Arkansas, 1961

Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, May 6, 1961

May 6, 1961 · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
9
Property damage
$750,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pulaski

When
May 6, 12:12 AM CST
Where
Pulaski County
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Coordinates
34.880, -92.180

Tornado, Pulaski

When
May 6, 12:15 AM CST
Where
Pulaski County
Rating
F1
Path length
1 mi
Path width
200 yd
Injuries
3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
34.630, -92.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Craighead

When
May 6, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Craighead County
Coordinates
35.780, -90.680

Hail, Perry

When
May 6, 11:45 AM CST
Where
Perry County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.080, -92.680

Hail, Conway

When
May 6, 12:10 PM CST
Where
Conway County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.200, -92.780

Tornado, White

When
May 6, 11:30 PM CST
Where
White County
Rating
F2
Path length
1.5 mi
Path width
300 yd
Deaths
2 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
6 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
35.530, -91.580

Tornado, Independence

When
May 6, 11:56 PM CST
Where
Independence County
Rating
F2
Path length
5.6 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
35.650, -91.430

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 1961Every state in 1961This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 1961

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 9981406, 9981407, 9981408, 9981409, 9981410, 9981411, 9981412.