PlainHazard

Pulaski County, Arkansas

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05119 · population 398,830 · 758 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 2,074 records for Pulaski County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 896 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (732 records). The deadliest single record is the March 1, 1997 tornado: 5 deaths, 180 injuries and $91.9 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 33 declarations naming the county since 1968, 31 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
2,074on 896 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
42519 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$994Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
103strongest F4
FEMA declarations
33latest 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 Pulaski County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 732 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.

Pulaski County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 732 367 1956-2026 2 20 $8.7M 2 of 75
Hail 688 298 1955-2026 0 0 $86M 2 of 75
Floods 271 150 1996-2026 2 0 $80M 2 of 75
Tornadoes 103 69 1950-2025 20 483 $728M 1 of 75
Winter storms 82 77 1997-2026 6 2 $63M 22 of 75
Heavy rain 64 39 2006-2025 0 1 $2.1M 1 of 75
Lightning 46 37 1997-2022 2 4 $14M 1 of 75
High wind and dust storms 19 17 2003-2019 1 2 $4.9M 2 of 75
Drought 18 18 2000-2017 0 0 – 56 of 75
Heat 17 17 1999-2019 9 5 – 25 of 75
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 15 10 2002-2014 0 0 – 1 of 75
Wildfires 8 8 2009-2014 0 0 $69K 3 of 75
Hurricanes and tropical storms 6 6 2005-2020 0 2 $8.0M 14 of 75
Extreme cold 5 5 2007-2015 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 Pulaski County had?

NOAA records 103 tornadoes in Pulaski County from 1950 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 20 deaths and 483 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 75 Arkansas counties and 65th 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 101 tornadoes whose track touched Pulaski County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 103: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 44 people, 20 of them in Pulaski County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Pulaski County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2014-04-27 18:06, as SPC files itViloniaEF441.1 mi16
1997-03-01 15:41, as SPC files itLittle Rock to North Little RockF411 mi5
1976-03-29 15:07, as SPC files itJacksonville to CabotF317.2 mi5
1988-11-15 21:36, as SPC files itWrightsvilleF249 mi5
2011-04-25 17:48, as SPC files itMayflower to ViloniaEF251.32 mi4
1999-01-21 18:24, as SPC files itLittle Rock to North Little RockF339 mi3
1982-12-02 14:50, as SPC files itLittle Rock to North Little RockF318 mi2
2011-04-15 00:57, as SPC files itLittle Rock to North Little RockEF13.94 mi2
1975-02-22 16:10, as SPC files itLittle Rock to North Little RockF314.4 mi1
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
1961-03-12 17:50, as SPC files itWrightsvilleF35.4 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Arkansas.

Every tornado record filed for Pulaski County (103)
The 60 most recent of 103 tornadoes in Pulaski County
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-06-12 Little Rock Afb, Pulaski County EF0 2.26 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
2025-04-20 Tates Mill, Pulaski County EF1 3.1 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2023-06-25 Marche, Pulaski County EFU 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2023-03-31 Martindale, Pulaski County EF3 25.73 mi x 800 yd 1 54 $83M
2022-04-11 Olmstead, Pulaski County EF1 0.97 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $2K
2021-10-15 Warsaw, Pulaski County EF0 2.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $5K
2019-05-02 Olmstead, Pulaski County EF0 2.75 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $6K
2019-05-02 Olmstead, Pulaski County EF0 0.3 mi x 80 yd 0 0 $2K
2019-05-02 Terrytown, Pulaski County EF1 1.5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $150K
2019-05-02 Warsaw, Pulaski County EF0 1.02 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $46K
2019-05-02 Sylvan Hills, Pulaski County EF0 5.06 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $139K
2019-03-09 Wampoo, Pulaski County EF1 2.43 mi x 150 yd 0 2 $127K
2017-03-24 Olmstead, Pulaski County EF1 2.16 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $120K
2017-03-24 Olmstead, Pulaski County EF2 0.13 mi x 75 yd 0 6 $421K
2016-03-13 Wye, Pulaski County EF0 0.45 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $6K
2014-10-02 Bredlow Corner, Pulaski County EF0 5.18 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $50K
2014-04-27 Ferndale, Pulaski County EF3 14.43 mi x 1,320 yd 3 25 $16M
2013-05-30 Maumelle, Pulaski County EF1 0.16 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $190K
2013-01-29 Bredlow Corner, Pulaski County EF0 5.25 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $13K
2011-04-25 Wampoo, Pulaski County EF1 1.48 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $52K
2011-04-25 Wye, Pulaski County EF1 1.64 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $328K
2011-04-25 Natural Steps, Pulaski County EF1 4.14 mi x 1,320 yd 0 1 $394K
2011-04-25 Ferndale, Pulaski County EF1 10.19 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $1.0M
2011-04-25 Lynch, Pulaski County EF2 5.17 mi x 350 yd 0 4 $164M
2011-04-15 Rottaken, Pulaski County EF1 5.74 mi x 200 yd 0 1 $590K
2011-04-15 Ward, Pulaski County EF1 6.57 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $2.6M
2011-04-15 Cammack Vlg, Pulaski County EF1 3.94 mi x 475 yd 2 2 $51M
2011-04-15 Woodson, Pulaski County EF1 3.36 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $230K
2011-02-24 Wye, Pulaski County EF1 2.24 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $131K
2010-10-24 Crystal Valley, Pulaski County EF0 0.76 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $14K
2010-04-30 College Station, Pulaski County EF0 10.64 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $338K
2010-04-30 Landmark, Pulaski County EF1 7.6 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $1.6M
2008-05-02 Woodson, Pulaski County EF2 14.06 mi x 300 yd 1 0 $4.8M
2008-04-03 Toneyville, Pulaski County EF1 2.13 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $34K
2008-04-03 Gravel Ridge, Pulaski County EF1 0.7 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $41K
2008-04-03 Levy, Pulaski County EF2 7.07 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $16M
2008-04-03 Douglasville, Pulaski County EF1 4.81 mi x 300 yd 0 1 $69M
2005-11-27 Roland, Pulaski County F1 2.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2005-09-24 Macon, Pulaski County F1 6 mi x 80 yd 0 0 –
2005-09-24 Jacksonville, Pulaski County F1 4.2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2004-10-18 Woodson, Pulaski County F2 10.8 mi x 800 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-16 Galloway, Pulaski County F0 6.7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2003-05-16 College Station, Pulaski County F0 4.7 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2002-07-14 Roland, Pulaski County F0 1.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2001-12-07 Macon, Pulaski County F0 2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-12-07 Ferndale, Pulaski County F0 5 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2001-02-24 Galloway, Pulaski County F1 2.2 mi x 85 yd 0 0 –
2001-02-24 Wrightsville, Pulaski County F2 12.3 mi x 200 yd 0 8 –
2000-05-04 Roland, Pulaski County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2000-05-04 Ferndale, Pulaski County F1 0.3 mi x 35 yd 0 0 –
2000-02-18 Scott, Pulaski County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2000-02-18 Wrightsville, Pulaski County F0 0.3 mi x 40 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-21 Jacksonville, Pulaski County F0 1 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1999-01-21 Little Rock, Pulaski County F2 11 mi x 400 yd 0 6 –
1999-01-21 Little Rock, Pulaski County F3 15 mi x 700 yd 3 72 –
1999-01-21 Macon, Pulaski County F1 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1998-06-04 Little Rock Afb, Pulaski County F1 5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1998-04-27 Ferndale, Pulaski County F0 4.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 –
1998-04-16 Scott, Pulaski County F0 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1997-05-27 Jacksonville, Pulaski County F1 4 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $368K

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 Pulaski County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 30, 2025 flash flood ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Pulaski County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-01 Thunderstorm WindIronton, Pulaski County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-01 Thunderstorm WindIronton, Pulaski County 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-01 Thunderstorm WindIronton, Pulaski County 65 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-31 HailScott, Pulaski County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-05-27 Flash FloodAmboy, Pulaski County 0 0 –
2026-05-10 Flash FloodLittle Rock, Pulaski County 0 0 –
2026-05-06 Thunderstorm WindSweet Home, Pulaski County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindJacksonville, Pulaski County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindIvesville, Pulaski County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-15 Thunderstorm WindLittle Rock Ada, Pulaski County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-01-25 Winter WeatherPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski 0 0 –
2026-01-25 Winter WeatherPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski 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 Pulaski County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1997-03-01 TornadoMabelvale, Pulaski County The Saline County tornado moved into Pulaski County about 2.5 miles southeast of Mabelvale at 341 pm CST. The tornado tracked northeastward and damaged or destroyed a number of homes and businesses in the area of Arch Street Pike and Dixon Road in the south part of Little Rock. One person was killed in the same area ... F4 11 mi x 1,408 yd 5 180 $92M
2018-11-14 Winter WeatherPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski The observer reported 0.8 inches of snow in the last 24 hours ending at 7 am on 11/15/18 3 miles north of North Little Rock. There were 4 deaths and 2 injuries due to auto accidents on slick roads. 4 2 –
1999-01-21 TornadoLittle Rock, Pulaski County A strong tornado moved from eastern Saline County into southwest Pulaski County. Trees were downed as the tornado entered Pulaski County, with some roof damage to a business along Interstate 30 about 5 miles southwest of Little Rock. The tornado continued northeast into eastern sections of the downtown area...crossing ... F3 15 mi x 700 yd 3 72 –
1988-11-15 TornadoPulaski County F2 12 mi x 250 yd 3 52 $25M step
2014-04-27 TornadoFerndale, Pulaski County A tornado began west of the Ferndale area, near the Saline/Pulaski County line. This was the first of five tornadoes produced by the same supercell thunderstorm. According to the American Red Cross, 7 houses were destroyed, 24 had major damage, 9 houses and 1 mobile home had minor damage, and 76 houses were affected ... EF3 14.43 mi x 1,320 yd 3 25 $16M
2007-08-07 HeatPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski Two heat-related deaths were reported on August 12th, and another on the 13th. On the 12th, a 44 year-old male was found dead in the back yard of a house, about a mile southwest of downtown Little Rock. On the same day, a 57 year-old male was found dead in a house, approximately 3 miles west of downtown Little Rock. ... 3 0 –
2011-04-15 TornadoCammack Vlg, Pulaski County This tornado's track was entirely within the city limits of Little Rock. It touched down southwest of the intersection of W. Markham and John Barrow Rd. and ended in the Sherrill Heights neighborhood. While there was some shingle damage to houses, the vast majority of the damage was due to trees falling on houses and ... EF1 3.94 mi x 475 yd 2 2 $51M
2023-03-31 TornadoMartindale, Pulaski County This tornado started just southwest of the Colonel Glenn and Marsh Road intersection in Martindale, west of Marsh road, uprooting trees and ripping a portion of a roof off an outbuilding. The tornado then continued northeast across a forested area, uprooting several more trees before crossing into a neighborhood off ... EF3 25.73 mi x 800 yd 1 54 $83M

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 Pulaski County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2011-04-25 TornadoLynch, Pulaski County EF2 5.17 mi x 350 yd 0 4 $164M
1997-03-01 TornadoMabelvale, Pulaski County F4 11 mi x 1,408 yd 5 180 $92M
2009-06-30 HailOak Grove, Pulaski County 2.75 in hail 0 0 $84M
2023-03-31 TornadoMartindale, Pulaski County EF3 25.73 mi x 800 yd 1 54 $83M
2008-04-03 TornadoDouglasville, Pulaski County EF1 4.81 mi x 300 yd 0 1 $69M
2012-12-25 Winter StormPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski 0 0 $62M
2011-04-15 TornadoCammack Vlg, Pulaski County EF1 3.94 mi x 475 yd 2 2 $51M
2011-05-01 FloodWye, Pulaski County 0 0 $37M

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: November 15, 1988 (tornado, Pulaski County, 3 killed); December 2, 1982 (tornado, Pulaski County, 1 killed).

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 Pulaski 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).

Pulaski County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind11183099141127192114
Hail516376818517714951
Floods––––88511959
Tornadoes2816121320266
Winter storms––––5173525
Heavy rain––––0123220

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 Pulaski County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 81 · Feb 134 · Mar 184 · Apr 406 · May 246 · Jun 259 · Jul 254 · Aug 168 · Sep 60 · Oct 103 · Nov 103 · Dec 76 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Pulaski County

FEMA's register lists 33 declarations that include Pulaski County: 25 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (8).

Declarations including Pulaski 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
2023-04-02DR-4698Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2020-08-27EM-3541HurricaneHurricane Laura
2020-04-03DR-4518BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3461BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-08DR-4441FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2019-05-30EM-3414FloodSevere Storms and Flooding
2017-06-15DR-4318Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2014-04-29DR-4174Severe StormSevere Storms,Tornadoes, and Flooding
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
2009-12-03DR-1861Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, 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
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
1997-03-02DR-1162Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
1990-05-15DR-865FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1988-11-23DR-817TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1987-12-31DR-807FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1982-12-13DR-673Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1980-04-16DR-617TornadoSevere Storms & Tornadoes
1978-09-15DR-564FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1976-04-01DR-498TornadoTornadoes
1973-04-27DR-375FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
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 Pulaski County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 271 flood or flash flood records for Pulaski County from 1996 to 2026, on 150 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Pulaski County ranks 214th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

Named storms on Pulaski County's flood and tropical record
StormBeganRecordsDeaths in the county
Tropical Storm Ike2008-09-1310
Hurricane Gustav2008-09-0220

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $30.4 million on 1,720 claims filed in Pulaski County; the most in one year was 220 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 207 · 1979: 11 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 57 · 1982: 66 · 1983: 32 · 1984: 127 · 1985: 8 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 103 · 1988: 67 · 1989: 3 · 1990: 44 · 1991: 4 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 4 · 1994: 16 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 11 · 1997: 6 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 5 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 8 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 14 · 2004: 5 · 2005: 19 · 2006: 17 · 2007: 8 · 2008: 34 · 2009: 220 · 2010: 26 · 2011: 151 · 2012: 8 · 2013: 12 · 2014: 13 · 2015: 25 · 2016: 23 · 2017: 121 · 2018: 15 · 2019: 111 · 2020: 15 · 2021: 16 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 31 · 2025: 28 · 2026: 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 Pulaski County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pulaski County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $212 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 Pulaski County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$8.3M1.1 a year (modeled)
TornadoVery High$42Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Winter WeatherVery High$1.1M5 a year (modeled)
LightningVery High$2.1M62 a year (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively High$50Monce in about 208 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively High$91M4.9 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$3.1M3.3 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively High$2.9M5.1 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 Pulaski County

  1. Pulaski County 2,074
  2. Saline County 976
  3. Lonoke County 976
  4. Faulkner County 951
  5. Jefferson County 793
  6. Perry County 528
  7. Grant County 486

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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