Arkansas hurricanes and tropical storms
Every recorded hurricane or tropical storm record since 1996 · 66 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 271 hurricane and tropical storm records in Arkansas from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 54 a year since 2000. The deadliest was Tropical Storm Ike (September 14, 2008): 1 death, 4 injuries and $23.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 57 records. Arkansas ranks 11th of 34 states and territories by count and 16th of 33 per square mile.
Hurricanes and tropical storms in Arkansas, 1996 to 2026
Tropical records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 2711996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 54average
- Deaths
- 17 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $97Mas filed
- Busiest year
- 200892 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are hurricane and tropical storm records common in Arkansas?
Arkansas averages about 54 hurricane and tropical storm records a year since 2000, 11th of 34 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2008 (92). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Arkansas records 52 hurricane and tropical storm records since 1996, 16th of 33 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Arkansas have the most hurricane and tropical storm records?
Per square mile, Lincoln County leads Arkansas: 6 days with a hurricane or tropical storm record since 1996, 10.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Arkansas County has the most tropical records (8 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is hurricane season in Arkansas?
99% of its hurricane and tropical storm records since 1996 fell in August and September. The busiest month is September (181 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 0 · Jul 0 · Aug 87 · Sep 181 · Oct 3 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest hurricane and tropical storm records in Arkansas?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | Tropical Storm Ike · Tropical StormPoinsett County · forecast zone Poinsett One named storm filed by several offices: 57 records in 3 episodes; the totals are the storm's. Tropical Storm Ike moved across Northeast Arkansas into Southern Missouri. The storm weakened to a tropical depression as it moved northeast. Tropical storm force winds occurred over Northeast Arkansas as a result. Substantial damage occurred from downed trees and power lines. Some structural damage occurred as well. | 1 | 4 | $23M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
The costliest hurricane and tropical storm records in Arkansas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski One storm episode: 45 records in 45 places; the totals are the episode's. | 0 | 3 | $32M | |
| 2008-09-02 | Hurricane Gustav · Tropical DepressionSaline County · forecast zone Saline One named storm filed by several offices: 30 records in 2 episodes; the totals are the storm's. | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 2008-09-14 | Tropical Storm Ike · Tropical StormPoinsett County · forecast zone Poinsett One named storm filed by several offices: 57 records in 3 episodes; the totals are the storm's. | 1 | 4 | $23M | |
| 2005-08-29 | Hurricane Katrina · Hurricane (Typhoon)Chicot County · forecast zone Chicot One named storm filed by several offices: 4 records in 2 episodes, 2005-08-29 to 2005-09-24; the totals are the storm's. | 0 | 0 | $13M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are hurricane and tropical storm records becoming more frequent in Arkansas?
Arkansas's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Arkansas | United States | Arkansas's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 0 | 1,123 | 0 |
| 2000s | 143 | 4,928 | 2.9% |
| 2010s | 86 | 2,761 | 3.1% |
| 2020-26 | 42 | 2,697 | 1.6% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent hurricane and tropical storm records in Arkansas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionDallas County · forecast zone Dallas | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionLogan County · forecast zone Logan | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionJohnson County · forecast zone Johnson | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionPope County · forecast zone Pope | 0 | 0 | $964K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionConway County · forecast zone Conway | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionVan Buren County · forecast zone Van Buren | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionFaulkner County · forecast zone Faulkner | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionCleburne County · forecast zone Cleburne | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionWhite County · forecast zone White | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionIndependence County · forecast zone Independence | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionJackson County · forecast zone Jackson | 0 | 0 | $643K | |
| 2012-08-30 | Tropical DepressionWoodruff County · forecast zone Woodruff | 0 | 0 | $643K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for hurricane and tropical storm records in Arkansas
FEMA has declared 4 disasters in Arkansas for hurricane and tropical storm, counting its incident type and declarations that name hurricane or tropical storm or typhoon in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 2 were major disasters, the latest on August 27, 2020.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-08-27 | EM-3541 | Hurricane Laura | 75 |
| 2008-10-22 | DR-1804 | Tropical Storm Ike | 20 |
| 2008-09-18 | DR-1793 | Severe Storms and Flooding Associated With Hurricane Gustav | 18 |
| 2005-09-02 | EM-3215 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | 75 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Lincoln County: the county's whole recordThe Arkansas county with the most hurricane and tropical storm records per square mile
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