Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, November 18, 1985

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, November 18, 1985
Start: 1985-11-18T19:33
End: 1985-11-18T22:17
Location: Arkansas

November 18, 1985 · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

3 tornado, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 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: 3
Injuries: 18
Property damage: $53 million
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, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Johnson

When: November 18, 7:33 PM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F2
Path length: 18 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 35.470, -93.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Sebastian

When: November 18, 9:10 PM CST
Where: Sebastian County
Coordinates: 34.950, -94.450

Tornado, Marion

When: November 18, 9:12 PM CST
Where: Marion County
Rating: F3
Path length: 13 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Deaths: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 13 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 36.180, -92.670

Tornado, Baxter

When: November 18, 9:40 PM CST
Where: Baxter County
Rating: F3
Path length: 21 mi
Path width: 440 yd
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 36.300, -92.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Logan

When: November 18, 9:40 PM CST
Where: Logan County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 35.130, -93.930

Hail, Sebastian

When: November 18, 10:15 PM CST
Where: Sebastian County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.020, -94.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: November 18, 10:17 PM CST
Where: Scott County
Coordinates: 34.920, -94.200

What these are

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.
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.

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: 9989551, 9989552, 9989553, 9989554, 9989555, 9989556, 9989557.