Arkansas, 1983

Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, May 2, 1983

May 2, 1983 · NWS AT · 7 events in 5 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 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
0
Property damage
$30
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

5 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When
May 2, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Jefferson County
Coordinates
34.220, -92.020

Hail, Van Buren

When
May 2, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Van Buren County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.570, -92.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Arkansas

When
May 2, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Arkansas County
Coordinates
34.300, -91.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When
May 2, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Jefferson County
Coordinates
34.220, -92.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When
May 2, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Lee County
Coordinates
34.770, -90.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When
May 2, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Lee County
Coordinates
34.850, -90.580

Tornado, Desha

When
May 2, 11:16 PM CST
Where
Desha County
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$30
Coordinates
33.720, -91.230

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.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 1983Every state in 1983This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 1983

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: 9991538, 9991539, 9991540, 9991541, 9991542, 9991543, 9991544.