Arkansas, 1971

Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, December 15, 1971

December 15, 1971 · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

6 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 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
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$250,000
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

6 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lonoke

When
December 15, 12:30 AM CST
Where
Lonoke County
Coordinates
34.500, -92.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Arkansas

When
December 15, 12:45 AM CST
Where
Arkansas County
Coordinates
34.500, -91.500

Tornado, Poinsett

When
December 15, 1:20 AM CST
Where
Poinsett County
Rating
F2
Path length
3.4 mi
Path width
300 yd
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
35.520, -90.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Craighead

When
December 15, 1:38 AM CST
Where
Craighead County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
35.780, -90.680

Thunderstorm Wind, Mississippi

When
December 15, 1:46 AM CST
Where
Mississippi County
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Coordinates
36.000, -89.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When
December 15, 3:40 AM CST
Where
Lee County
Coordinates
34.700, -90.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Poinsett

When
December 15, 3:40 AM CST
Where
Poinsett County
Coordinates
35.500, -90.400

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Arkansas in 1971Every state in 1971This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 1971

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: 9983302, 9983303, 9983304, 9983305, 9983306, 9983307, 9983308.