NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit De Queen, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of De Queen, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 70
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for De Queen
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed De Queen; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1879, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near De Queen begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 12 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than De Queen. The strongest of the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 2, 1982; its path came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 7 people. Of the 70, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on April 30, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 84% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than De Queen. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 113 times since 1957, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). De Queen has more hail reports within 10 miles than 69% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near De Queen
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 70 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 De Queen: 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 De Queen
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s17
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8(2 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s2
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1982 | F5 | 14 mi | 53 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 18 mi | 13 mi | 7 / 9 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F4 | 8 mi | 45 mi | 3 / 23 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF4 | 12 mi | 60.23 mi | 0 / 13 |
| May 4, 1999 | F3 | 17 mi | 71.5 mi | 1 / 22 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF3 | 1 mi | 37.18 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 23, 1953 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.8 mi | 1 / 14 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 21 mi | 8.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2020 | EF2 | 3 mi | 19.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2018 | EF2 | 22 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 2013 | EF2 | 24 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 30, 2010 | EF2 | 18 mi | 1.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in De Queen
The Storm Prediction Center has 113 hail reports within 10 miles of De Queen since 1957, made on 89 separate days. Of these, 71 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 27, 2001. The most recent report is from April 29, 2024. April has the most reports, 32.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in De Queen
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dequeen, AR, in De Queen at 407 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 30°F. May is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 55.1 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 68 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 55.1 inches is more than at 72 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (76%). Foreman, 21 miles south, has its own station (Ashdown 4 SSE, AR): 53.2 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 30 | 4.1 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 5.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 6.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 4.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.3 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Year | 74 | 50 | 55.1 | 65 | 2.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dequeen, AR (407 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 De Queen
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 131 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of De Queen: 104 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 4 floods and 3 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on September 2, 2000. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 20. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 112 have had fewer than De Queen.
September 2, 2000: thunderstorm wind in De Queen — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines down. Twenty eight (28) homes damaged.”
May 25, 2015: thunderstorm wind in De Queen — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread wind damage was reported in Sevier County, Arkansas as well as in the city of DeQueen, Arkansas. Some damage was reported to homes, mainly from fallen trees.”
November 21, 2011: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of De Queen — $150,000 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
Sevier County, which includes De Queen, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 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 Sevier 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 $13.8 million a year, the 34th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 million (26%), 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 De Queen
- Horatio, AR8 mi
- Lockesburg, AR12 mi
- Foreman, AR21 mi
- Cove, AR25 mi
- Ashdown, AR28 mi
- Broken Bow, OK28 mi
- Nashville, AR28 mi
- Idabel, OK30 mi
- Murfreesboro, AR37 mi
- Mena, AR39 mi
- Hooks, TX39 mi
- De Kalb, TX39 mi
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