Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas
Tornadoes in Drew County, Arkansas
21 tornadoes have crossed Drew County since 1950, 62nd of the 75 counties in Arkansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 3.6 years. They have killed 1 person and injured 40. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- 21
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 40
- F4 and above
- 0
- Worst on record
- EF3, February 24, 2007
The deadliest in Drew County
The strongest
- EF3, Drew, Lincoln and Desha counties, ArkansasFebruary 24, 2007
- F3, Drew County, ArkansasMay 23, 1957
- EF2, Bradley and Drew counties, ArkansasFebruary 24, 2007
- F2, Drew and Desha counties, ArkansasFebruary 21, 1971
- EF2, Drew and Lincoln counties, ArkansasFebruary 24, 2007
- F2, Drew County, ArkansasMarch 10, 1973
- EF2, Drew County, ArkansasMarch 27, 2021
- F2, Drew County, ArkansasOctober 17, 1980
- F2, Drew County, ArkansasApril 24, 1973
Every year with a tornado
The 16 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Drew County. Each year links to every tornado in Arkansas that year.
Every tornado that crossed Drew County
21 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2021 | 10:22 PM CDT | EF2 | Drew | 1.6 | 400 | $300,000 | ||
| January 11, 2020 | 3:24 AM CST | EF0 | Drew | 0.8 | 150 | $100,000 | ||
| April 30, 2017 | 5:50 AM CDT | EF0 | Drew | 1.1 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| December 27, 2015 | 6:06 PM CST | EF1 | Drew | 5.7 | 150 | $50,000 | ||
| January 29, 2013 | 8:51 PM CST | EF0 | Drew | 3.6 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| May 6, 2009 | 4:52 AM CDT | EF1 | Drew | 2.1 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| February 24, 2007 | 4:33 PM CST | EF1 | Drew | 0.9 | 50 | |||
| February 24, 2007 | 4:01 PM CST | EF2 | Drew | 14.8 | 200 | $200,000 | ||
| February 24, 2007 | 2:36 PM CST | EF3 | Drew | 29.1 | 880 | 28 | $45 million | |
| February 24, 2007 | 1:58 PM CST | EF2 | Bradley | 21.6 | 440 | 6 | $200,000 | |
| December 3, 2005 | 11:03 PM CST | F0 | Drew | 2.7 | 30 | |||
| September 24, 2005 | 12:54 PM CDT | F1 | Drew | 4.8 | 40 | |||
| December 18, 2002 | 5:23 PM CST | F0 | Drew | 1.0 | 30 | |||
| February 24, 2001 | 5:43 PM CST | F1 | Drew | 5.5 | 100 | 1 | ||
| October 17, 1980 | 1:20 PM CDT | F2 | Drew | 1.5 | 77 | 1 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| January 28, 1974 | 2:30 AM CDT | F1 | Drew | 13.3 | 100 | 2 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| April 24, 1973 | 7:07 AM CST | F2 | Drew | 0.1 | 10 | 1 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| March 10, 1973 | 3:30 PM CST | F2 | Drew | 11.5 | 67 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| February 21, 1971 | 3:00 PM CST | F2 | Drew | 17.1 | 300 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 20, 1958 | 3:00 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Drew | 0.1 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| May 23, 1957 | 8:20 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Drew | 5.2 | 27 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Drew CountyThe forecast for Drew CountyThe live radar over Drew 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.