NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Batesville, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Batesville, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 14 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 14
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
39 deaths in all
What the records show for Batesville
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Batesville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 13 miles away. The record near Batesville begins with an unnamed storm in 1909; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 66 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Batesville. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 93, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 55% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Batesville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 86 times since 1958, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Batesville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 53% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Batesville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Batesville: 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 Batesville
By decade
- 2020s6(2 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s18(2 EF3+)
- 1990s26(3 EF3+)
- 1980s8(2 EF3+)
- 1970s9(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 19 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 13 mi | 0.3 mi | 7 / 24 |
| Mar 15, 1984 | F4 | 9 mi | 41 mi | 2 / 13 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 19 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 19 mi | 45.3 mi | 5 / 24 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 8 mi | 80.97 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 16 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Nov 15, 1955 | F3 | 9 mi | 36.5 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 2, 1950 | F3 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 15 mi | 31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 13 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 5, 1996 | F3 | 17 mi | 46.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Batesville
The Storm Prediction Center has 86 hail reports within 10 miles of Batesville since 1958, made on 70 separate days. Of these, 41 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 15, 2019. The most recent report is from April 15, 2023. April has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Batesville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Batesville L&D 1, AR, 2 miles south of Batesville at 290 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 28°F. April is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 50.9 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 58 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 81 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.9 inches is more than at 33 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (35%). Newark, 13 miles east, has its own station (Newport, AR): 51.3 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 52 | 31 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 51 | 31 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 50.9 | 74 | 2.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Batesville L&D 1, AR (290 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 Batesville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 159 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Batesville: 80 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 flash floods, 28 floods, 15 heavy rain events and 6 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $33.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 7, 2012. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 30. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 155 have had fewer than Batesville.
October 29, 2009: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Batesville — 1 killed, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “A pickup truck was swept off Webber Chapel Road into an unnamed creek. The driver was killed after being swept downstream.”
September 7, 2012: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Batesville — 2 injured, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous large trees were blown down. Two trees fell into houses and three fell on vehicles.”
September 7, 2012: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Batesville — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. One person suffered minor injuries when a window in the press box blew in during a high school football game at Southside.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Batesville's ZIP code 72501 have filed 118 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from March storm in 2008: 21 claims (18% of all) and $578,000, then Flooding in 1982 with 20. 42% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 103 Arkansas cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 83 have fewer than Batesville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| March storm2008 | 21 | $578,000 |
| Flooding1982 | 20 | $230,000 |
Independence County, which includes Batesville, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Tornadoes, on May 8, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Independence County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, 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 $24.3 million a year, the 18th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.0 million (29%), 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 Batesville
- Newark, AR13 mi
- Cave City, AR13 mi
- Melbourne, AR24 mi
- Bradford, AR24 mi
- Newport, AR26 mi
- Pangburn, AR26 mi
- Mountain View, AR27 mi
- Heber Springs, AR30 mi
- Horseshoe Bend, AR31 mi
- Judsonia, AR32 mi
- Ash Flat, AR32 mi
- Bald Knob, AR32 mi
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