384
Recorded events
67
Counties affected
18
Direct deaths
$27.4M
Property damage
Arkansas lightning history: 384 recorded events across 67 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Arkansas lightning history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 160 reported lightning events across Arkansas. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most lightning events in Arkansas
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pulaski County | 46 | 2 | $10.0M | 1997–2022 |
| #2 | Garland County | 28 | 1 | $899K | 1998–2019 |
| #3 | Benton County | 16 | 1 | $457K | 1998–2015 |
| #4 | Faulkner County | 13 | 1 | $172K | 1996–2017 |
| #5 | Conway County | 12 | 0 | $802K | 1998–2023 |
| #6 | White County | 12 | 0 | $63K | 1996–2021 |
| #7 | Clark County | 11 | 2 | $289K | 1997–2013 |
| #8 | Jefferson County | 10 | 1 | $148K | 1997–2019 |
| #9 | Independence County | 10 | 0 | $815K | 1996–2012 |
| #10 | Lonoke County | 9 | 0 | $2.6M | 1996–2021 |
| #11 | Saline County | 9 | 1 | $1.8M | 1996–2019 |
| #12 | Mississippi County | 9 | 2 | $88K | 1996–2014 |
| #13 | Drew County | 9 | 0 | $74K | 1999–2014 |
| #14 | Sebastian County | 9 | 0 | $301K | 1998–2014 |
| #15 | Miller County | 8 | 0 | $186K | 1997–2022 |
| #16 | Columbia County | 8 | 0 | $317K | 1999–2019 |
| #17 | Polk County | 8 | 0 | $212K | 2006–2014 |
| #18 | Franklin County | 8 | 0 | $92K | 1996–2010 |
| #19 | Baxter County | 7 | 0 | $65K | 1996–2010 |
| #20 | Washington County | 7 | 1 | $406K | 1998–2014 |
| #21 | Van Buren County | 6 | 0 | $22K | 1998–2011 |
| #22 | Hot Spring County | 6 | 0 | $2.3M | 1998–2008 |
| #23 | Craighead County | 6 | 0 | $86K | 2000–2022 |
| #24 | Pope County | 6 | 1 | $45K | 1999–2018 |
| #25 | Sevier County | 5 | 0 | $420K | 1996–2011 |
Significant events
Deadliest lightning events in Arkansas
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 1999 | Clark County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 2014 | Mississippi County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 8, 2011 | Clay County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Feb 19, 2002 | Newton County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 28, 1997 | Cleburne County | — | 1 | 12 |
| Jul 6, 2018 | Pope County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 2004 | Faulkner County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 23, 2008 | Pulaski County | — | 1 | 2 |
| Aug 11, 2006 | Garland County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 8, 2018 | Pulaski County | — | 1 | 0 |