406
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$3.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Arkansas: 406 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 75. That places the county #201 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Arkansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Washington County is the 2010s, when 99 of the county's 406 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 Washington County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 39.1% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #201 for this hazard and #4 within Arkansas, putting it in the 93.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Washington County with 85 recorded events, while Jan 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2013 | SPRINGDALE MUNI ARPT | 56 | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| May 15, 1986 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Feb 21, 1997 | FAYETTEVILLE | 0 | 0 | 3 | $150K |
| May 22, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Jun 22, 1990 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Aug 6, 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2026 | FAYETTEVILLE | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | SONORA | 54 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | HARMON | 61 | $5K |
| Apr 14, 2026 | LINCOLN | 65 | $0 |
| Sep 23, 2025 | PRAIRIE GROVE | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 20, 2025 | JOHNSON | 56 | $2K |
| Aug 20, 2025 | JOHNSON | 56 | $2K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | TONTITOWN | 65 | $0 |
| May 18, 2025 | SONORA | 65 | $0 |
| May 18, 2025 | ELM SPGS | 65 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Washington County
- Hail 431
- Flash Flood 130
- Tornado 53
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour downed trees and power lines. The wind also damaged the roof of an apartment building. Twelve residents of the apartment building were displaced as water poured through the damaged roof and through their ceilings.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour rolled over a mobile home and did damage to poultry buildings. This damage was originally thought to be associated with a tornado but a storm survey team determined it was due to the rear flank downdraft of the supercell storm that produced a tornado northeast of Strickler a few minutes later.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down several tree limbs and trees. A few limbs fell on houses but no major structural damage was found. One limb fell on a car causing some damage.The fallen limbs and trees caused some power lines to be knocked down causing a few power outages.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Washington County, Arkansas?
406 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Washington County between 1955 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Washington County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Washington County measured 75.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Washington 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Washington County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/washington-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.