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Lawrence County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 405 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 40.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,236 nationally and #46 in Arkansas.
405
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
16
Direct injuries
$24.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 5.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 119 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 44 events fall before 1990 and 361 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lawrence County, Arkansas record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $15.1M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 163 | 1 | $3.0M | 87 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 99 | 0 | $118K | 4.5 | 1962–2026 |
| Flood | 71 | 0 | $15.1M | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 45 | 0 | $5.0M | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Tornado | 24 | 1 | $1.4M | F3 | 1952–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2022–2023 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 17 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-14 | EF3 | 3 | 0 | 81.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-01-21 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 31.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-03-01 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-03-05 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 46.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-11-15 | EF3 | 0 | 9 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-09-14 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-01-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-12-02 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-04-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 1977 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $25K | |
| Jun 5, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | RAVENDEN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 16, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 9 | $250K | |
| Mar 1, 1997 | Tornado | SEDGWICK | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| May 30, 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | RAVENDEN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | Tornado | SEDGWICK | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Straight line winds produced widespread wind damage across Lawrence County. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down with a few blocking roads. One tree fell on vehicle, killing the driver, after the motorist decided to pull over due to the blinding rain. Three other occupants sustained injuries. A few trees fell onto homes producing damage. Roof damage occurred to a few other homes. At least two car accidents occurred during the storm.
Heavy rain brought the Black River at Black Rock to just under record levels in early May. Homes and businesses suffered minor damage from the flooding. Many road and bridges were also flooded and damaged. Thousands of acres of cropland was also flooded. The Lawrence County Dive team performed 14 rescues in the first couple days of May. They rescued people from their vehicle on County Road 514 on May 2nd. The dive team rescued two people from a home on May 3rd.
Heavy rain in March produced flooding along the Black River and it's tributaries. Numerous roads were closed due to the high water including Arkansas 115, Arkansas 117, U.S. Highway 63 from Hoxie to the Sharp County line, Arkansas 25, and U.S. Highway 412. County Roads 106 and 107 received damage from the flooding as well. By the beginning of April, twenty-five homes were destroyed and forty received major damage. Many cabins and other dwellings received damage as well. Lawrence County was declared a state disaster area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,238
Population (ACS)
$99K
Median home value
23
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
- Black Rock 225
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Arkansas?
405 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $24.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 163 recorded events — 40.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 17 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lawrence County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- Lafayette County 421
- Lee County 122
- Johnson County 549
- Lincoln County 243
- Jefferson County 663
- Little River County 432
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.