Howard County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 590 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #614 nationally and #19 in Arkansas.
590
Recorded events
12
Direct deaths
51
Direct injuries
$14.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Howard County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Howard County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 8.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 158 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 105 events fall before 1990 and 485 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Howard County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 12 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $10.6M 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 Howard County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 252 | 0 | $3.0M | 90 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 250 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 40 | 0 | $750K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Tornado | 35 | 12 | $10.6M | F4 | 1952–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2019–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2016 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Howard County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
36 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 | EF4 | 7 | 9 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-04-02 | EF4 | 3 | 23 | 45.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-04-09 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 37.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-12-23 | EF3 | 0 | 29 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 20.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-05-10 | EF2 | 2 | 8 | 6.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-11-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-04-09 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Howard County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | Tornado | 7 | 9 | $25K | |
| Apr 2, 1982 | Tornado | 3 | 23 | $2.5M | |
| May 11, 2015 | Tornado | NASHVILLE | 2 | 8 | $1.5M |
| Apr 13, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| Apr 8, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 30, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 10, 2009 | Tornado | CENTER PT | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| Apr 8, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A damage survey was completed in Howard County Arkansas and it was determined that the damage was consistent with that of an EF2 tornado. The most extensive damage was located on the southwest side of Nashville at the D&J Mobile Home Park. Five mobile homes were completely destroyed. There were 2 fatalities in this mobile home park and 8 additional injuries. There were 40 to 60 homes suffering minor to moderate damage from the tornado…mainly from fallen trees. Other damage consisted of numerous trees snapped and/or uprooted with power lines downed as well. The Governor of Arkansas was given a tour of the damage areas on the ground and in the air.
This tornado continued into Howard County from Sevier County Arkansas. The Dierks Lake area received significant damage near the Sevier, Howard County line. The Army Corps of Engineers office had significant roof damage to their office building with roofing material found in the trees adjacent to the building. The tornado was strongest in Howard County where the entire second story of a reinforced concrete building was decimated and strewn across the road. This was consistent with EF3 tornado damage with wind speeds of 140 mph. The tornado then moved into Pike County, Arkansas about 3.5 miles southwest of New Hope, Arkansas. The Arkansas governor declared Howard County a disaster area because of the tornado damage.
Pine, Oak, and Pecan trees over a 15 mile wide area were flattened along with 2 homes destroyed, 5 homes suffering major damage, 30 homes suffering minor damage, 3 mobile homes totally destroyed and one new motor home crushed by a fallen tree. No injuries or deaths occurred.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
12,583
Population (ACS)
$154K
Median home value
22
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 |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 26, 2015 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Nashville 148
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Howard County, Arkansas?
590 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 12 direct deaths and $14.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Howard County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 252 recorded events — 42.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Howard County?
36 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 31 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Howard County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Howard County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Howard County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Howard County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 49 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Howard 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
- Hot Spring County 609
- Independence County 559
- Hempstead County 556
- Izard County 354
- Greene County 347
- Jackson County 501
Cite this page
“Howard County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/howard-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.