Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas

Tornadoes in Clark County, Arkansas

36 tornadoes have crossed Clark County since 1950, 28th of the 75 counties in Arkansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.1 years. They have killed 6 people and injured 125. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and 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
36
Deaths
6
Injuries
125
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, March 1, 1997

The deadliest in Clark County

  1. F4, Clark County, ArkansasMarch 1, 19976 killed, 100 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Clark County, ArkansasMarch 1, 1997F4, 27.0 mi (43 km)
  2. F3, Clark County, ArkansasMay 27, 1996F3, 26.0 mi (42 km)
  3. F3, Pike and Clark counties, ArkansasMarch 5, 1999F3, 13.0 mi (21 km)
  4. F2, Hot Spring, Clark and Dallas counties, ArkansasDecember 2, 1982F2, 34.0 mi (55 km)
  5. F2, Clark, Hot Spring and Garland counties, ArkansasNovember 15, 1988F2, 27.0 mi (43 km)
  6. F2, Clark and Hot Spring counties, ArkansasMarch 5, 1999F2, 23.0 mi (37 km)
  7. F2, Clark and Hot Spring counties, ArkansasMarch 26, 1950F2, 17.4 mi (28 km)
  8. F2, Clark County, ArkansasJanuary 3, 1971F2, 10.3 mi (17 km)
  9. EF2, Pike, Montgomery, Clark and Hot Spring counties, ArkansasMay 30, 2013EF2, 9.0 mi (14 km)
  10. F2, Clark County, ArkansasMay 3, 1979F2, 1.0 mi (2 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 24 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Clark County. Each year links to every tornado in Arkansas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20252EF1
20221EF1
20141EF1
201315EF2
20112EF1
20041F1
20011F1
19993F3
199716100F4
19961F3
198834F2
19861F0
198411F1
19833F1
19823F2
197922F2
19731F1
1971110F2
19651F1
19642F1
19611F1
19601F0
19541F1
195013F2

Every tornado that crossed Clark County

36 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 20, 20252:08 AM CDTEF1Hot Spring3.8100
March 14, 202510:17 PM CDTEF1Clark22.1150
November 4, 202210:00 PM CDTEF1Clark7.7200
October 13, 20147:40 AM CDTEF1Clark3.3250$150,000
May 30, 20133:16 PM CDTEF2Pike9.03005$145,000
April 25, 20114:35 PM CDTEF1Pike11.6800$290,000
April 4, 20119:08 AM CDTEF1Clark4.0200$50,000
April 9, 20049:24 PM CDTF1Pike10.840
November 26, 20014:29 PM CSTF1Clark1.475
May 4, 19996:13 PM CDTF0Clark0.10
March 5, 19997:43 PM CSTF2Clark23.0200
March 5, 19997:16 PM CSTF3Pike13.0400$2.0 million
March 1, 19972:20 PM CSTF4Clark27.01,0536100
May 27, 19962:25 PM CDTF3Clark26.0440$1.8 million
November 15, 19888:00 PM CSTF2Clark27.04004$500,000 to $5 million
May 8, 19887:56 PM CDTF1Clark0.230$50,000 to $500,000
March 24, 198810:47 PM CSTF0Clark0.2100$5,000 to $50,000
May 1, 19868:30 AM CDTF0Clark0.2200
November 1, 198410:30 AM CSTF1Clark2.5501$50,000 to $500,000
May 14, 19835:10 PM CDTF1Clark13.0500$500 to $5,000
April 1, 19832:15 PM CSTF0Clark0.230$5,000 to $50,000
April 1, 19831:52 PM CSTF1Clark13.0100$5,000 to $50,000
December 23, 19824:23 PM CSTF0Clark0.140$50 to $500
December 2, 19821:28 PM CSTF2Hot Spring34.0220$50,000 to $500,000
April 2, 19827:15 PM CSTF1Clark8.077$50,000 to $500,000
May 3, 19795:30 PM CDTF0Clark0.110
May 3, 19795:22 PM CDTF2Clark1.01002$500,000 to $5 million
November 24, 19737:00 PM CSTF1Clark0.350$500 to $5,000
January 3, 19713:30 PM CSTF2Clark10.320010$5,000 to $50,000
February 9, 196510:00 AM GMT-6F1Clark1.030$5,000 to $50,000
April 12, 196410:15 PM GMT-6F1Clark0.5880$50,000 to $500,000
April 12, 196410:15 PM GMT-6F1Clark0.5880$50,000 to $500,000
March 12, 19617:35 PM GMT-6F1Clark2.050$5,000 to $50,000
February 9, 19607:25 PM GMT-6F0Clark2.0250$500 to $5,000
May 2, 195410:15 AM GMT-5F1Clark0.540
March 26, 19507:30 PM GMT-6F2Clark17.41503$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Clark CountyThe forecast for Clark CountyThe live radar over Clark 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.