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Drew County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 367 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,394 nationally and #51 in Arkansas.
367
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Drew County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Drew County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 5.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 126 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 33 events fall before 1990 and 334 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Drew County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $4.0M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Drew County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 180 | 0 | $4.0M | 83 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 92 | 0 | $6K | 2.75 | 1957–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 50 | 0 | $938K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 20 | 1 | $1.7M | F3 | 1957–2021 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $74K | 0 | 1999–2014 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2006–2021 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $700K | 0 | 2009–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Drew County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-02-24 | EF3 | 0 | 28 | 29.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-05-23 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-10-17 | EF2 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-03-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-03-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-02-24 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 21.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-02-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-24 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-03-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-02-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Drew County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 1980 | Tornado | 1 | 2 | $250K | |
| May 6, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROCK SPGS | 0 | 3 | $2.5M |
| Jan 30, 2013 | Lightning | MONTICELLO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | MOUNT TABOR | 0 | 1 | $60K |
| Jun 26, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | MONTICELLO | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Feb 24, 2001 | Tornado | SELMA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Feb 10, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COLLINS | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 24, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Trees were down on houses, vehicles, and power lines. Approximately 30 homes were damaged and three people were injured by the falling trees. Much of the roof was removed from an exhibition building at the Drew County Fairgrounds.
The tornado started just southwest of the intersection of US-425 and state highway 35 off of Kays Lane where some tree limbs were snapped or trees uprooted. Damage to roofs was also noted in this neighborhood. The most significant damage was on the east side of US-425, where multiple construction company trucks were tossed into a field. The tornado continued northeast uprooting additional trees, then lifting near the intersection of Rose Hill Cutoff Road and State Highway 83.
The tornado struck a series of large industrial grain and feed silos and caused substantial damage. One of the silos had its foundation ripped out of the ground and it was bolted into concrete in several locations. The roof of another large silo was blown downwind at least a half mile and fell apart into pieces. Power poles were snapped and trees were snapped at the trunk or uprooted along this short path.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,046
Population (ACS)
$141K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Apr 4, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Monticello 145
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Drew County, Arkansas?
367 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Drew County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 180 recorded events — 49.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Drew County?
23 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Drew County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Drew County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Drew County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Drew County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Drew 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
- Desha County 267
- Faulkner County 825
- Dallas County 321
- Franklin County 698
- Cross County 198
- Fulton County 308
Cite this page
“Drew County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/drew-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.