Baxter County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 558 recorded events between 1963 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #697 nationally and #22 in Arkansas.
558
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
112
Direct injuries
$51.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Baxter County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Baxter County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 8.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 207 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 50 events fall before 1990 and 508 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Baxter County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 5 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $41.2M 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 Baxter County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 266 | 1 | $2.0M | 78 | 1963–2025 |
| Hail | 209 | 0 | $0 | 4.25 | 1967–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 32 | 0 | $3.2M | 0 | 1999–2022 |
| Tornado | 22 | 5 | $41.2M | F3 | 1964–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $65K | 0 | 1996–2010 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $5.3M | 0 | 2006–2011 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2006 |
Decade by decade
Baxter County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 8 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-14 | EF3 | 3 | 4 | 35.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-11-18 | EF3 | 3 | 16 | 34.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-05-15 | EF3 | 3 | 25 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-26 | EF3 | 1 | 17 | 34.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-12-14 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 23.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-05-07 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 43.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 1 | 36 | 12.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-22 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Baxter County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 1968 | Tornado | 3 | 25 | $25K | |
| Feb 5, 2008 | Tornado | COTTER | 1 | 35 | $15.8M |
| May 26, 2024 | Tornado | BUFFALO | 1 | 17 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | ELLIS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 26, 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 8 | $0 | |
| Jul 26, 1986 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Aug 6, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | LAKEVIEW | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Nov 19, 1985 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado moved from Marion County, north-northeast of Rea Valley, into Baxter County, just east-southeast of Cotter. A survey by the Red Cross indicated 21 houses were destroyed, 23 suffered major damage, 35 had minor damage, and 147 others were affected. In addition, 9 mobile homes were destroyed, 12 suffered major damage, 10 had minor damage, and 10 others were affected. One fatality occurred in a mobile home park. Most of the residential structures were in the area around Gassville. A number of businesses in Gassville, along U.S. Highway 62/412, were damaged. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down. The tornado dissipated before reaching Mountain Home.
Heavy rain caused the White River in Baxter County to flood. Thirty feet of River View Road on the North Fork of the White River were washed out. River View Drive and River Ridge Road were washed out. Deputies used helicopters to rescue about a dozen people from Norfork Village. One family was evacuated from their residence on River Valley Road. Seven campers and 20 residences were evacuated at Buffalo City. Approximately 60 homes were damaged to some degree with about 30 having major damage, 15 with moderate damage, and the remainder with minor damage in the county. Some livestock and pasture losses were noted also.
Excessive releases from Norfork Dam caused flash flooding along the two mile stretch of the Norfork River between the dam and the White River. About four homes were flooded, two resorts flooded, and two trout docks were swept away in the rushing water. Boats, motors, and supplies were carried away with the docks.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
42,407
Population (ACS)
$175K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| May 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Mountain Home 209
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Baxter County, Arkansas?
558 events are on record between 1963 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $51.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Baxter County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 266 recorded events — 47.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Baxter County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Baxter County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Baxter County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Baxter County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Baxter County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 72 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Baxter 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
- Ashley County 485
- Benton County 1,224
- Arkansas County 477
- Boone County 467
- Bradley County 269
- Calhoun County 279
Cite this page
“Baxter County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/baxter-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.