Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas

Tornadoes in Johnson County, Arkansas

39 tornadoes have crossed Johnson County since 1950, 23rd of the 75 counties in Arkansas with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.9 years. They have killed 3 people and injured 143. 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
39
Deaths
3
Injuries
143
F4 and above
0
Worst on record
EF3, May 24, 2011

The deadliest in Johnson County

  1. F2, Franklin and Johnson counties, ArkansasMarch 12, 19611 killed, 18 injured
  2. EF3, Johnson and Pope counties, ArkansasMay 24, 20111 killed, 4 injured
  3. F2, Franklin, Johnson and Newton counties, ArkansasNovember 23, 20011 killed, 4 injured

The strongest

  1. F3, Logan and Johnson counties, ArkansasMarch 14, 1953F3, 40.1 mi (65 km)
  2. EF3, Johnson and Pope counties, ArkansasMay 24, 2011EF3, 29.0 mi (47 km)
  3. F3, Johnson County, ArkansasJune 6, 1974F3, 11.7 mi (19 km)
  4. F3, Johnson County, ArkansasApril 7, 1980F3, 3.6 mi (6 km)
  5. F3, Johnson County, ArkansasApril 14, 1960F3, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  6. F3, Johnson County, ArkansasFebruary 15, 1954F3, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  7. F2, Franklin, Johnson and Newton counties, ArkansasNovember 23, 2001F2, 31.5 mi (51 km)
  8. F2, Franklin and Johnson counties, ArkansasMarch 12, 1961F2, 28.8 mi (46 km)
  9. F2, Johnson County, ArkansasNovember 18, 1985F2, 18.0 mi (29 km)
  10. F2, Johnson County, ArkansasNovember 15, 1988F2, 16.0 mi (26 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 27 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Johnson County. Each year links to every tornado in Arkansas that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20241Unrated
20221EF1
20183EF1
20171EF1
2011114EF3
20091EF1
20043F0
2001214F2
19994F2
19971F0
19961F0
19941F0
198819F2
19851F2
19831F2
1980176F3
19792F1
19741F3
197316F1
19711F2
19651F2
19611118F2
196032F3
19571F2
19551F1
1954224F3
19531F3

Every tornado that crossed Johnson County

39 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
November 4, 20244:09 PM CSTUnratedJohnson0.930
March 30, 20227:47 AM CDTEF1Johnson3.5400
October 9, 20183:37 PM CDTEF1Johnson1.2100
October 9, 20183:35 PM CDTEF1Johnson0.250$1,000
April 13, 20186:48 PM CDTEF1Johnson5.0250
March 1, 20171:29 AM CSTEF1Johnson0.1200$20,000
May 24, 201112:25 AM CDTEF3Johnson29.01,43014$13 million
April 27, 20096:11 PM CDTEF1Johnson3.1180$50,000
November 11, 20041:05 AM CSTF0Johnson0.330
November 1, 20046:58 AM CSTF0Johnson0.530
April 22, 200410:26 PM CDTF0Johnson13.140
November 23, 20017:40 PM CSTF1Franklin8.8150$10,000
November 23, 20017:36 PM CSTF2Franklin31.550014$2.0 million
December 4, 19995:10 PM CSTF1Johnson2.850
May 4, 19995:15 PM CDTF0Johnson0.10
March 5, 19995:46 PM CSTF1Johnson7.0100
March 5, 19995:30 PM CSTF2Johnson7.0200
June 16, 19976:49 AM CDTF0Johnson0.220
September 15, 19966:50 PM CDTF0Johnson0.120
November 9, 19946:15 AM CSTF0Johnson0.123$5,000 to $50,000
November 15, 19886:28 PM CSTF2Johnson16.01509$500,000 to $5 million
November 18, 19857:33 PM CSTF2Johnson18.030$500,000 to $5 million
May 14, 19835:00 AM CDTF2Johnson0.5100$50,000 to $500,000
April 7, 19807:18 PM CSTF3Johnson3.61,70776$500,000 to $5 million
August 20, 19798:10 PM CDTF0Johnson0.117
April 1, 19793:45 PM CSTF1Johnson0.2100$500 to $5,000
June 6, 197411:00 PM CDTF3Johnson11.7300$5,000 to $50,000
November 21, 19736:30 PM CSTF1Johnson0.5506$5,000 to $50,000
May 23, 19717:30 PM CDTF2Johnson14.9200$5,000 to $50,000
March 16, 19659:30 PM GMT-6F2Johnson0.110$5,000 to $50,000
March 12, 19615:40 PM GMT-6F2Franklin28.817118$50,000 to $500,000
May 18, 196010:00 PM GMT-5F2Johnson3.81,760
May 5, 196012:30 AM GMT-5F2Johnson2.01002$5,000 to $50,000
April 14, 19609:00 PM GMT-6F3Johnson2.0100$5,000 to $50,000
January 22, 19576:45 AM GMT-6F2Johnson7.410
May 10, 19556:00 PM GMT-5F1Johnson10.027
April 30, 19541:30 PM GMT-5F1Johnson6.9100$5,000 to $50,000
February 15, 19548:18 PM GMT-6F3Johnson1.010024$50,000 to $500,000
March 14, 195312:30 AM GMT-6F3Logan40.1880$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

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