Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 23, 1985

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, April 23, 1985
Start: 1985-04-23T12:10
End: 1985-04-23T19:05
Location: Arkansas

April 23, 1985 · NWS AT · 29 events in 19 counties and zones

19 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $750,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 29

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

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

Hail, Howard

When: April 23, 12:10 PM CST
Where: Howard County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 34.120, -94.020

Hail, Hempstead

When: April 23, 12:25 PM CST
Where: Hempstead County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.670, -93.600

Hail, Saline

When: April 23, 12:46 PM CST
Where: Saline County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.630, -92.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Saline

When: April 23, 12:46 PM CST
Where: Saline County
Coordinates: 34.570, -92.580

Hail, Pike

When: April 23, 12:50 PM CST
Where: Pike County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.320, -93.550

Hail, Nevada

When: April 23, 12:55 PM CST
Where: Nevada County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.800, -93.380

Hail, Pulaski

When: April 23, 1:04 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Coordinates: 34.700, -92.330

Hail, Hempstead

When: April 23, 1:15 PM CST
Where: Hempstead County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.670, -93.600

Hail, Grant

When: April 23, 1:29 PM CST
Where: Grant County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.320, -92.550

Hail, Hot Spring

When: April 23, 1:30 PM CST
Where: Hot Spring County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.320, -93.170

Hail, Miller

When: April 23, 1:45 PM CST
Where: Miller County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.470, -93.930

Hail, Hempstead

When: April 23, 1:57 PM CST
Where: Hempstead County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 33.670, -93.600

Tornado, Jefferson

When: April 23, 1:58 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 3 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 34.430, -92.180

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When: April 23, 2:15 PM CST
Where: Greene County
Coordinates: 36.050, -90.480

Hail, Miller

When: April 23, 2:30 PM CST
Where: Miller County
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 33.170, -93.880

Hail, Grant

When: April 23, 2:39 PM CST
Where: Grant County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.170, -92.580

Tornado, Lonoke

When: April 23, 2:40 PM CST
Where: Lonoke County
Rating: F2
Path length: 1.5 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.650, -91.920

Hail, Miller

When: April 23, 2:40 PM CST
Where: Miller County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.450, -93.880

Hail, Clay

When: April 23, 3:05 PM CST
Where: Clay County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.270, -90.300

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: April 23, 3:10 PM CST
Where: Jackson County
Coordinates: 35.520, -91.230

Tornado, Prairie

When: April 23, 3:11 PM CST
Where: Prairie County
Rating: F2
Path length: 8 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.580, -91.550

Tornado, Lafayette

When: April 23, 3:14 PM CST
Where: Lafayette County
Rating: F3
Path length: 11 mi
Path width: 200 yd
Property damage: $30
Coordinates: 33.020, -93.820

Hail, Jefferson

When: April 23, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.270, -92.150

Hail, Jefferson

When: April 23, 3:15 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.430, -92.180

Tornado, Monroe

When: April 23, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Monroe County
Rating: F2
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 34.600, -91.420

Hail, Lafayette

When: April 23, 3:25 PM CST
Where: Lafayette County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 33.350, -93.580

Hail, Jefferson

When: April 23, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Jefferson County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.380, -91.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Ashley

When: April 23, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Ashley County
Coordinates: 33.180, -91.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Chicot

When: April 23, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Chicot County
Coordinates: 33.230, -91.320

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

Every storm in Arkansas in 1985 Every state in 1985 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Arkansas, 1985

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: 9991730, 9991731, 9991732, 9991733, 9991734, 9992583, 9992799, 9992800, 9992801, 9992802, 9992803, 9992804, 9992805, 9992806, 9992807, 9992808, 9992809, 9992810, 9992811, 9992812, 9992813, 9992814, 9992815, 9992816, 9992817, 9992818, 9992819, 9992820, 9992821.