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Lonoke County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 852 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 43.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #242 nationally and #6 in Arkansas.
852
Recorded events
21
Direct deaths
131
Direct injuries
$142.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Lonoke County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lonoke County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 11.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 259 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 109 events fall before 1990 and 743 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lonoke County, Arkansas record is tornado, responsible for 18 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $124.0M 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 Lonoke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 371 | 2 | $4.2M | 85 | 1955–2025 |
| Hail | 274 | 0 | $5.0M | 4.5 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 88 | 18 | $124.0M | F4 | 1951–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 71 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 15 | 1 | $4.4M | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2013 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1996–2021 |
Decade by decade
Lonoke County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
88 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 67 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 | EF4 | 2 | 6 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-03-21 | EF3 | 9 | 9 | 16.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-29 | EF3 | 5 | 64 | 17.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 0 | 54 | 34.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-03-01 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-11-15 | EF2 | 5 | 60 | 49.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1952-03-21 | EF2 | 5 | 15 | 13.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-02 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 40.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 34.7 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lonoke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | Tornado | 9 | 9 | $250K | |
| Mar 29, 1976 | Tornado | 5 | 64 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 16, 1988 | Tornado | 2 | 8 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 21, 1952 | Tornado | 2 | 6 | $250K | |
| Jun 25, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | CARLISLE | 2 | 1 | $0 |
| May 1, 2011 | Flood | AUSTIN | 1 | 0 | $2.0M |
| Sep 24, 2005 | Tornado | BEVIS CORNER | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Apr 18, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread areal flooding continued from April into May. Parts of Arkansas Highways 13, 236, and 381 as well as U.S. Highway 70 were closed due to flooding. On the morning of the 1st, two sections of U.S. Highway 67/167 Southbound were closed due to flooding, and one section of the highway was closed Northbound. On the 2nd, Arkansas Highway 89 was closed due to high water, and fast-flowing water more than a foot deep was over Kerr Station Rd. On the 3rd, a 55 year-old man drowned when he drove around barricades into flood waters several feet deep on Arkansas Highway 236 northeast of Furlow. His body was not recovered until the 6th.
A tornado destroyed 51 large steel power transmission towers. These towers carried 500 kilovolt transmission lines. For the most part, the towers fell into open farm fields, but one fell into a pond on a fish farm. The power cables that fell with the towers blocked a number of roads, including Arkansas Highway 31. Power poles, power lines, and trees were blown down as well.
This tornado exited Pulaski County south-southeast of Jacksonville and entered Lonoke County north of Kerr. In Lonoke County, the tornado affected the South Bend and Furlow communities, then continued to the northeast, passing south of Cabot and east of Ward. A Red Cross survey indicated: 20 houses and 14 mobile homes destroyed, 27 houses and 6 mobile homes with major damage, 50 houses and 22 mobile homes with minor damage, and 15 houses and 14 mobile homes affected. In addition, numerous trees and power lines were blown down. The tornado exited Lonoke County north-northeast of Jacksons Store and entered White County southeast of Beebe.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
75,272
Population (ACS)
$194K
Median home value
29
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 |
| Nov 14, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Apr 2, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Cabot 204
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lonoke County, Arkansas?
852 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 21 direct deaths and $142.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lonoke County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 371 recorded events — 43.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lonoke County?
88 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 67 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lonoke County?
29 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lonoke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lonoke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lonoke County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 75 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lonoke 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
- Logan County 416
- Madison County 503
- Little River County 432
- Marion County 341
- Lincoln County 243
- Miller County 576
Cite this page
“Lonoke County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/lonoke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.