1 person. | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| 2013-12-05 | Winter StormPope County · forecast zone Pope Sleet and snow totaled 4.7 inches 3 miles southwest of Dover (CoCoRaHS), 2.7 inches 2 miles southwest of Long Pool (cooperative observer), 2.1 inches 0.7 mile west of Russellville (CoCoRaHS), 2 inches 6.9 miles east of Dover (CoCoRaHS), and 1.5 inches at Pottsville (cooperative observer) and 7.3 miles east-northeast ... | 1 | 0 | $380K | |
| 1953-03-14 | TornadoPope County | F3 9.5 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 7 | $3K step |
| 1970-09-04 | TornadoPope County | F2 12.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 5 | $250K 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 | TornadoOak Grove, Pope County | F1 7.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $9.2M |
| 2008-01-08 | TornadoMoreland, Pope County | EF2 9.62 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 1 | $4.8M |
| 2012-12-25 | Winter StormPope County · forecast zone Pope | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2011-11-21 | Flash FloodLondon, Pope County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2019-06-01 | FloodOdita, Pope County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2014-02-04 | Ice StormPope County · forecast zone Pope | 0 | 0 | $623K | |
| 2008-06-13 | Flash FloodAugsburg, Pope County | 0 | 0 | $343K | |
| 2014-05-08 | TornadoTaral, Pope County | EF1 1.66 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $312K |
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: September 4, 1970 (tornado, Pope County); February 22, 1975 (tornado, Pope County); February 14, 1956 (tornado, Pope 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 Pope 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 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 75 | 67 | 87 | 43 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 59 | 48 | 39 | 22 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 18 | 34 | 29 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 17 | 20 | 12 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 14 | 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 Pope County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 65 · Feb 61 · Mar 53 · Apr 110 · May 119 · Jun 97 · Jul 64 · Aug 47 · Sep 35 · Oct 23 · Nov 30 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Pope County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Pope County: 11 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2019-06-08 | DR-4441 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2019-05-30 | EM-3414 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2009-06-16 | DR-1845 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2009-02-06 | DR-1819 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009-01-28 | EM-3301 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-03-26 | DR-1751 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-02-07 | DR-1744 | 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 |
| 1997-03-02 | DR-1162 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1990-05-15 | DR-865 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1982-12-13 | DR-673 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1976-12-03 | EM-3019 | Drought | Drought |
| 1968-05-29 | DR-239 | Tornado | Tornadoes, 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 Pope County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 53 flood or flash flood records for Pope County from 1998 to 2026, on 48 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Pope County ranks 1530th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Ike | 2008-09-13 | 1 | 0 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $970,000 on 64 claims filed in Pope County; the most in one year was 11 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1980: 1 · 1982: 5 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 11 · 2001: 1 · 2007: 5 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 9 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 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 Pope County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pope County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $38.7 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 | $2.0M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $11M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $203K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $17M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $520K | 61 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.6M | once in about 282 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Pope 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 Pope CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Pope County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis