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Cross County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 198 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,455 nationally and #73 in Arkansas.
198
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
60
Direct injuries
$164.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Cross County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cross County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 57 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 37 events fall before 1990 and 161 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cross County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $161.1M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cross County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 98 | 1 | $1.7M | 85 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $36K | 2.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Tornado | 28 | 9 | $161.1M | F4 | 1952–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 11 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 2003–2024 |
| Flood | 3 | 1 | $200K | 0 | 2011–2019 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 2002–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2018 |
Decade by decade
Cross County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 23 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 | EF4 | 4 | 5 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 4 | 26 | 72.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-01-07 | EF3 | 1 | 9 | 39.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-02 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 20.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 38.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-04 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 43.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-03-01 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 12.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cross County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2023 | Tornado | MC MANUS | 4 | 26 | $150.0M |
| Mar 22, 1952 | Tornado | 4 | 5 | $250K | |
| Jan 7, 1978 | Tornado | 1 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| May 1, 2011 | Flood | BAY VLG | 1 | 0 | $200K |
| Feb 7, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | HICKORY RIDGE | 1 | 0 | $75K |
| Apr 2, 2006 | Tornado | FAIROAKS | 0 | 5 | $5.0M |
| May 5, 2003 | Tornado | TILTON | 0 | 4 | $1.0M |
| Mar 12, 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
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 McElroy. Just east northeast of McElroy, significant EF-2 damage to the sewage treatment plant was noted where an 80-yard-long shed with a sturdy roofing structure of metal failed and became lofted. The roofing wadded up and destroyed two cinder block buildings before landing 100 yards away. The tornado strengthened to an EF-3 as it moved into the western section of Wynne, AR. The tornado then ravaged the center of Wynne, including the Wynne High School. Several one and two-family residences in Wynne were partially to completely destroyed. The tornado weakened as it moved away from Wynne and traveled to the north of Parkin, AR where EF-2 damage was observed. The tornado then crossed into Crittenden County. Peak winds in Cross County were estimated at 150 mph.
Heavy rain during late April into early May caused the St. Francis River to rise to near record levels. The river remained above flood stage through the end of May. Several homes sustained minor damage from the flooding. Several roads were closed and/or damaged. Several hundred acres of cropland was flooded. A man drowned when he disobeyed closed road signs on Highway 42 and drove his vehicle into 12-18 inches of running water that covered the road. The vehicle was then swept away.
One man was killed in Wynne when a tree fell onto his mobile home crushing the home. An awning was blown off of a building in Vanndale. Several other businesses were damaged. Several trees and power poles were knocked down.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,543
Population (ACS)
$118K
Median home value
24
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 |
| Apr 2, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cross County, Arkansas?
198 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 11 direct deaths and $164.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cross County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 98 recorded events — 49.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cross County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 23 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cross County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cross County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cross County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cross County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 65 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cross 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
- Crittenden County 319
- Dallas County 321
- Crawford County 788
- Desha County 267
- Craighead County 646
- Drew County 367
Cite this page
“Cross County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/cross-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.