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Hot Spring County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 609 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #564 nationally and #15 in Arkansas.
609
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
65
Direct injuries
$39.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Hot Spring County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hot Spring County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 8.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 180 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 80 events fall before 1990 and 529 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hot Spring County, Arkansas record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $33.0M 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 Hot Spring County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 298 | 1 | $1.9M | 78 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 193 | 0 | $0 | 4.5 | 1967–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 55 | 0 | $980K | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Tornado | 40 | 0 | $33.0M | F4 | 1950–2025 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 2008–2018 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $2.3M | 0 | 1998–2008 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2016 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Hot Spring County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
40 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 11 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 | 0 | 11 | 24.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-01-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-04-25 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-05-13 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 14.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-11-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-03-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-09-26 | EF2 | 0 | 15 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hot Spring County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | MALVERN | 1 | 1 | $50K |
| Dec 23, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 29 | $25.0M | |
| Sep 26, 1996 | Tornado | MALVERN | 0 | 15 | $2.1M |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado | FRIENDSHIP | 0 | 11 | $2.0M |
| Nov 16, 1988 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 17, 2002 | Tornado | MALVERN | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 28, 2006 | Lightning | MALVERN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 10, 2006 | Lightning | MALVERN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning struck the county library building in Malvern, resulting in a fire. The fire initially started in the roof and then spread to the rest of the structure. Most of the building and the contents were destroyed. Initial estimates placed the damage at $2.25 million.
Flash flooding, which developed on the evening of the 23rd, became widespread areal flooding on the morning on the 24th and continued into Christmas morning. Many county roads were flooded. Some residents living off U.S. Highway 67 had to park on the shoulder of the highway and wade to their houses.
Heavy rain led to the development of flash flooding on the evening of the 23rd. Numerous county roads were flooded. One swift water rescue was necessary in Malvern. One lane of Arkansas Highway 7 was partially blocked at the intersection with Arkansas Highway 84.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
33,180
Population (ACS)
$151K
Median home value
20
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 |
| May 8, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Malvern 135
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hot Spring County, Arkansas?
609 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $39.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hot Spring County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 298 recorded events — 48.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hot Spring County?
40 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hot Spring County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hot Spring County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hot Spring County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hot Spring County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 56 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hot Spring 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
- Hempstead County 556
- Howard County 590
- Greene County 347
- Independence County 559
- Grant County 380
- Izard County 354
Cite this page
“Hot Spring County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/hot-spring-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.