384
Recorded events
67
Counties affected
18
Direct deaths
$27.4M
Property damage
Arkansas lightning history: 384 recorded events across 67 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Arkansas lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 160 reported lightning 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 lightning events in Arkansas
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pulaski County | 46 | 2 | $10.0M | 1997–2022 |
| #2 | Garland County | 28 | 1 | $899K | 1998–2019 |
| #3 | Benton County | 16 | 1 | $457K | 1998–2015 |
| #4 | Faulkner County | 13 | 1 | $172K | 1996–2017 |
| #5 | White County | 12 | 0 | $63K | 1996–2021 |
| #6 | Conway County | 12 | 0 | $802K | 1998–2023 |
| #7 | Clark County | 11 | 2 | $289K | 1997–2013 |
| #8 | Jefferson County | 10 | 1 | $148K | 1997–2019 |
| #9 | Independence County | 10 | 0 | $815K | 1996–2012 |
| #10 | Sebastian County | 9 | 0 | $301K | 1998–2014 |
| #11 | Lonoke County | 9 | 0 | $2.6M | 1996–2021 |
| #12 | Saline County | 9 | 1 | $1.8M | 1996–2019 |
| #13 | Mississippi County | 9 | 2 | $88K | 1996–2014 |
| #14 | Drew County | 9 | 0 | $74K | 1999–2014 |
| #15 | Polk County | 8 | 0 | $212K | 2006–2014 |
| #16 | Franklin County | 8 | 0 | $92K | 1996–2010 |
| #17 | Miller County | 8 | 0 | $186K | 1997–2022 |
| #18 | Columbia County | 8 | 0 | $317K | 1999–2019 |
| #19 | Washington County | 7 | 1 | $406K | 1998–2014 |
| #20 | Baxter County | 7 | 0 | $65K | 1996–2010 |
| #21 | Hot Spring County | 6 | 0 | $2.3M | 1998–2008 |
| #22 | Craighead County | 6 | 0 | $86K | 2000–2022 |
| #23 | Pope County | 6 | 1 | $45K | 1999–2018 |
| #24 | Van Buren County | 6 | 0 | $22K | 1998–2011 |
| #25 | Izard County | 5 | 0 | $189K | 2007–2011 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Arkansas
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2006 | Garland County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 8, 2018 | Pulaski County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 13, 1997 | Jefferson County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 3, 1998 | Saline County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 13, 2015 | Benton County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Mar 9, 2006 | Little River County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | Washington County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 23, 1997 | Clark County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Jun 7, 1999 | Mississippi County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 28, 2014 | Yell County | — | 1 | 0 |