NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Brookland, 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 Brookland, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 133 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 20 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 133
- EF3 or stronger
- 20
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
57 deaths in all
What the records show for Brookland
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Brookland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 75 miles away. The record near Brookland begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 68 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Brookland has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 133 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 6 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 133, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Brookland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 102 times since 1962, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Brookland has more hail reports within 10 miles than 63% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Brookland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Brookland: 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 Brookland
By decade
- 2020s26(3 EF3+)
- 2010s17
- 2000s17(1 EF3+)
- 1990s31(6 EF3+)
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9(3 EF3+)
- 1950s14(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 7 mi | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 8 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| May 26, 1973 | F4 | 9 mi | 54.8 mi | 3 / 289 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F4 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F4 | 25 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 24 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 18 mi | 51.8 mi | 3 / 96 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 20 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 11 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 12 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 16 mi | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 11 mi | 24.18 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 133, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Brookland
The Storm Prediction Center has 102 hail reports within 10 miles of Brookland since 1962, made on 74 separate days. Of these, 69 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 15, 2022. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Brookland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jonesboro 2 NE, AR, 7 miles southwest of Brookland 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%). Lake City, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Jonesboro Municipal Airport, AR): 48.6 inches a year, 3.5 less than here, and a July average high of 91°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 Brookland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 190 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Brookland: 131 thunderstorm wind reports, 52 flash floods, 3 floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 3 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $5.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 25, 2017. May has had the most flash floods, 9 of 52. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 181 have had fewer than Brookland.
May 24, 2009: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Brookland — 2 killed, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain produced flash flooding across Northern Craighead County in Eastern Arkansas. County roads 785, 791 and 792 along with Highway 49 were flooded.”
May 24, 2009: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Brookland — 1 killed, $50,000 damage.
April 3, 2007: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Brookland — 1 injured, $2,000 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
Craighead County, which includes Brookland, 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 Brookland
- Lake City, AR10 mi
- Jonesboro, AR10 mi
- Paragould, AR11 mi
- Bay, AR12 mi
- Bono, AR13 mi
- Leachville, AR19 mi
- Marmaduke, AR21 mi
- Trumann, AR21 mi
- Manila, AR23 mi
- Walnut Ridge, AR23 mi
- Lepanto, AR25 mi
- Hoxie, AR25 mi
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