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Crittenden County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 319 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,669 nationally and #63 in Arkansas.
319
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
135
Direct injuries
$45.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Crittenden County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Crittenden County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 4.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 90 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 56 events fall before 1990 and 263 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Crittenden County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $34.4M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Crittenden County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 163 | 0 | $1.2M | 74 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 100 | 0 | $196K | 2.75 | 1974–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 25 | 0 | $8.1M | 0 | 2002–2026 |
| Tornado | 21 | 6 | $34.4M | F3 | 1965–2025 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $170K | 0 | 1998–2013 |
Decade by decade
Crittenden County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
20 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 14 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-12-14 | EF3 | 6 | 121 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 4 | 26 | 72.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-02 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 20.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 38.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-04-21 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1975-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 15 | 14.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-02-11 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 19.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Crittenden County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15, 1987 | Tornado | 6 | 100 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 4, 1968 | Tornado | 0 | 15 | $25K | |
| May 2, 2008 | Tornado | EARLE MCNEELY ARPT | 0 | 4 | $2.0M |
| Jun 27, 2013 | Lightning | WIMEF | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | PROCTOR | 0 | 3 | $125K |
| Feb 11, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Nov 27, 1994 | Tornado | West Memphis | 0 | 2 | $5.0M |
| May 1, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An F1 tornado touched down in the city of West Memphis. The tornado remained on the ground for 5 miles before lifting. The tornado damaged 27 homes and 9 apartment buildings containing 66 units. Two people residing in the apartment complex received minor injuries. Forty-three businesses were damaged, 17 of these were declared uninhabitable. Large utility poles were snapped and numerous power lines were knocked down. Several cars were also damaged.
A tornado tracked northeast into Crittenden County from Cross County. The tornado produced a nearly continuous 12 mile track from the county line to Heafer. After crossing into Crittenden County, the tornado struck the town of Earle and produced extensive EF-3 damage. The tornado severely damaged a high school, a church and a number of homes. A large warehouse was also struck and sustained extensive damage. Additional significant damage to other structures occurred between Earle and Heafer. There were 4 serious injuries and several minor injuries reported in Earle. As the tornado moved into Heafer, the tornado produced EF-2 damage. Significant damage occurred to a number of homes in Heafer. Two mobile homes were destroyed as well. Several trees and power lines were also knocked down. The tornado continued to produce intermittent EF-0 damage as it moved out of Heafer and moved northeast between the towns of Gilmore and Turrell, eventually crossing into Mississippi County.
The tornado moved into Crittenden county from Cross county and continued to move northeast. The tornado produced some damage near the town of Heafer. A mobile home and 2 farm shops were destroyed. A church and parsonage, three mobile homes and five houses were also damaged. The tornado then continued across the county and reached the town of Gilmore. Fourteen mobile homes were destroyed or suffered major damage. Nineteen houses and several cars were also damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. The tornado eventually moved out of the county near Menesha and entered Mississippi county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
47,266
Population (ACS)
$160K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Crittenden County, Arkansas?
319 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $45.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Crittenden County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 163 recorded events — 51.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Crittenden County?
20 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Crittenden County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Crittenden County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Crittenden County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Crittenden County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Crittenden County, Arkansas severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Crawford County 788
- Cross County 198
- Craighead County 646
- Dallas County 321
- Conway County 547
- Desha County 267
Cite this page
“Crittenden County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/crittenden-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.