NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ashdown, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ashdown, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
22 deaths in all
What the records show for Ashdown
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ashdown; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1891, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Ashdown begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 34 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2000s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Ashdown has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 2, 1982, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 7 people. Of the 96, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on April 30, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ashdown. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 94 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Ashdown has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare Ashdown's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ashdown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2005 | RitaSep 25 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ashdown: 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 Ashdown
By decade
- 2020s14(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s16
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s17(3 EF3+)
- 1970s17(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s10(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 25 mi | 13 mi | 7 / 9 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F4 | 17 mi | 45 mi | 3 / 23 |
| Mar 12, 1971 | F4 | 20 mi | 5.1 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 20 mi | 18 mi | 5 / 4 |
| May 4, 1999 | F3 | 10 mi | 71.5 mi | 1 / 22 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 3 mi | 52 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF3 | 20 mi | 15.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 1, 1977 | F3 | 10 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 20.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 17 mi | 111.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 10, 2015 | EF2 | 23 mi | 6.7 mi | 2 / 8 |
| Oct 13, 2014 | EF2 | 6 mi | 2.51 mi | 1 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ashdown
The Storm Prediction Center has 94 hail reports within 10 miles of Ashdown since 1961, made on 71 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 19, 2011. The most recent report is from April 26, 2025. April has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ashdown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Ashdown 4 SSE, AR, 4 miles southeast of Ashdown at 320 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 32°F. May is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 53.2 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 83 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 56 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.2 inches is more than at 61 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (64%). Hooks, TX, 15 miles southwest, has its own station (Texarkana, TX): 52.6 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 41 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 53.2 | 73 | 1.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Ashdown 4 SSE, AR (320 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 Ashdown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 74 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ashdown: 62 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 105 mph, on April 4, 2011. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 41 have had fewer than Ashdown.
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind in Ashdown — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “A downburst occurred on the southwest side of Ashdown which resulted in numerous trees and powerlines to be snapped in the town of Ashdown. As many as 50 county and city roads were closed in Little River County from the damaging winds which started approximately 8AM west of Ashdown.”
March 18, 2008: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Ashdown — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall flooded and washed out several county roads across the southern portion of the county. Several recreational facilities surrounding Lake Millwood also had to be closed.”
June 11, 2003: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Ashdown — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees down and numerous trees had their tops blown off. A roof was torn off a house and a telephone pole fell on a car.”
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
Little River County, which includes Ashdown, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Little River County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.3 million a year, the 53rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.7 million (40%), 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 Ashdown
- Foreman, AR15 mi
- Hooks, TX15 mi
- Nash, TX16 mi
- Texarkana, TX16 mi
- Texarkana, AR19 mi
- Lockesburg, AR20 mi
- Horatio, AR20 mi
- New Boston, TX22 mi
- Maud, TX26 mi
- Nashville, AR27 mi
- De Queen, AR28 mi
- De Kalb, TX30 mi
All Arkansas cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Ashdown with another place →