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Desha County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 267 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,989 nationally and #70 in Arkansas.
267
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
34
Direct injuries
$53.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Desha County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Desha County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 79 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 45 events fall before 1990 and 222 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $46.3M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Desha County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 122 | 0 | $1.0M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 57 | 0 | $250K | 4.25 | 1961–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 0 | $701K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Tornado | 26 | 0 | $46.3M | F3 | 1953–2023 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $5.5M | 0 | 2008–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2021 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 2007–2010 |
Decade by decade
Desha County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
28 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-04-03 | EF4 | 5 | 16 | 33.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-02-24 | EF3 | 0 | 28 | 29.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-02-24 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 42.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-10-28 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 42.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-01-11 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 23.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-12-21 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 40.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-02-24 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-05-16 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 12.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-04-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Desha County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 2007 | Tornado | DUMAS | 0 | 28 | $45.0M |
| Jan 28, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Apr 24, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Apr 14, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Oct 28, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado moved out of Lincoln County and into Desha County about 6 miles southwest of Dumas. The tornado continued to track northeastward and moved across the southeast portion of the city of Dumas and produced significant damage. In Dumas, 25 businesses were destroyed, along with 19 homes. More than 65 additional homes sustained minor to moderate damage. Six mobile homes were destroyed, along with an athletic park. A community building sustained major damage, as well as a 20-unit assisted living center. An electrical substation was destroyed, leaving the area without power for several days. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down. Farther to the northeast, in the community of Back Gate, 11 mobile homes were destroyed and 12 sustained minor damage. One house was destroyed, along with three that were damaged. The tornado eventually dissipated 4 miles northeast of Pendleton. Altogether, 28 people in the county were injured.
Moderate flooding at the Pendleton stream gage on the Arkansas River occurred for over 3 days. The crest in April was higher than the March crest, primarily due to the high Mississippi River stages. There were damages to agricultural, county roads, and a few houses near the U.S. highway 165 bridge in Pendleton. There were about 6 to 8 homes flooded. Other property within the levee system, such as hunting and fishing camps, were also flooded. The lower Arkansas River floodplain contains some exclusive hunting camps and all were flooded by either the Arkansas or Mississippi River flooding the vast expanse of floodplain. The crest at Pendleton was the highest since May 1990 and the 4th highest of record.
Moderate flooding at the Pendleton stream gage on the Arkansas River occurred for over three days. The crest in April was higher than the March crest, primarily due to the high Mississippi River stages. There were damages to agricultural, county roads, and a few houses near the U.S. Highway 165 bridge in Pendleton. There were about six to eight homes flooded. Other property within the levee system, such as hunting and fishing camps, was also flooded. The lower Arkansas River floodplain contains some exclusive hunting camps and all were flooded by either the Arkansas or Mississippi River flooding the vast expanse of floodplain. The crest at Pendleton was the highest since May, 1990, and the fourth highest of record.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
10,786
Population (ACS)
$91K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Apr 4, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Desha County, Arkansas?
267 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $53.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Desha County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 122 recorded events — 45.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Desha County?
28 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 Desha County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Desha County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Desha County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Desha County as very low risk, placing it in the 33 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Desha 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
- Dallas County 321
- Drew County 367
- Cross County 198
- Faulkner County 825
- Crittenden County 319
- Franklin County 698
Cite this page
“Desha County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/desha-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.