Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, November 15, 1988

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, November 15, 1988
Start: 1988-11-15T15:55
End: 1988-11-15T23:55
Location: Arkansas

November 15, 1988 · NWS LIT · 49 events in 36 counties and zones

23 thunderstorm wind, 16 tornado, 10 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 6
Injuries: 94
Property damage: $146 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 49

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

23 thunderstorm wind, 16 tornado, 10 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: November 15, 3:55 PM CST
Where: Benton County
Coordinates: 36.350, -94.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Benton

When: November 15, 4:27 PM CST
Where: Benton County
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates: 36.370, -94.220

Hail, Crawford

When: November 15, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Crawford County
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.520, -94.350

Hail, Polk

When: November 15, 5:38 PM CST
Where: Polk County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.500, -94.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Logan

When: November 15, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Logan County
Coordinates: 35.230, -93.650

Hail, Polk

When: November 15, 5:53 PM CST
Where: Polk County
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Coordinates: 34.680, -94.230

Hail, Scott

When: November 15, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Scott County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 34.730, -94.080

Thunderstorm Wind, Logan

When: November 15, 6:05 PM CST
Where: Logan County
Coordinates: 35.230, -93.650

Tornado, Johnson

When: November 15, 6:28 PM CST
Where: Johnson County
Rating: F2
Path length: 16 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Injuries: 9 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 35.430, -93.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Little River

When: November 15, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Little River County
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 33.700, -94.200

Hail, Sevier

When: November 15, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Sevier County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.020, -94.230

Hail, Howard

When: November 15, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Howard County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.870, -93.920

Thunderstorm Wind, Yell

When: November 15, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Yell County
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates: 34.980, -93.420

Thunderstorm Wind, Sevier

When: November 15, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sevier County
Coordinates: 34.020, -94.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Howard

When: November 15, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Howard County
Coordinates: 34.100, -93.980

Thunderstorm Wind, Pope

When: November 15, 7:15 PM CST
Where: Pope County
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 35.470, -93.030

Tornado, Conway

When: November 15, 7:20 PM CST
Where: Conway County
Rating: F1
Path length: 9 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.150, -92.850

Hail, Pike

When: November 15, 7:30 PM CST
Where: Pike County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 34.170, -93.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Miller

When: November 15, 7:35 PM CST
Where: Miller County
Coordinates: 33.330, -93.880

Hail, Hempstead

When: November 15, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Hempstead County
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Coordinates: 33.780, -93.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Van Buren

When: November 15, 7:40 PM CST
Where: Van Buren County
Coordinates: 35.580, -92.550

Tornado, Conway

When: November 15, 7:41 PM CST
Where: Conway County
Rating: F3
Path length: 8.5 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 35.270, -92.600

Tornado, Stone

When: November 15, 7:45 PM CST
Where: Stone County
Rating: F2
Path length: 13 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 35.750, -92.350

Tornado, Faulkner

When: November 15, 7:48 PM CST
Where: Faulkner County
Rating: F3
Path length: 3 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 35.330, -92.470

Tornado, Van Buren

When: November 15, 7:50 PM CST
Where: Van Buren County
Rating: F3
Path length: 15.5 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 10 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 35.380, -92.450

Tornado, Clark

When: November 15, 8:00 PM CST
Where: Clark County
Rating: F2
Path length: 10 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 34.170, -93.380

Tornado, Cleburne

When: November 15, 8:06 PM CST
Where: Cleburne County
Rating: F3
Path length: 2 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 35.520, -92.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Izard

When: November 15, 8:10 PM CST
Where: Izard County
Coordinates: 36.100, -91.920

Tornado, Hot Spring

When: November 15, 8:12 PM CST
Where: Hot Spring County
Rating: F2
Path length: 12 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 34.280, -93.220

Hail, Lafayette

When: November 15, 8:20 PM CST
Where: Lafayette County
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 33.350, -93.580

Tornado, Garland

When: November 15, 8:26 PM CST
Where: Garland County
Rating: F2
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 400 yd
Property damage: $2.5 million
Coordinates: 34.380, -93.100

Tornado, Izard

When: November 15, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Izard County
Rating: F1
Path length: 10 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 36.130, -91.850

Hail, Columbia

When: November 15, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Columbia County
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 33.350, -93.350

Thunderstorm Wind, Independence

When: November 15, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Independence County
Coordinates: 35.750, -91.630

Thunderstorm Wind, Nevada

When: November 15, 8:35 PM CST
Where: Nevada County
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 33.650, -93.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia

When: November 15, 8:45 PM CST
Where: Columbia County
Coordinates: 33.380, -93.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Sharp

When: November 15, 8:55 PM CST
Where: Sharp County
Coordinates: 35.930, -91.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Ouachita

When: November 15, 8:55 PM CST
Where: Ouachita County
Coordinates: 33.920, -92.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Sharp

When: November 15, 8:55 PM CST
Where: Sharp County
Coordinates: 36.300, -91.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Independence

When: November 15, 9:03 PM CST
Where: Independence County
Coordinates: 35.680, -91.580

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When: November 15, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Lawrence County
Coordinates: 36.050, -91.080

Tornado, Saline

When: November 15, 9:36 PM CST
Where: Saline County
Rating: F2
Path length: 7 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.500, -92.350

Tornado, Pulaski

When: November 15, 9:44 PM CST
Where: Pulaski County
Rating: F2
Path length: 12 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Deaths: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 52 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.570, -92.230

Tornado, Lonoke

When: November 15, 9:55 PM CST
Where: Lonoke County
Rating: F2
Path length: 12 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.700, -92.100

Tornado, Lonoke

When: November 15, 10:05 PM CST
Where: Lonoke County
Rating: F2
Path length: 12 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Deaths: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 8 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.780, -91.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia

When: November 15, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Columbia County
Coordinates: 33.230, -93.230

Tornado, Prairie

When: November 15, 10:20 PM CST
Where: Prairie County
Rating: F2
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 250 yd
Property damage: $25 million
Coordinates: 34.920, -91.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When: November 15, 10:20 PM CST
Where: Cleveland County
Coordinates: 33.880, -92.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Poinsett

When: November 15, 11:55 PM CST
Where: Poinsett County
Coordinates: 35.570, -90.630

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Van Buren	1988-11-15				Direct

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

Every storm in Arkansas in 1988 Every state in 1988 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Arkansas, 1988 Warnings in Arkansas, November 1988

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: 9993046, 9993047, 9993048, 9993049, 9993050, 9993051, 9993052, 9993053, 9993054, 9993055, 9993056, 9993057, 9993058, 9993059, 9993060, 9993061, 9993062, 9993063, 9993064, 9993065, 9993066, 9993067, 9993068, 9993069, 9993070, 9993071, 9993072, 9993073, 9993074, 9993075, 9993076, 9993077, 9993078, 9993079, 9993080, 9993081, 9989689, 9989690, 9993082, 9989691, and more.