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Scott County, Arkansas severe weather history spans 344 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,528 nationally and #57 in Arkansas.
344
Recorded events
8
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$12.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Scott County, Arkansas severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Scott County, Arkansas severe weather history averages 4.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 102 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 25 events fall before 1990 and 319 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Scott County, Arkansas record is flash flood, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $10.9M 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 Scott County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 144 | 0 | $1.3M | 70 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 117 | 0 | $11K | 2.75 | 1972–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 65 | 8 | $10.9M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 9 | 0 | $305K | F2 | 1952–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2014 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Scott County, Arkansas severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
11 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-04-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-11-17 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 39.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2016-03-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-10-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-11-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-11-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 18.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-01 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Scott County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2013 | Flash Flood | COALDALE | 5 | 1 | $9.2M |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Flash Flood | BOLES | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 1, 2010 | Flash Flood | BLUE BALL | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| May 27, 2002 | Flash Flood | WALDRON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Nov 17, 1952 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 63 year-old man drowned during a flash flood near Union Hill. He tried to drive his pickup truck across a small low-water bridge, but the truck was swept into the creek. Witnesses said the man tried to escape through the driver's window, but he was caught by the current and dragged downstream.
Numerous roads have been flooded throughout Scott County. However, in Boles there was a report that some people were isolated in their home due to rising flood waters. A man was found drowned the next day when flood waters began to recede, so the timing of death is uncertain. His age is unknown, but he was likely an older adult as he was described as a grandfather. He likely drove into floodwaters and got washed off the road sometime between the night of the 2nd and the morning of the 3rd.
A 65 year old female was driving across a low-water crossing when the vehicle was washed off the road. Her two grandchildren were also in the car at the time but were later rescued. She got out of the car and was swept about a half mile downstream and drowned.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,816
Population (ACS)
$115K
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 |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Waldron 125
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Scott County, Arkansas?
344 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 8 direct deaths and $12.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Scott County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 144 recorded events — 41.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Scott County?
11 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Scott County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Scott County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Scott County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Scott County as very low risk, placing it in the 27 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Scott 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
- Saline County 842
- Searcy County 303
- St. Francis County 240
- Sebastian County 1,038
- Randolph County 343
- Sevier County 469
Cite this page
“Scott County, Arkansas.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/arkansas/scott-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.