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Jackson County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 501 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 43.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #868 nationally and #30 in Arkansas.
501
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
108
Direct injuries
$78.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Jackson County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jackson County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 6.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 169 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 72 events fall before 1990 and 429 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jackson County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 5 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $67.8M 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 Jackson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 216 | 0 | $2.4M | 87 | 1955–2024 |
| Hail | 114 | 0 | $0 | 3 | 1955–2025 |
| Tornado | 61 | 5 | $67.8M | F4 | 1950–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 48 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 43 | 1 | $7.2M | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 11 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2014 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $200K | 0 | 1998–2012 |
Decade by decade
Jackson County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
64 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 43 touched down inside it and 21 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-05-15 | EF4 | 35 | 364 | 20.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-03-15 | EF4 | 5 | 12 | 26.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-26 | EF4 | 3 | 289 | 54.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-14 | EF4 | 0 | 2 | 18.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-12-24 | EF3 | 1 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1950-04-02 | EF3 | 1 | 8 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-30 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 7.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-01-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 28.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF2 | 2 | 30 | 8.5 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jackson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado | DENMARK | 2 | 30 | $10.0M |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado | JACKSONPORT | 1 | 30 | $25.0M |
| May 16, 1968 | Tornado | 1 | 11 | $25K | |
| Apr 2, 1950 | Tornado | 1 | 8 | $3K | |
| Feb 23, 2019 | Flood | ELGIN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 7, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| May 27, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $25K | |
| Mar 21, 1952 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $3K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 76 year old man passed away after driving into a flooded road along Highway 37 driving from Jackson County towards Independence County. It appeared as though the driver went around four barricades in place for flooding along the highway near Elgin before driving into flood waters. Flood waters were over the highway due to flooding along the Black River at the time of the incident.
Heavy rain caused the White River at Newport to crest above major flood level and at the same stage as in December, 1982. Approximately 45 homes in Newport were damaged due to the rising water. The Jacksonport State Park was submerged by water from the river. The camping area, pavilion, playground and bathrooms were flooded. In Jackson County, 53 homes and 47 county roads confirmed damage. Arkansas Highways 14 and 69 were flooded. Agricultural damages were also noted with pastures and winter wheat losses.
Parts of Arkansas Highways 14, 18, 37, 42, 69, 69S, 224, 226, and 384 were closed due to flooding. Jacksonport and areas to the north of town were evacuated; Jacksonport State Park was closed. Flooding in Jackson County continued into June.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,712
Population (ACS)
$98K
Median home value
35
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 |
| Dec 23, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Newport 109
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jackson County, Arkansas?
501 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $78.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jackson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 216 recorded events — 43.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jackson County?
64 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 43 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jackson County?
35 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jackson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jackson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jackson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jackson 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
- Izard County 354
- Jefferson County 663
- Independence County 559
- Johnson County 549
- Howard County 590
- Lafayette County 421
Cite this page
“Jackson County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/jackson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.