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Monroe County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 352 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 36.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,482 nationally and #55 in Arkansas.
352
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$51.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Monroe County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Monroe County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 5.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 107 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 43 events fall before 1990 and 309 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $39.0M 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 Monroe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 128 | 0 | $1.7M | 70 | 1955–2025 |
| Hail | 90 | 0 | $0 | 3 | 1961–2023 |
| Flood | 86 | 0 | $39.0M | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 0 | $9.1M | F3 | 1965–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $1.8M | 0 | 1997–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2013 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2006–2011 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2022–2022 |
Decade by decade
Monroe County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
25 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-01-21 | EF3 | 0 | 9 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-02-09 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-10-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1985-04-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-04-17 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 53.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-23 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 22.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-01-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Monroe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| May 31, 2013 | Tornado | BRINKLEY MEML ARPT | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Apr 4, 2011 | Lightning | CLARENDON | 0 | 1 | $1K |
| Feb 24, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | BRINKLEY MEML ARPT | 0 | 1 | $100K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Parts of Arkansas Highways 1, 17, 86, 146, and 302 were closed due to flooding. Some parts of the Sheffield Nelson Dagmar Wildlife Management Area were closed due to flooding. Hundreds of people were evacuated south of Clarendon. In the southern part of the county, communities that were flooded included East Lake, Maddox Bay, Green Lake, and Indian Bay. Flooding also occurred at Deep Elm and Lawrenceville. Altogether, about 750 residences in Monroe County were flooded. Flooding in Monroe County continued into June.
An F1 tornado touched down about 2.5 miles south-southeast of Brinkley and traveled approximately 5 miles before lifting. Thirteen large electrical transmission towers were damaged or destroyed. Large power lines fell onto U.S. Highway 49. Smaller power lines were also blown down along the tornado's path, as were a few trees. Several grain storage bins were destroyed. No injuries were reported.
Heavy rain caused the White River at Clarendon to go above major flood level and to the highest stage since May, 1973. The river was in minor flood at the beginning of the month and continued to rise due to the heavy rains. Approximately 10 county roads and part of Arkansas Highway 302 north of Clarendon were closed because of flooding. Residents of Maddox Bay and Indian Bay were evacuated due to flooding. Numerous homes, possibly as many as 40, flooded at Maddox Bay, Indian Bay, and at St. Charles. There were some minor agricultural losses, such as to winter wheat. The flooding continued into April.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
6,589
Population (ACS)
$89K
Median home value
27
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 |
| 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
- Clarendon 260
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Monroe County, Arkansas?
352 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $51.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Monroe County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 128 recorded events — 36.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Monroe County?
25 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 Monroe County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Monroe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Monroe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Monroe 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
- Mississippi County 510
- Montgomery County 451
- Miller County 576
- Nevada County 342
- Marion County 341
- Newton County 359
Cite this page
“Monroe County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/monroe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.