NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cove, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cove, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Cove
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cove; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Cove begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 77% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Cove. The strongest of the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on November 4, 2022; its path came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on April 9, 2009, killed 3 people. Of the 63, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on April 4, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cove. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1971, with stones up to 5 inches. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cove.
Compare Cove's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cove
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cove: 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 Cove
By decade
- 2020s5(1 EF3+)
- 2010s14
- 2000s12(2 EF3+)
- 1990s12
- 1980s5
- 1970s8
- 1960s3
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF4 | 20 mi | 60.23 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF3 | 11 mi | 14.84 mi | 3 / 30 |
| Jan 13, 1950 | F3 | 1 mi | 0.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF3 | 23 mi | 37.18 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 28, 2020 | EF2 | 16 mi | 19.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2018 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 2013 | EF2 | 2 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF2 | 17 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 1, 2003 | F2 | 21 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 5, 1999 | F2 | 14 mi | 27.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 5, 1999 | F2 | 19 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 13, 1993 | F2 | 4 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 11 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cove
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Cove since 1971, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 46 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5 inches, fell on June 19, 2019. The most recent report is from April 4, 2025. April has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cove
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mena, AR, 15 miles northeast of Cove at 1,152 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 7.2 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 4.0 inches; the year adds up to 61.6 inches over 79 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 79 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 61.6 inches is more than at 94 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (99%). De Queen, 25 miles south, has its own station (Dequeen, AR): 55.1 inches a year, 6.5 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 | 49 | 28 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 62 | 38 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 6.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 7.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 66 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 5.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 5.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Year | 70 | 48 | 61.6 | 79 | 4.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mena, AR (1,152 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 Cove
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 64 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cove: 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $835,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on October 13, 2014. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 17 have had fewer than Cove.
November 21, 2011: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Cove — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Evacuations of some residences were necessary in Acorn. Water entered some businesses in Mena.”
October 13, 2014: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Cove — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “Roofs were partially torn off two chicken houses and there was minor damage to a couple of other chicken house roofs; two old, unused chicken houses were badly damaged; and many trees and some power lines were blown down.”
May 24, 2015: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Cove — $100,000 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
Polk County, which includes Cove, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 4 ice storms, 3 floods, 3 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Polk County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.8 million a year, the 49th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.9 million (50%), 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 Cove
- Mena, AR17 mi
- De Queen, AR25 mi
- Broken Bow, OK29 mi
- Horatio, AR33 mi
- Lockesburg, AR33 mi
- Heavener, OK34 mi
- Waldron, AR38 mi
- Howe, OK41 mi
- Nashville, AR42 mi
- Talihina, OK43 mi
- Idabel, OK43 mi
- Murfreesboro, AR44 mi
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