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Woodruff County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 593 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is flood, accounting for 63.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #606 nationally and #18 in Arkansas.
593
Recorded events
32
Direct deaths
223
Direct injuries
$18.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Woodruff County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Woodruff County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 7.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 266 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 35 events fall before 1990 and 558 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Woodruff County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 32 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $8.1M 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 Woodruff County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood | 374 | 0 | $6.6M | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 110 | 0 | $770K | 70 | 1980–2025 |
| Hail | 46 | 0 | $50K | 3 | 1956–2017 |
| Tornado | 36 | 32 | $8.1M | F4 | 1950–2021 |
| Flash Flood | 19 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2023 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 1998–2014 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Woodruff County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 9 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 | 29 | 180 | 13.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-26 | EF4 | 3 | 289 | 54.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-12-24 | EF3 | 1 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-01-07 | EF3 | 1 | 9 | 39.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 38.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-04 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 43.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-03-26 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 9.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-03-12 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-02-09 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 17.6 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Woodruff County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | Tornado | 29 | 180 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 11, 1995 | Tornado | Des Arc | 2 | 1 | $0 |
| Dec 25, 1982 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 13, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $250K | |
| Feb 10, 1960 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $25K | |
| May 27, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Mar 9, 2006 | Tornado | MORTON | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Tornado | AUGUSTA | 0 | 3 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado first touched down in an open field four miles NNW of Des Arc. It then moved northeastward destroying a barn, taking a roof off a house, taking part of a roof off another house, overturning a large combine, and blowing down trees and power lines. The tornado then struck a frame house, completely destroying it and spreading the remains of the house across a field. Two people in the house were blown about 250 yards into the field and killed. An infant in the house was carried about 300 yards into the field and was injured. Two pick-up trucks at the home were overturned and blown into the field. Numerous trees were also blown down along the path of the tornado. The tornado weakened as it neared the White River and crossed into Woodruff County around 2308 CST. The tornado lifted shortly after crossing into Woodruff County. M26PH, F36PH
Heavy rain caused the White River at Augusta to go above major flood level. The river was above minor flood level at the start of the event, but continued to rise due to heavy rains. Houses on 4th Street in Augusta were surrounded by water. The Horseshoe Lake community was underwater. About 30 homes, most of them in the Taylor Bay community, were flooded. Agricultural losses were to winter wheat and delayed planting of corn and grain sorghum. Many acres of wheat were also recently fertilized to compound the losses. County roads were flooded, especially in the Taylor Bay portion of the floodplain. Portions of Arkansas Highway 33 north of Augusta were flooded. The flooding continued into April.
Rainfall measured 9.75 inches 4 miles west of Cotton Plant, 9.70 inches at Howell, 7.50 inches at Augusta, and 7.45 inches at McCrory. About 40 homes flooded around Augusta, Patterson, and McCrory, and about 26 homes and businesses flooded around Cotton Plant. Arkansas 145 and numerous county roads were flooded, as were farm fields. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service reported that 15,000 acres of soybeans were flooded in the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
6,026
Population (ACS)
$107K
Median home value
28
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 |
| Dec 23, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Riverside 456
- Augusta 427
- Cavell 187
- Patterson 187
- Ruffwood 162
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Woodruff County, Arkansas?
593 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 32 direct deaths and $18.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Woodruff County?
Flood, with 374 recorded events — 63.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Woodruff County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Woodruff County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Woodruff County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Woodruff County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Woodruff County as very low risk, placing it in the 42 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Woodruff 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
- White County 926
- Yell County 598
- Washington County 1,038
- Van Buren County 445
- Union County 519
- Stone County 273
Cite this page
“Woodruff County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/woodruff-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.