53
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
74
Direct injuries
$32.2M
Property damage
Tornado in Washington County, Arkansas: 53 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #337 nationally and #10 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Washington County, Arkansas: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Washington County is the 2020s, when 18 of the county's 53 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, tornado makes up 5.1% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #337 for this hazard and #10 within Arkansas, putting it in the 88.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Washington County with 18 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 |
| 2022-03-30 | EF3 | 5.2 mi | 350 yd | Touched down here |
| 1999-05-04 | EF3 | 38.2 mi | 0 yd | Crossed in |
| 1983-11-22 | EF3 | 19.0 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1954-04-30 | EF3 | 40.7 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 2025-05-19 | EF2 | 13.6 mi | 1,100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-04 | EF2 | 32.9 mi | 1,200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-07 | EF2 | 11.7 mi | 800 yd | Crossed in |
| 2016-03-23 | EF2 | 11.1 mi | 800 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2010 | CINCINNATI | EF3 | 4 | 7 | $1.5M |
| Jun 12, 1970 | F3 | 1 | 44 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 30, 2022 | JOHNSON | EF3 | 0 | 7 | $20.0M |
| Jan 10, 1975 | F1 | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F2 | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Mar 24, 2016 | ODELL | EF2 | 0 | 2 | $300K |
| Dec 31, 2010 | HARMON | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Nov 19, 1970 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2026 | MARROW | EF1 | $75K |
| Apr 14, 2026 | CINCINNATI | EF0 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | WEST FORK | EF1 | $25K |
| Jun 7, 2025 | ODELL | EF1 | $50K |
| May 20, 2025 | (FYV)FAYETTEVILLE AR | EF2 | $1.0M |
| May 20, 2025 | LINCOLN | EF1 | $0 |
| May 20, 2025 | LINCOLN | EF1 | $100K |
| May 20, 2025 | SUMMERS | EF1 | $0 |
| May 20, 2025 | MARROW | EF1 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 2025 | WHEELER | EF1 | $750K |
Other hazards here
More from Washington County
- Hail 431
- Thunderstorm Wind 406
- Flash Flood 130
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 SW Campbell Road, west of I-49, where trees were snapped and uprooted. It moved northeast across I-49, severely damaging a metal building structure, and then turned to the east across the southern portion of Drake Field. It then turned east-northeast, crossing Highway 16 and dissipated near Combs Bell Road. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted along the path of this tornado, industrial buildings and homes and businesses were damaged, many power poles were snapped, and outbuildings were destroyed. The tornado produced a tornadic debris signature from the KSRX WSR-88D. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 115 to 125 mph.
This tornado developed just south of Jess Anderson Road and north of Highway 16. The tornado moved northeast, uprooting trees and snapping large tree limbs as it crossed Jess Anderson Road and Wheeler Road. The tornado damage numerous homes in a neighborhood along and just west of Hughmount Road, several of which sustained significant roof damage and broken windows. It continued to damage the roofs of homes and uproot trees as it crossed Weir Road, Rupple Road, and Howard Nickell Road. It dissipated north of Howard Nickell Road and west of Salem Road. Based on this damage, maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 100 to 110 mph.
A tornado damaged 40 to 50 homes, destroyed barns and outbuildings, destroyed chicken houses, and snapped or uprooted numerous trees. The most significant damage to permanent homes was structural damage to several roofs. Based on this damage, the maximum estimated wind in the tornado was 100 to 110 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Washington County, Arkansas?
53 tornado events are recorded in Washington County between 1954 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Washington County?
The strongest tornado on record in Washington County measured F3.
Where does the tornado 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
“Tornado in Washington County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/washington-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.