69
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
30
Direct injuries
$116.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Benton County, Arkansas: 69 recorded events between 1954 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #172 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Benton County, Arkansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Benton County is the 2010s, when 17 of the county's 69 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Benton County archive, tornado makes up 5.6% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #172 for this hazard and #4 within Arkansas, putting it in the 94.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Benton County with 23 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-12-31 | EF3 | 21.1 mi | 500 yd | Crossed in |
| 1970-06-11 | EF3 | 51.8 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-25 | EF3 | 7.9 mi | 3,200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2006-03-12 | EF3 | 25.0 mi | 700 yd | Crossed in |
| 1970-10-08 | EF3 | 6.9 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1954-03-24 | EF3 | 20.6 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-04 | EF2 | 32.9 mi | 1,200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-26 | EF2 | 2.4 mi | 1,500 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-26 | EF2 | 7.4 mi | 3,000 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-04 | EF2 | 3.8 mi | 375 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2006 | CHEROKEE CITY | F3 | 0 | 12 | $5.0M |
| May 1, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Oct 8, 1970 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Mar 25, 1954 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $3K | |
| May 26, 2024 | CHEROKEE CITY | EF3 | 0 | 2 | $6.0M |
| Oct 14, 2012 | BENTONVILLE MUNI ARP | EF1 | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| Dec 31, 2010 | TRIDENT | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $200K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2025 | HIGHFILL | EF1 | $500K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | MAYSVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 29, 2025 | BEATY | EF1 | $200K |
| Nov 4, 2024 | ROGERS MUNI ARPT | EF2 | $900K |
| Nov 4, 2024 | SILOAM SPGS ARPT | EF1 | $40K |
| Nov 4, 2024 | LAKE FRANCES | EF1 | $50K |
| May 26, 2024 | BEST | EF1 | $0 |
| May 26, 2024 | WAREAGLE | EF1 | $150K |
| May 26, 2024 | BENTONVILLE MUNI ARP | EF2 | $80.0M |
| May 26, 2024 | VAUGHN | EF2 | $200K |
Other hazards here
More from Benton County
- Thunderstorm Wind 533
- Hail 464
- Flash Flood 128
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado developed along SE Walton Blvd, west of SE Dodson Road. It quickly widened as it crossed I-49 moving to the southeast. The tornado continued to widen as it turned east, then east-northeast, crossing S Dixieland Road and Highway 94 at over 1.5 miles wide. It moved northeast after crossing N Arkansas Street, and dissipated in the hilly terrain east of Grambling Road. Nearly 600 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by this tornado, and thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted. Many power poles were snapped. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 115 to 125 mph.
This is the second segment of a two-segment tornado. The tornado intensified and widened as it moved into Benton County, across Coon Hollow Road and Carlton Drive, where homes and outbuildings were destroyed and tree damage was extensive. Several homes were destroyed and trees were stubbed and debarked on Highway 102. The tornado then turned north-northeast, remained stationary for several minutes north of Highway 102 (based on radar data), and then dissipated near Mt Zion Road. About 60 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. This tornado produced a tornadic debris signature from KINX, KSRX, and KSGF WSR-88Ds. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in this segment of the tornado was 145 to 155 mph.
The second tornado moved into western Benton County (from Delaware County, Oklahoma) south of Highway 12, where damage suggested the tornado strengthened considerably. A mobile home was destroyed, a pickup truck was rolled and destroyed, and several homes sustained major damage to their roofs near Bloomfield, where damage was rated at F2. Damage was more extensive in and around Gentry and Centerton where 75 homes were damaged or destroyed. Damage in this area was rated F3. Twelve people were injured by the tornado.See Storm Data for Oklahoma, Eastern for details regarding the Delaware County segment of this tornado.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Benton County, Arkansas?
69 tornado events are recorded in Benton County between 1954 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Benton County?
The strongest tornado on record in Benton County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Benton County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Benton County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/benton-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.