Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas

Tornadoes in Baxter County, Arkansas

23 tornadoes have crossed Baxter County since 1950, 55th of the 75 counties in Arkansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 3.3 years. They have killed 11 people and injured 113. None was rated F4 or above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
23
Deaths
11
Injuries
113
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
EF3, March 14, 2025

The deadliest in Baxter County

  1. F3, Baxter County, ArkansasMay 15, 19683 killed, 25 injured
  2. F3, Marion and Baxter counties, ArkansasNovember 18, 19853 killed, 16 injured
  3. EF3, Baxter, Ozark and Howell counties, Arkansas and MissouriMarch 14, 20253 killed, 4 injured
  4. EF2, Marion and Baxter counties, ArkansasFebruary 5, 20081 killed, 36 injured
  5. EF3, Marion, Baxter and Fulton counties, ArkansasMay 26, 20241 killed, 17 injured

The strongest

  1. EF3, Baxter, Ozark and Howell counties, Arkansas and MissouriMarch 14, 2025EF3, 35.5 mi (57 km)
  2. EF3, Marion, Baxter and Fulton counties, ArkansasMay 26, 2024EF3, 34.6 mi (56 km)
  3. F3, Marion and Baxter counties, ArkansasNovember 18, 1985F3, 34.0 mi (55 km)
  4. F3, Marion and Baxter counties, ArkansasDecember 14, 1971F3, 23.6 mi (38 km)
  5. F3, Baxter County, ArkansasMay 15, 1968F3, 7.3 mi (12 km)
  6. F2, Baxter and Fulton counties, ArkansasJune 24, 1968F2, 17.6 mi (28 km)
  7. EF2, Marion and Baxter counties, ArkansasFebruary 5, 2008EF2, 12.5 mi (20 km)
  8. EF2, Baxter County, ArkansasMay 26, 2024EF2, 5.3 mi (9 km)
  9. F2, Baxter County, ArkansasMay 7, 1973F2, 2.0 mi (3 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 17 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Baxter County. Each year links to every tornado in Arkansas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
2025134EF3
20242117EF3
20201EF1
20181EF1
20081136EF2
20051F1
20033F1
20003F1
19981F0
19971F1
19961F0
19851316F3
19821F0
19731F2
1971110F3
19682327F3
196413F1

Every tornado that crossed Baxter County

23 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 14, 20258:34 PM CDTEF3Baxter to MO35.51,20034$7.0 million
May 26, 20244:26 AM CDTEF2Baxter5.3400
May 26, 20243:59 AM CDTEF3Marion34.61,760117
March 19, 20207:30 PM CDTEF1Baxter2.2600$120,000
April 13, 20188:45 PM CDTEF1Baxter0.5150$10,000
February 5, 20085:02 PM CSTEF2Marion12.5880136$18 million
November 27, 20056:15 PM CSTF1Baxter3.7100
April 24, 20036:44 PM CDTF1Baxter4.750
April 20, 20031:18 AM CDTF1Baxter13.075
April 19, 200312:43 AM CDTF1Marion16.0150
May 24, 200010:35 PM CDTF0Baxter0.210
May 24, 200010:16 PM CDTF1Baxter1.030
January 3, 20006:22 AM CSTF1Baxter4.840
June 13, 19989:00 PM CDTF0Baxter0.150
March 1, 19972:10 PM CSTF1Baxter5.0200
March 5, 19966:55 PM CSTF0Baxter0.725
November 18, 19859:12 PM CSTF3Marion34.0440316$5 million to $50 million
May 28, 19828:00 PM CDTF0Baxter0.110under $50
May 7, 19733:05 PM CDTF2Baxter2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
December 14, 197111:30 PM CSTF3Marion23.688010$50,000 to $500,000
June 24, 19686:00 PM GMT-5F2Baxter17.61002$500 to $5,000
May 15, 19687:30 PM GMT-5F3Baxter7.3200325$5,000 to $50,000
June 17, 19644:00 PM GMT-5F1Baxter14.61503$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Baxter CountyThe forecast for Baxter CountyThe live radar over Baxter CountyEvery county in Arkansas

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.