NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Clinton, 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 Clinton, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 103 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 103
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
What the records show for Clinton
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Clinton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Clinton begins with an unnamed storm in 1909; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 43 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 Clinton. The highest rating among the 103 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 103, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. Clinton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 53% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 79 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Clinton.
Compare Clinton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Clinton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Clinton: 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 Clinton
By decade
- 2020s6(1 EF3+)
- 2010s12(1 EF3+)
- 2000s29(3 EF3+)
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8(4 EF3+)
- 1970s17(2 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s10(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 3 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| Apr 14, 1996 | F4 | 18 mi | 44 mi | 7 / 35 |
| Mar 15, 1984 | F4 | 2 mi | 41 mi | 2 / 13 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 23 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 11 mi | 45.3 mi | 5 / 24 |
| Apr 30, 2010 | EF3 | 3 mi | 20.28 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F3 | 22 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F3 | 13 mi | 29 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 20 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| May 6, 1960 | F3 | 23 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 30 |
| May 13, 1957 | F3 | 19 mi | 17.5 mi | 1 / 18 |
| Feb 14, 1956 | F3 | 12 mi | 33 mi | 1 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 103, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Clinton
The Storm Prediction Center has 79 hail reports within 10 miles of Clinton since 1965, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 48 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on April 15, 2023. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Clinton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Marshall, AR, 25 miles northwest of Clinton at 951 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 26°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and January and August the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 46 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 83 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.0 inches a year, most of it in February and March. That 47.6 inches is more than at 12 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (13%). Shirley, 9 miles east, has its own station (Greers Ferry Dam, AR): 53.4 inches a year, 5.8 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 3.3 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 4.8 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 5.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 47 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 50 | 29 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.8 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 47.6 | 68 | 4.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Marshall, AR (951 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 Clinton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 93 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Clinton: 78 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 1, 2017. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 12. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 50 have had fewer than Clinton.
January 13, 2007: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Clinton — $542,000 damage.
NWS: “Street flooding was reported near Clinton.”
February 11, 2009: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Clinton — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees and power lines were blown down on Arkansas Highway 330. Hundreds of pine trees were down, with some landing on houses.”
February 11, 2009: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Clinton — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “A barn was blown onto Arkansas Highway 9 near Formosa. Nine roofs were blown off houses.”
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 Clinton's ZIP code 72031 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $466,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 54% 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, 13 have fewer than Clinton.
Van Buren County, which includes Clinton, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 4 ice storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Van Buren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.0 million a year, the 47th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (38%), 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 Clinton
- Shirley, AR9 mi
- Fairfield Bay, AR12 mi
- Greers Ferry, AR18 mi
- Quitman, AR20 mi
- Marshall, AR24 mi
- Greenbrier, AR25 mi
- Heber Springs, AR27 mi
- Hector, AR27 mi
- Mountain View, AR28 mi
- Rose Bud, AR29 mi
- Plumerville, AR31 mi
- Atkins, AR33 mi
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