NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bismarck, 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 Bismarck, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Bismarck
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bismarck; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1865, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 23 miles away. The record near Bismarck begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 37 miles away. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Bismarck has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 1, 1997, came within 14 miles. Of the 93, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on October 18, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 55% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bismarck. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 68 times since 1976, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bismarck.
Compare Bismarck's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bismarck
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 23 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 Bismarck: 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 Bismarck
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s12(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s14(5 EF3+)
- 1980s15(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 14 mi | 27 mi | 6 / 100 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 15 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Apr 25, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 16.78 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Mar 5, 1999 | F3 | 8 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1996 | F3 | 25 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1996 | F3 | 21 mi | 26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F3 | 15 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 5, 1967 | F3 | 15 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 13, 1957 | F3 | 12 mi | 14.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 8 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2023 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bismarck
The Storm Prediction Center has 68 hail reports within 10 miles of Bismarck since 1976, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on March 29, 1976. The most recent report is from June 14, 2023. April and May have the most reports, 17 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bismarck
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hot Springs Asos, AR, 8 miles east of Bismarck at 535 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 33°F. May is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 52.8 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 78 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 52 nights a year. That 52.8 inches is more than at 57 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (60%). Pearcy, 10 miles north, has its own station (Blakely Mountain Dam, AR): 57.9 inches a year, 5.1 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Mar | 66 | 43 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 51 | 5.1 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 61 | 5.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 35 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Year | 74 | 52 | 52.8 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hot Springs Asos, AR (535 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 Bismarck
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 99 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bismarck: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 5 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on February 18, 2013. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than Bismarck.
February 18, 2013: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Bismarck — 4 injured, $175,000 damage.
NWS: “A house was destroyed when it slid off its foundation. Three vehicles were moved and one was overturned.”
September 2, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Bismarck — $330,000 damage.
April 4, 2008: flood 9 miles from the centre of Bismarck — $250,000 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
Hot Spring County, which includes Bismarck, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1982, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hot Spring County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.6 million a year, the 35th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.3 million (47%), 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 Bismarck
- Pearcy, AR10 mi
- Donaldson, AR14 mi
- Arkadelphia, AR14 mi
- Amity, AR15 mi
- Hot Springs, AR16 mi
- Royal, AR17 mi
- Malvern, AR22 mi
- Glenwood, AR23 mi
- Gurdon, AR26 mi
- Hot Springs Village, AR28 mi
- Mount Ida, AR30 mi
- Murfreesboro, AR31 mi
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