NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Altus, AR
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Altus, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 98 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 98
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Altus
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Altus; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre crossed the city. The record near Altus begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 77% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Altus. The strongest of the 98 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on May 24, 2011; its path came within 2 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 98, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on May 7, 2024. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Altus. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 144 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Altus has more hail reports within 10 miles than 81% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Altus
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Altus: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Altus
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s20(2 EF3+)
- 2000s15
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s13(2 EF3+)
- 1950s9(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 2 mi | 45.71 mi | 4 / 27 |
| Apr 21, 1996 | F3 | 23 mi | 15 mi | 2 / 6 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF3 | 12 mi | 29.01 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 14 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 76 |
| Jun 6, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 11.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1960 | F3 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1960 | F3 | 18 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 1959 | F3 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 15, 1954 | F3 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 24 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 6 mi | 40.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 23, 2001 | F2 | 2 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F2 | in town | 28.8 mi | 1 / 18 |
The strongest 12 of 98, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Altus
The Storm Prediction Center has 144 hail reports within 10 miles of Altus since 1961, made on 98 separate days. Of these, 74 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently March 5, 1999. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 50.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Altus
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ozark 2, AR, 8 miles northwest of Altus at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 52.2 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 62 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 72 nights a year. That 52.2 inches is more than at 56 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (59%). Hartman, 7 miles east, has its own station (Clarksville 2N, AR): 51.1 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 5.0 | 7 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.8 | 9 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 4.0 | 5 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 52.2 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ozark 2, AR (830 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Altus
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 234 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Altus: 193 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 12 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 18, 2019. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 25. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 132 have had fewer than Altus.
May 1, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Altus — $500,000 damage.
October 29, 2009: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Altus — $450,000 damage.
October 29, 2009: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Altus — $125,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Franklin County, which includes Altus, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 4 floods, 4 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 51st highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.1 million (43%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Altus
- Hartman, AR7 mi
- Ozark, AR8 mi
- Paris, AR11 mi
- Clarksville, AR15 mi
- Mulberry, AR18 mi
- Magazine, AR18 mi
- Charleston, AR19 mi
- Lamar, AR22 mi
- Lavaca, AR25 mi
- Alma, AR26 mi
- London, AR26 mi
- Booneville, AR27 mi
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