Arkansas tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 75 counties with a record
Arkansas has recorded 2,146 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 40 a year since 2000, with 197 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the March 21, 1952 Searcy tornado (50 deaths in Arkansas). Arkansas ranks 14th of 52 states and territories by count and 12th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Arkansas, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- 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
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 2,1461950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 40average
- Deaths
- 4155,568 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 1979% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 1999107 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Arkansas?
Arkansas averages about 40 tornadoes a year since 2000, 14th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1999 (107). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Arkansas records 413 tornadoes since 1950, 12th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, 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 tornadoes?
Per square mile, Pulaski County leads Arkansas: 69 days with a tornado record since 1950, 91.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Pulaski County has the most tornado records (103 since 1950); 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 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Arkansas?
42% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in April and May. The busiest month is April (496 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 153 · Feb 116 · Mar 285 · Apr 496 · May 410 · Jun 103 · Jul 71 · Aug 29 · Sep 74 · Oct 90 · Nov 175 · Dec 144 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Arkansas?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 | Searcy · White | F4 | 14.6 mi | 50 | 325 |
| 1968-05-15 | Jonesboro · Jackson, Craighead, Mississippi | F4 | 20.9 mi | 35 | 364 |
| 1952-03-21 | Cotton Plant · Woodruff | F4 | 13.1 mi | 29 | 180 |
| 2014-04-27 | Vilonia · Pulaski, Faulkner, White | EF4 | 41.1 mi | 16 | 193 |
| 1968-04-19 | Greenwood · Sebastian | F4 | 2 mi | 14 | 270 |
| 2008-02-05 | Clinton to Highland · Yell, Pope | EF4 | 121.84 mi | 13 | 139 |
| 1997-03-01 | Little Rock · Saline | F4 | 14 mi | 10 | 40 |
| 1952-03-21 | Humnoke · Lonoke | F3 | 16.2 mi | 9 | 9 |
| 1975-03-28 | Warren · Bradley | F4 | 5.4 mi | 7 | 51 |
| 1996-04-14 | Melbourne to Horseshoe Bend · Stone, Izard | F4 | 44 mi | 7 | 35 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Arkansas), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Arkansas?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Arkansas
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 | Searcy · White | F4 | 14.6 mi | 1,760 yd | 50 |
| 1968-05-15 | Jonesboro · Jackson, Craighead, Mississippi | F4 | 20.9 mi | 250 yd | 35 |
| 1952-03-21 | Cotton Plant · Woodruff | F4 | 13.1 mi | 880 yd | 29 |
| 2014-04-27 | Vilonia · Pulaski, Faulkner, White | EF4 | 41.1 mi | 1,320 yd | 16 |
| 1968-04-19 | Greenwood · Sebastian | F4 | 2 mi | 300 yd | 14 |
| 2008-02-05 | Clinton to Highland · Yell, Pope | EF4 | 121.84 mi | 1,320 yd | 13 |
| 1997-03-01 | Little Rock · Saline | F4 | 14 mi | 1,407 yd | 10 |
| 1996-04-14 | Melbourne to Horseshoe Bend · Stone, Izard | F4 | 44 mi | 880 yd | 7 |
| 1952-03-21 | Dierks · Howard | F4 | 13 mi | 833 yd | 7 |
| 1975-03-28 | Warren · Bradley | F4 | 5.4 mi | 250 yd | 7 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Arkansas
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-05 | Clinton to Highland · Yell, Pope | EF4 | 121.84 mi | 1,320 yd | 13 |
| 1951-02-20 | Keo to Marked Tree · Lonoke, Prairie, Woodruff, Cross | F2 | 112.8 mi | 333 yd | 0 |
| 1954-04-30 | Texarkana · Little River, Sevier, Howard, Hempstead | F3 | 92.4 mi | 1,760 yd | 0 |
| 2025-03-14 | Cherokee · Stone, Izard, Sharp, Randolph | EF4 | 92 mi | 1,400 yd | 0 |
| 2025-03-14 | Cushman to Pocahontas · Independence, Sharp, Lawrence, Randolph | EF3 | 80.97 mi | 700 yd | 3 |
| 1979-04-08 | Chidester to Hampton · Ouachita, Calhoun, Bradley | F3 | 62.4 mi | 1,320 yd | 0 |
| 1974-05-14 | Searcy, Stone, Izard | F1 | 62 mi | 100 yd | 0 |
| 1973-05-26 | Jonesboro · Woodruff, Jackson, Poinsett, Craighead | F4 | 54.8 mi | 300 yd | 3 |
| 1978-04-17 | Carlisle · Pulaski, Lonoke, Prairie, Woodruff | F2 | 53.8 mi | 250 yd | 0 |
| 2023-03-31 | Wynne to Gilmore · Cross, Crittenden, Mississippi | EF3 | 52.7 mi | 1,600 yd | 4 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Arkansas county
All 75 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
Is Arkansas in Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley has no official boundary; the Storm Prediction Center calls it a media nickname for the central U.S. area of relatively high tornado occurrence. By the record, Arkansas ranks 6th of 50 states for tornadoes rated 1 or higher per square mile since 1950 (298 per 10,000 square miles), and it lies in the Southeast area often called Dixie Alley.
Tornado Alley, measured: the states by density and maps of where tornadoes began in two eras.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database and Online Tornado FAQ. SPC's tornado FAQ.
The costliest tornadoes in Arkansas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-28 | TornadoJonesboro, Craighead County This tornado developed just north of I-555 and west of Caraway Road. The tornado quickly intensified and caused EF2 damage near the intersection of Caraway Rd. and Race St. The tornado weakened slightly, but produced EF2 damage again at the Mall at Turtle Creek. The tornado reached its most intense stage as it ... | EF3 12.53 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 22 | $342M |
| 1996-04-21 | TornadoVan Buren, Crawford County | F3 6 mi x 1,050 yd | 0 | 49 | $282M |
| 2014-04-27 | TornadoPalarm, Faulkner County This tornado exited Pulaski County 1.6 miles northeast of Roland, while crossing the Arkansas River, and entered Faulkner County 0.6 mile southwest of Palarm. The tornado reached its maximum intensity of EF4 in Faulkner County. It tracked through the River Plantation subdivision and White City, then struck Mayflower, ... | EF4 24.24 mi x 1,320 yd | 12 | 167 | $262M |
| 1997-03-01 | TornadoOkolona, Clark County The tornado moved out of Nevada County and into Clark County approximately 6.5 miles south of Okolona at 220 pm CST. The tornado continued moving northeastward, causing considerable tree damage and downing a number of power lines. The first fatality occurred along I-30, several miles southwest of Arkadelphia where a ... | F4 27 mi x 1,056 yd | 6 | 100 | $221M |
| 2009-04-09 | TornadoPotter, Polk County A tornado began to the west-southwest of Mena, then tracked through the northwest side of Mena. According to the Polk County Judge, 165 houses were destroyed, 701 houses had major damage, and more than 11,000 trees were blown down. The Polk County Courthouse, county jail, Mena City Hall, and the police and fire ... | EF3 14.84 mi x 1,075 yd | 3 | 30 | $179M |
| 2011-04-25 | TornadoLynch, Pulaski County Most of this tornado's path was through Little Rock Air Force Base. At least five C-130 aircraft were damaged, three of them severely. A number of buildings in the base shopping area and flight line area suffered damage, including having roofs torn off. The fire station had its roof taken off and its doors buckled. ... | EF2 5.17 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 4 | $164M |
| 2023-03-31 | TornadoMc Manus, Cross County NWS meteorologists determined an EF-3 tornado touched down in western Cross County at 431 PM CDT on March 31 on County Road 537, just south of Highway 284. The tornado tracked to the east-northeast towards Wynne, AR where it crossed Highway 284 multiple times. EF-2 damage was observed north of Ellis Chapel and ... | EF3 26.94 mi x 1,600 yd | 4 | 26 | $145M |
| 2008-05-10 | TornadoFuess, Arkansas County A tornado touched down west of Stuttgart, near the Arkansas/Prairie County line. The tornado then moved toward the east-southeast, passing through the southern sections of Stuttgart. Most of the damage in the city was along and a few blocks to the north of 22nd Street (Arkansas Highway 130). The tornado then passed ... | EF3 14.05 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 9 | $103M |
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 28, 1975 (tornado, Bradley County, 7 killed); April 10, 1965 (tornado, Faulkner County, 6 killed); December 14, 1987 (tornado, Crittenden County, 6 killed); March 29, 1976 (tornado, Lonoke County, 5 killed); March 15, 1984 (tornado, Poinsett County, 5 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Arkansas?
Arkansas's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Arkansas | United States | Arkansas's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 156 | 4,837 | 3.2% |
| 1960s | 168 | 6,863 | 2.4% |
| 1970s | 265 | 8,633 | 3.1% |
| 1980s | 194 | 8,250 | 2.4% |
| 1990s | 312 | 12,205 | 2.6% |
| 2000s | 459 | 12,892 | 3.6% |
| 2010s | 331 | 12,232 | 2.7% |
| 2020-25 | 261 | 8,234 | 3.2% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Arkansas
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-22 | TornadoManitou, Franklin County | EF1 3.3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $400K |
| 2026-06-12 | TornadoMcCreanor, Lonoke County | EFU 3.12 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | TornadoHaroldton, Crawford County | EF1 1.3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | TornadoWitcherville, Sebastian County | EF1 2.4 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-06 | TornadoWitcherville, Sebastian County | EF1 1.7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-28 | TornadoHopewell, Cleburne County | EF1 1.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | TornadoKeevil, Monroe County | EF2 5.1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-28 | TornadoPollard, Clay County | EF0 1.89 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-28 | TornadoOld Milo, Ashley County | EF0 0.77 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | TornadoMilltown, Jackson County | EF0 0.6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | TornadoWest Richwoods, Stone County | EF1 13.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | TornadoBuffalo Lick, Poinsett County | EFU 0.52 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 tornadoes in Arkansas
FEMA has declared 44 disasters in Arkansas for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 39 were major disasters, the latest on May 21, 2025.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-21 | DR-4873 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 41 |
| 2025-05-08 | DR-4865 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 9 |
| 2025-04-05 | EM-3627 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 75 |
| 2024-05-30 | DR-4788 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 11 |
| 2023-11-14 | DR-4748 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 4 |
| 2023-04-02 | DR-4698 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 3 |
| 2021-12-23 | DR-4633 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 5 |
| 2020-07-10 | DR-4556 | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds | 12 |
| 2020-05-08 | DR-4544 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds | 1 |
| 2019-09-13 | DR-4460 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 3 |
| 2017-06-15 | DR-4318 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 32 |
| 2016-05-06 | DR-4270 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding | 12 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Pulaski County: the county's whole recordThe Arkansas county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in ArkansasTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in Arkansas16,540 records
- Hail in Arkansas12,515 records
- Floods in Arkansas5,685 records