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Randolph County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 343 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 34.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,538 nationally and #58 in Arkansas.
343
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$33.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Randolph County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Randolph County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 4.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 110 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 325 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Randolph County, Arkansas record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $20.7M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Randolph County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 119 | 0 | $1.2M | 75 | 1964–2024 |
| Hail | 103 | 0 | $101K | 2.75 | 1973–2025 |
| Flood | 65 | 2 | $20.7M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 31 | 0 | $7.5M | 0 | 2001–2022 |
| Tornado | 22 | 0 | $4.2M | F3 | 1955–2025 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $120K | 0 | 2008–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Randolph County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
27 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 19 touched down inside it and 8 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 | EF4 | 0 | 5 | 116.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-12-24 | EF4 | 0 | 11 | 63.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-14 | EF3 | 3 | 0 | 81.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-04-02 | EF3 | 2 | 177 | 77.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 24.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-08-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-09-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-02 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-12-02 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Randolph County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2011 | Flood | POCAHONTAS | 1 | 0 | $525K |
| Apr 2, 2008 | Flood | POCAHONTAS | 1 | 0 | $2.3M |
| Feb 6, 2008 | Tornado | DALTON | 0 | 4 | $200K |
| Jan 17, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | POCAHONTAS | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jul 2, 1994 | Tornado | to 3 SSE | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| Dec 3, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain produced flooding in March along the Black River and it's tributaries. The flooding provided intense pressure on the county's levees. Two breaches occurred, one of them on the Scaggs-Ferry Levee. Numerous roads were closed from the high water including Arkansas 90, U.S.Highway 62, Arkansas 166, Arkansas 93, Arkansas 328, Arkansas 304, and U.S. Highway 67 South from Pocahontas into Lawrence County. By the beginning of April, over forty buildings including some houses and a senior citizen complex received damage from the flooding. Of those, ten houses were destroyed, thirty-four houses had major damage, and twelve had minor damage. Randolph County was declared a state disaster area. One death occurred. A teenager drowned when the boat he was in capsized in a flooded area outside the main channel of the Black River near the Noland community.
Heavy rain from numerous rounds of severe storms brought the Black River at Pocahontas to record levels during late April which continued through the end of May. The crest surpassed the Flood of 1915. Two levees broke sending water further away from its normal banks. Much of the area around Pocahontas was flooded as a result. U.S. Highway 67 was flooded between Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge. The Current River was also extremely high in Eastern Randolph County. Numerous homes and businesses were flooded. Roads and bridges were flooded and/or damaged. Evacuations occurred in Pocahontas and East Pocahontas. A woman drowned when she drove her vehicle into flood waters on Highway 67 between Pocahontas and the Lawrence County line during the early morning hours of May 3rd.
Heavy rain brought the Black River at Pocahontas to a record crest that topped the April 2011 flood. The levee east of town broke in at least nine places, including one 300 yard stretch, sending water across much of Randolph County. East Pocahontas was flooded and suffered major damage. Highway 67 was flooded between Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge. Highway 67/62 between Pocahontas and Corning was flooded. Highways 166 and 304 were also closed. Highway 304 was closed for 37 days. The Current River also flooded farmland in eastern Randolph County. Numerous homes, farms, businesses and vehicles were flooded. Many roads and bridges were flooded and damaged. More than 500 people were evacuated Pocahontas. At least 50 homes were destroyed or damaged by flooding in Pocahontas. The Elnora Freewill Baptist Church was heavily damaged. The Randolph County Jail had to evacuate prisoners.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
18,838
Population (ACS)
$131K
Median home value
27
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 |
| May 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | HURRICANE LAURA | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Pocahontas 254
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Randolph County, Arkansas?
343 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $33.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Randolph County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 119 recorded events — 34.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Randolph County?
27 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 19 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Randolph County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Randolph County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Randolph County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Randolph County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 67 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Randolph 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
- Pulaski County 1,897
- St. Francis County 240
- Prairie County 400
- Saline County 842
- Pope County 598
- Scott County 344
Cite this page
“Randolph County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/randolph-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.