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Lee County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 122 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,808 nationally and #75 in Arkansas.
122
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
29
Direct injuries
$4.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Lee County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lee County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 1.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 28 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 30 events fall before 1990 and 92 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lee County, Arkansas record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.5M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lee County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 60 | 1 | $365K | 90 | 1955–2025 |
| Hail | 33 | 0 | $8K | 1.75 | 1974–2025 |
| Tornado | 13 | 0 | $3.5M | F3 | 1970–2015 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $36K | 0 | 2008–2023 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $550K | 0 | 2011–2021 |
Decade by decade
Lee County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-01-21 | EF3 | 0 | 9 | 16.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1970-11-19 | EF3 | 0 | 27 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-12-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-12-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-12-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-11-23 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1983-11-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-02-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 30.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-04-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lee County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | MARIANNA | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Nov 19, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 27 | $250K | |
| Apr 4, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | MARIANNA LEE CO ARPT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain during late April into early May caused the St. Francis River and L'Anguille River to rise to near record levels. The river remained above flood stage through the end of May. Several homes sustained minor damage from the flooding. Several roads were closed and/or damaged. Several hundred acres of cropland was flooded. The Mississippi River was also at near record levels. Backwater from the Mississippi River aggravated flooding further on the St. Francis River and L'Anguille River.
Straight line winds damaged two businesses along Main Street in Marianna. In addition, a structure at the Witten Elementary School sustained major damage. Multiple trees and power lines blocked Highway 1 South as well as numerous city streets. As a result of the storm, 5000 people were without power and one injury occurred. Multiple trees were also knocked down along county roads outside Marianna including County Road 415.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,359
Population (ACS)
$75K
Median home value
18
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 |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lee County, Arkansas?
122 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $4.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lee County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 60 recorded events — 49.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lee County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lee County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lee County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lee County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lee County as very low risk, placing it in the 40 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lee 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
- Lawrence County 405
- Lincoln County 243
- Lafayette County 421
- Little River County 432
- Johnson County 549
- Logan County 416
Cite this page
“Lee County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/lee-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.