54
Recorded events
38
Direct deaths
651
Direct injuries
$338.2M
Property damage
Tornado in Craighead County, Arkansas: 54 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #323 nationally and #9 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Craighead County, Arkansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Craighead County is the 2020s, when 17 of the county's 54 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 Craighead County archive, tornado makes up 8.4% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #323 for this hazard and #9 within Arkansas, putting it in the 89.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Craighead County with 14 recorded events, while Jun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-05-15 | EF4 | 20.9 mi | 250 yd | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-10 | EF4 | 81.2 mi | 1,800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-26 | EF4 | 54.8 mi | 300 yd | Crossed in |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 39.7 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF3 | 24.2 mi | 1,500 yd | Crossed in |
| 2020-03-28 | EF3 | 12.5 mi | 600 yd | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF3 | 5.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-03 | EF3 | 49.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-25 | EF3 | 0.5 mi | 313 yd | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-03 | EF3 | 22.6 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 1968 | F4 | 34 | 350 | $25K | |
| May 27, 1973 | F4 | 3 | 257 | $25K | |
| Dec 11, 2021 | NEEDHAM | EF3 | 1 | 5 | $2.5M |
| Mar 28, 2020 | JONESBORO | EF3 | 0 | 22 | $300.0M |
| Apr 2, 2025 | DAVIS | EF3 | 0 | 8 | $4.0M |
| Aug 13, 1978 | F2 | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 1, 1997 | EGYPT | F3 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
| Apr 3, 1984 | F3 | 0 | 2 | $25.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | ELM GROVE | EF1 | $25K |
| Apr 2, 2025 | DAVIS | EF3 | $4.0M |
| Apr 2, 2025 | RISHER | EF2 | $750K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | HERNDON | EF0 | $50K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | DOROTHY | EF0 | $10K |
| Apr 13, 2022 | AETNA | EF1 | $75K |
| Mar 6, 2022 | CHILSON | EF0 | $0 |
| Feb 22, 2022 | CARY | EF0 | $0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | DRYDEN | EF1 | $100K |
| Dec 11, 2021 | NEEDHAM | EF3 | $2.5M |
Other hazards here
More from Craighead County
- Thunderstorm Wind 300
- Hail 194
- Flash Flood 82
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado produced its first damage north of Bay, damaging storage and outbuildings. The tornado gradually strengthened and destroyed a farm tractor storage building along Highway 135 northwest of Lake City. The tornado possibly weakened slightly as it crossed the St. Francis River area, but re-strengthened as it approached Monette. Northern and northwestern portions of Monette suffered significant damage. Homes and retail facilities had their roofs partially or completely removed, and the roof of a nursing home partially collapsed. One fatality and at least 5 injuries occurred in the nursing home. After leaving Monette the tornado crossed into Mississippi County. Peak winds were estimated at 145 mph in Craighead County.
This tornado developed just north of I-555 and west of Caraway Road. The tornado quickly intensified and caused EF2 damage near the intersection of Caraway Rd. and Race St. The tornado weakened slightly, but produced EF2 damage again at the Mall at Turtle Creek. The tornado reached its most intense stage as it approached and moved across the Jonesboro Airport. Several large industrial buildings were severely damaged. As the tornado moved through residential areas northeast of the airport, it caused EF2 to isolated EF3 damage to homes. The tornado began weakening after it crossed Highway 49 northeast of Jonesboro, with the final damage observed to the northeast of Brookland. Peak winds were estimated at 150 mph.
The tornado started just west of Highway 18 between Risher and Riggs, causing tree damage and roof damage to multiple metal outbuildings. The tornado continued northeast, crossing Highway 226 where a farm outbuilding was destroyed, trees snapped, and damage to farm equipment was noted. The most notable damage was along County Road 160, where a grain silo bin was torn and twisted. The silo had been bolted to the ground. The tornado continued northeast towards Herman, where trees were snapped and uprooted. Damage was noted at Westside High School, where the gymnasium roof was damaged and multiple nearby farm shops were destroyed. Additional trees were damaged along Highway 63 before the tornado lifted. Peak winds were estimated at 120 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Craighead County, Arkansas?
54 tornado events are recorded in Craighead County between 1955 and 2025, causing 38 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Craighead County?
The strongest tornado on record in Craighead County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Craighead 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 Craighead County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/craighead-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.