2,557
Recorded events
75
Counties affected
412
Direct deaths
$3.6B
Property damage
Arkansas tornado history: 2,557 recorded events across 75 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Arkansas tornado history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 575 reported tornado events across Arkansas. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in Arkansas
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pulaski County | 102 | 19 | $459.4M | 1950–2025 |
| #2 | Lonoke County | 88 | 18 | $124.0M | 1951–2025 |
| #3 | White County | 83 | 60 | $20.0M | 1952–2025 |
| #4 | Benton County | 69 | 0 | $116.4M | 1954–2025 |
| #5 | Faulkner County | 62 | 27 | $302.1M | 1952–2025 |
| #6 | Jackson County | 61 | 5 | $67.8M | 1950–2026 |
| #7 | Mississippi County | 59 | 6 | $31.1M | 1950–2025 |
| #8 | Saline County | 56 | 12 | $120.9M | 1952–2025 |
| #9 | Craighead County | 54 | 38 | $338.2M | 1955–2025 |
| #10 | Washington County | 53 | 5 | $32.2M | 1954–2026 |
| #11 | Arkansas County | 49 | 0 | $84.3M | 1950–2026 |
| #12 | Poinsett County | 48 | 8 | $60.4M | 1952–2026 |
| #13 | Chicot County | 45 | 1 | $9.1M | 1956–2025 |
| #14 | Ashley County | 45 | 6 | $46.0M | 1953–2026 |
| #15 | Union County | 45 | 3 | $36.9M | 1950–2023 |
| #16 | Sebastian County | 43 | 16 | $163.4M | 1954–2025 |
| #17 | Crawford County | 42 | 0 | $176.1M | 1953–2025 |
| #18 | Independence County | 42 | 8 | $61.9M | 1952–2014 |
| #19 | Conway County | 42 | 8 | $30.8M | 1956–2021 |
| #20 | Garland County | 41 | 1 | $40.1M | 1955–2024 |
| #21 | Hot Spring County | 40 | 0 | $33.0M | 1950–2025 |
| #22 | Greene County | 39 | 2 | $36.2M | 1954–2026 |
| #23 | Johnson County | 39 | 4 | $27.0M | 1954–2024 |
| #24 | Franklin County | 38 | 3 | $7.7M | 1961–2024 |
| #25 | Jefferson County | 37 | 1 | $6.6M | 1954–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in Arkansas
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | White County | F4 | 50 | 325 |
| May 16, 1968 | Craighead County | F4 | 34 | 350 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | Woodruff County | F4 | 29 | 180 |
| Apr 19, 1968 | Sebastian County | F4 | 14 | 270 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | Faulkner County | EF4 | 12 | 167 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Saline County | F4 | 10 | 40 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | Lonoke County | F3 | 9 | 9 |
| May 16, 1968 | Independence County | F4 | 7 | 24 |
| Mar 29, 1975 | Bradley County | F4 | 7 | 51 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | Howard County | F4 | 7 | 9 |