Heavy Rain in Arkansas
Every heavy rain event the National Weather Service has filed in Arkansas, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
The most significant on the map
The most significant heavy rain episodes in Arkansas.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 486
- Deaths
- 7
- Injuries
- 10
- Damage
- $4.9 million
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 24 to 30, 2011From the 24th through the 27th, the arrival of a slow-moving cold front and several low pressure areas aloft triggered several rounds of thunderstorms. Tornadoes, severe storms, and flash flooding resulted. Widespread areal flooding followed the flash flooding.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, October 29 to 31, 2009A large storm system in the Rockies headed through the Plains into the upper Midwest on the 29th. Rain increased ahead of the system, and became widespread in Arkansas. Meanwhile, a cold front arrived from the west.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, March 1 to 3, 2023March certainly roared in like a lion across the state with back to back severe weather events on March 1st and 2nd into the 3rd. Storms on these days led to a few tornadoes as well as hail as large as 3 inches in diameter.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arkansas, March 20 to 26, 2012A very slow-moving upper level low pressure center brought severe weather, heavy rain, and flash flooding from the 20th through the 22nd.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 2 to 6, 2025Severe weather, including widespread flash flooding occurred over a five day period across the entire state. This multiday event featured tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 29 to 30, 2017Severe thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall was noted on April 29-30, 2017. Major flooding was a result of the heavy rain.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, May 1 to 2, 2011A nearly stationary front, extending from southwest Arkansas to the east central part of the state, served as a trigger for severe weather on the 1st. The front was also responsible for heavy to excessive rainfall amounts, which began on April 30th and continued through May 2nd.
- Heavy Rain in Arkansas, January 23 to 24, 2024Upper-level disturbances moving through moist southwest flow aloft brought showers and thunderstorms to eastern Arkansas during the evening hours of January 23rd. A warm front pushed north creating areas of dense fog over eastern Arkansas.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Arkansas, January 13 to 14, 2007A cold front moved into Arkansas from the northwest on the 12th and eventually stalled out over southeast Arkansas for several days. Meanwhile, a slow moving storm system approached the state from the west.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Arkansas, December 23 to 31, 2009A strong but slow-moving low pressure system began its approach to Arkansas on the 23rd. Ahead of this low, unseasonably large amounts of moisture were drawn northward from the Gulf of Mexico. The approach of the low set off heavy rain and thunderstorms on the 23rd and 24th.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Arkansas, September 15 to 18, 2009A storm system wobbled from eastern Texas into southwest Arkansas in mid-September. Precipitation became widespread just to the north and east of the system late on the 15th in west central, central and northeast sections of the state.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, August 29 to 31, 2012Although Isaac was a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, it had weakened to a tropical depression by the time it reached Arkansas. Isaac passed through western Arkansas on the evening of the 30th and during the day on the 31st.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, September 2 to 11, 2008Tropical Depression Gustav entered the southwest corner of Arkansas on the evening of the 2nd and lingered in the southwest part of the state for nearly 24 hours. By mid-evening on the 3rd, Gustav was about 75 miles west of Little Rock.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Arkansas, October 29 to 30, 2009A slow moving cold front moved through the region starting on the evening of October 29th and exited the region by late afternoon on October 30th. Numerous showers and thunderstorms produced flash flooding across portions of east Arkansas.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, January 10 to 11, 2020The month started off with a bang on the 10th. It felt like spring in Arkansas, with high temperatures in the 60s to lower 70s. As the day began, a powerful storm system was looming to the west in New Mexico. Moisture levels were on the rise ahead of the system.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, September 1 to 2, 2020On the 1st, several inches of rain dumped from Mena (Polk County) and Waldron (Scott County) to Russellville (Pope County), and Mountain View (Stone County). The ground was already saturated in parts of the west after more than a foot of precipitation in August.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, May 2 to 5, 2022A few rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms developed through May 5th. The bulk of the active weather took place from late on May 4th into the 5th as a cold front moved into the state from the northwest.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Arkansas, July 22, 2008A northwesterly wind flow aloft sent storms into Arkansas on the 22nd. The approach of a cold front and the hot, humid conditions over the state contributed to the severity of the storms.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 11 to 13, 2022A strong storm system brought multiple rounds of severe weather that led to fairly widespread rainfall and eventually river flooding. One round of severe weather occurred on Monday, April 11th.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, July 23, 2014A cold front triggered numerous thunderstorms in Arkansas during the afternoon and early evening hours of the 23rd. There were dozens of reports of severe weather, mostly in the form of damaging winds. Tens of thousands of electric customers lost power.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Arkansas, April 30, 2010An upper level disturbance slowly approached the Mid-South during the evening of April 30th, 2010 as a cold front became stationary to the west. This pattern remained in place through the evening hours of May 2nd, 2010.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Arkansas, April 28, 2009Heavy rain from a slow moving surface trough produced flash flooding over portions of East Arkansas on April 28, 2009.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, May 24 to 27, 2010Unseasonably warm temperatures and humid air combined with small areas of low pressure aloft to set off afternoon and evening thunderstorms on May 24th through 27th. A few of the storms were severe.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 29 to 30, 2017A passing upper level disturbance and cold front generated numerous severe thunderstorms across the Midsouth starting in the evening hours of April 29th through the early afternoon hours of April 30th. All severe threats were observed with the event.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, May 20 to 24, 2011A warm, humid air mass over Arkansas, a stalled front to the northwest of the area, and the periodic passage of low pressure aloft, brought rounds of thunderstorms to Arkansas from the 20th through the morning of the 24th.
More
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.