Yell County, Arkansas
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 05149 · population 20,235 · 930 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 722 records for Yell County, Arkansas from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 478 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (257 records). The deadliest single record is the April 11, 2008 flood: 2 deaths and $14,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1969, 20 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
- 722on 478 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 314 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $48Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 33strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Yell County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 257 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 | 257 | 172 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | 47 of 75 |
| Hail | 156 | 111 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 75 |
| Floods | 133 | 99 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 2 | $7.9M | 18 of 75 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 70 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 48 of 75 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 22 | 1951-2024 | 0 | 8 | $16M | 67 of 75 |
| Drought | 19 | 19 | 2000-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 of 75 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 7 | 2006-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 75 |
| Heat | 11 | 11 | 2007-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 75 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 2007-2013 | 0 | 0 | $500K | 48 of 75 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 2007-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 75 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2005-2012 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 44 of 75 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 1998-2014 | 1 | 4 | $1K | 41 of 75 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 2 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 75 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 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 Yell County had?
NOAA records 33 tornadoes in Yell County from 1951 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 8 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 34 tornadoes whose track touched Yell County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 33: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 13 people, 0 of them in Yell County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-05 16:49, as SPC files it | Clinton to Highland | EF4 | 121.84 mi | 13 |
| 1976-03-26 17:40, as SPC files it | Danville | F3 | 16.1 mi | 0 |
| 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 Yell County (33)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-04 | Aly, Yell County | EFU 2.38 mi x 190 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-11-04 | Gilkey, Yell County | EF1 2.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-11-04 | Gravelly, Yell County | EF1 3.7 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-26 | Chickalah, Yell County | EF0 0.51 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2015-05-25 | Birta, Yell County | EF1 1.91 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $374K |
| 2015-05-25 | Ola, Yell County | EF1 0.43 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2011-04-14 | Chickalah, Yell County | EF1 2.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2011-04-14 | Gilkey, Yell County | EF1 0.78 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2008-02-05 | Carden Bottoms, Yell County | EF0 3.21 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-02-05 | Birta, Yell County | EF0 0.6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-02-05 | Neely, Yell County | EF0 1.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-01-12 | Chickalah, Yell County | F2 13 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Danville, Yell County | F0 2.7 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-27 | Bluffton, Yell County | F1 4.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-04-11 | Dardanelle, Yell County | F0 2.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-04-21 | Dardanelle, Yell County | F1 9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-04-21 | Chickalah, Yell County | F1 1.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-16 | Aly, Yell County | F0 2.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-16 | Ola, Yell County | F1 3.4 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-16 | Briggsville, Yell County | F0 3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-12-04 | Ola, Yell County | F1 8.7 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-03-01 | Chickalah, Yell County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1997-03-01 | Belleville, Yell County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 1995-10-26 | Sims To Aly, Yell County | F2 12.5 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-07-18 | Yell County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1980-04-07 | Yell County | F2 4.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-04-07 | Yell County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1978-05-07 | Yell County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-03-26 | Yell County | F3 16.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1975-02-22 | Yell County | F2 11.9 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-10-12 | Yell County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-03-14 | Yell County | F3 2.7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1951-10-23 | Yell County | F2 | 0 | 4 | – |
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 Yell County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 12, 2020 thunderstorm wind ($57,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
The Emergency Manager reported a roof was blown off of a poultry farm on Highway 154 north of Danville.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 882435)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | Flash FloodDardanelle, Yell County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindMarvinville, Yell County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormYell County · forecast zone Northwest Yell County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormYell County · forecast zone Yell County Excluding Northwest | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindGilkey, Yell County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindWing, Yell County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindDanville, Yell County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | HailDanville, Yell County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindDanville, Yell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindMarvinville, Yell County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindBriggsville, Yell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-05 | FloodGravelly, Yell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-04-11 | FloodPlainview, Yell County According to police reports, the driver of a small pick-up truck drove around barricades into a flooded portion of Arkansas Highway 28. The motorist continued through about 1/8 mile of flooded roadway until the water got so deep that the truck floated off the highway. The two occupants drowned. Water was reported to ... | 2 | 0 | $14K | |
| 2014-10-28 | LightningGilkey, Yell County A 33-year-old man was killed by lightning in a forested area. The man was sitting under a tree, when lightning traveled down the tree, striking the man. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1976-03-26 | TornadoYell County | F3 16.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1951-10-23 | TornadoYell County | F2 | 0 | 4 | – |
| 2001-07-13 | LightningDardanelle, Yell County A mother and her two children were injured by lightning while camping at the Mount Nebo State Park...or about 5 miles west of Dardanelle. It appears that the lightning hit a nearby tree and travelled through a wet ground to the campers who were sleeping. | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2015-05-09 | Flash FloodSills, Yell County A water rescue was completed of 4 people who were in a car that went off into a creek off on Southpoint Lane west of Dardanelle. Two individuals had minor injuries. | 0 | 2 | $12K | |
| 1998-02-10 | LightningDanville, Yell County A man was outside finishing up some yard work when he was struck by lightning. The lightning bolt went into his right arm and went out his left hip. He was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and later released. | 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-12-25 | Winter StormYell County · forecast zone Yell | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2008-03-19 | FloodWaveland, Yell County | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2008-03-19 | FloodSills, Yell County | 0 | 0 | $891K | |
| 2008-03-19 | FloodRover, Yell County | 0 | 0 | $829K | |
| 2014-02-04 | Ice StormYell County · forecast zone Yell | 0 | 0 | $374K | |
| 2015-05-25 | TornadoBirta, Yell County | EF1 1.91 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $374K |
| 2009-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindSulphur Spgs, Yell County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $344K |
| 2008-04-10 | Thunderstorm WindDardanelle, Yell County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $343K |
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: March 26, 1976 (tornado, Yell 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 Yell 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 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 60 | 68 | 71 | 28 |
| Hail | 2 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 53 | 24 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 29 | 58 | 43 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 19 | 28 | 22 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 3 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 18 | 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 Yell County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 55 · Feb 54 · Mar 50 · Apr 132 · May 102 · Jun 71 · Jul 61 · Aug 53 · Sep 43 · Oct 29 · Nov 39 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Yell County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Yell County: 13 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (5).
| 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 |
| 2017-06-15 | DR-4318 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2009-01-28 | EM-3301 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1976-04-01 | DR-498 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1972-01-27 | DR-321 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1969-02-15 | DR-254 | 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 Yell County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 133 flood or flash flood records for Yell County from 1996 to 2026, on 99 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Yell County ranks 2291st 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 $147,000 on 12 claims filed in Yell County; the most in one year was 3 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1985: 2 · 1990: 1 · 1998: 3 · 2006: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2019: 2; 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 Yell County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Yell County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.0 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 | Relatively High | $640K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $700K | 62 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.1M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $581K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $736K | 17 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $111K | once in about 470 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $483K | once in about 289 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.8M | 3.3 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 Yell 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 Yell CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Yell County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis