NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bono, 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 Bono, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1941. Since 1950, 131 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 21 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 131
- EF3 or stronger
- 21
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
56 deaths in all
What the records show for Bono
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bono; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 36 miles away. The record near Bono begins with an unnamed storm in 1906; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1941, a tropical storm 17 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bono. The highest rating among the 131 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 131, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 56 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Bono has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 74% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 111 times since 1973, with stones up to 3.25 inches. Bono has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare Bono's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bono
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bono: 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 Bono
By decade
- 2020s29(4 EF3+)
- 2010s12
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s31(5 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s12(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(3 EF3+)
- 1950s12(6 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 10 mi | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 17 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| May 26, 1973 | F4 | 9 mi | 54.8 mi | 3 / 289 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 24 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 22 mi | 51.8 mi | 3 / 96 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 20 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 4 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 21 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 24 mi | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 20 mi | 24.18 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 28, 2020 | EF3 | 10 mi | 12.53 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 18 mi | 31 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 131, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bono
The Storm Prediction Center has 111 hail reports within 10 miles of Bono since 1973, made on 82 separate days. Of these, 70 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.25 inches, fell on April 15, 2022. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 36.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bono
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jonesboro 2 NE, AR, 9 miles southeast of Bono at 310 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 60 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 75 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.9 inches a year, most of it in February and March. That 52.1 inches is more than at 54 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (57%). Walnut Ridge, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Alicia 2NNE, AR): 47.4 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.1 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 5.2 | 8 | 1.2 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.5 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 49 | 30 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Year | 70 | 48 | 52.1 | 75 | 3.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jonesboro 2 NE, AR (310 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 Bono
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 143 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bono: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 43 flash floods, 2 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 4 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on August 24, 2002. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 173 have had fewer than Bono.
May 24, 2009: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Bono — 2 killed, $25,000 damage.
May 24, 2009: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Bono — 1 killed, $50,000 damage.
June 5, 2014: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Bono — 1 killed.
NWS: “Straight line winds produced widespread wind damage across Craighead County. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.”
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 Bono's ZIP code 72416 have filed 57 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $457,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1997, with 28. 2% 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, 69 have fewer than Bono.
Craighead County, which includes Bono, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Craighead County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $89.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.6 million (20%), is from tornadoes.
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 Bono
- Jonesboro, AR9 mi
- Brookland, AR13 mi
- Walnut Ridge, AR13 mi
- Hoxie, AR14 mi
- Bay, AR18 mi
- Paragould, AR19 mi
- Lake City, AR21 mi
- Trumann, AR26 mi
- Harrisburg, AR26 mi
- Imboden, AR28 mi
- Marmaduke, AR29 mi
- Pocahontas, AR29 mi
All Arkansas cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Bono with another place →