NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carlisle, 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 Carlisle, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 149 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 149
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Carlisle
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Carlisle; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near Carlisle begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 50 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Carlisle has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The strongest of the 149 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 21, 1952; its path came within 4 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an F3 on March 21, 1952, killed 9 people. Of the 149, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 73 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 39. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2025. Carlisle has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 63 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Carlisle.
Compare Carlisle's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carlisle
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 55 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 Carlisle: 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 Carlisle
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s26
- 2000s38(1 EF3+)
- 1990s22(2 EF3+)
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s19(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s13(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 4 mi | 7.6 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 6 mi | 16.2 mi | 9 / 9 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 18 mi | 17.2 mi | 5 / 64 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 2 / 29 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 16 mi | 34.23 mi | 0 / 54 |
| May 10, 2008 | EF3 | 22 mi | 14.05 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 8 mi | 39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 14, 1983 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F3 | 24 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 1954 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1950 | F3 | 14 mi | 14.9 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F2 | 10 mi | 49 mi | 5 / 60 |
The strongest 12 of 149, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Carlisle
The Storm Prediction Center has 63 hail reports within 10 miles of Carlisle since 1982, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on June 30, 2009. The most recent report is from March 12, 2025. June has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Carlisle
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Keo, AR, 18 miles southwest of Carlisle at 231 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 31°F. April and December are the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 50.6 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 53 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 49 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.6 inches is more than at 27 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (28%). Hazen, 9 miles east, has its own station (Des Arc, AR): 50.0 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 3.8 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 4.0 | 6 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 63 | 42 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 73 | 51 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 60 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 50.6 | 70 | 3.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Keo, AR (231 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 Carlisle
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 70 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Carlisle: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 76 mph, on June 25, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 10. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 30 have had fewer than Carlisle.
June 25, 2023: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Carlisle — 2 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “A large tree fell on a house causing 2 fatalities and 1 injury in Carlisle.”
March 15, 2008: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Carlisle — $1.0 million damage.
April 30, 2017: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Carlisle — $600,000 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
Lonoke County, which includes Carlisle, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 tornadoes, 4 floods, 4 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lonoke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $41.1 million a year, the 10th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.3 million (37%), 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 Carlisle
- Hazen, AR9 mi
- Lonoke, AR9 mi
- Des Arc, AR18 mi
- Ward, AR19 mi
- England, AR19 mi
- Scott, AR20 mi
- Austin, AR20 mi
- Cabot, AR21 mi
- Jacksonville, AR22 mi
- Stuttgart, AR24 mi
- Beebe, AR24 mi
- Mc Rae, AR25 mi
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