Clark County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 638 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 39.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #498 nationally and #14 in Arkansas.
638
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
127
Direct injuries
$138.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Clark County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clark County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 8.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 208 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 73 events fall before 1990 and 565 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Clark County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $130.8M 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 Clark County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 253 | 1 | $2.2M | 61 | 1957–2025 |
| Hail | 192 | 0 | $500 | 4.5 | 1965–2026 |
| Flood | 72 | 0 | $3.3M | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 65 | 0 | $2.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 35 | 6 | $130.8M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Lightning | 11 | 2 | $289K | 0 | 1997–2013 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2022 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2021 |
Decade by decade
Clark County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 32 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | 6 | 100 | 27.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-03-01 | EF4 | 0 | 11 | 24.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-03-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-03-01 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-05-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 26.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-03-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-11-15 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 27.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-05-03 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clark County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado | OKOLONA | 6 | 100 | $120.0M |
| Jul 23, 1997 | Lightning | GUM SPGS | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 8, 1999 | Lightning | ALPINE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 31, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jan 3, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $25K | |
| May 30, 2013 | Tornado | AMITY | 0 | 5 | $125K |
| Mar 27, 1950 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Dec 24, 2009 | Flood | AMITY | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flash flooding, which developed early on the 24th, became widespread areal flooding later on the 24th and continued into Christmas morning. Point Cedar Road, near Amity, was blocked by flooding. Arkansas Highway 51 was blocked near Beirne, as was Arkansas 128 south of Joan. U.S. Highway 67 was flooded near Curtis. A high water rescue occurred on Arkansas Highways 7/8 about 4 miles east of Arkadelphia on Christmas Eve, after a motorist drove into flood waters. The two people rescued were taken to a hospital to be checked for hypothermia.
Widespread heavy rain resulted in the development of flash flooding. Numerous county roads were flooded, as were streets in Arkadelphia. Garner Mountain Road was washed out. Arkansas Highway 53 northwest of Gurdon was partially blocked on the evening of the 23rd. By the wee hours of the 24th, Arkansas Highways 7 and 8 were blocked east of Arkadelphia due to water over the road. Arkansas Highway 128 was blocked as well. Arkansas Highway 26 was barricaded.
Trees and power lines were blown down. Approximately 17 houses were damaged by falling trees. Of this number, two houses had substantial damage. Around 2,000 electric customers lost power. In some cases, it took more than 24 hours before power was restored.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,125
Population (ACS)
$155K
Median home value
24
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| 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
- Arkadelphia 267
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clark County, Arkansas?
638 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $138.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clark County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 253 recorded events — 39.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clark County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 32 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clark County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clark County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clark County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County as very low risk, placing it in the 41 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clark 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
- Chicot County 489
- Clay County 337
- Carroll County 411
- Cleburne County 367
- Calhoun County 279
- Cleveland County 269
Cite this page
“Clark County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/clark-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.