NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Decatur, 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 Decatur, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 135 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 135
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Decatur
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Decatur; the strongest was Carla in 1961, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Decatur begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 71 miles away. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 77% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Decatur. The highest rating among the 135 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 12 times; the most recent, on May 25, 2024, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on December 31, 2010, killed 4 people. Of the 135, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 77 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 53. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Decatur has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 101 times since 1956, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Decatur has more hail reports within 10 miles than 62% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Decatur
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 25 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 Decatur: 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 Decatur
By decade
- 2020s23(2 EF3+)
- 2010s41(2 EF3+)
- 2000s13(2 EF3+)
- 1990s20
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15(3 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s8(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | 14 mi | 21.1 mi | 4 / 10 |
| Jun 11, 1970 | F3 | 21 mi | 51.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| May 25, 2024 | EF3 | 3 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 30, 2022 | EF3 | 23 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 22, 2011 | EF3 | 16 mi | 17.93 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 4 mi | 25 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F3 | 10 mi | 29 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 22, 1983 | F3 | 19 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1974 | F3 | 22 mi | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 8, 1970 | F3 | 8 mi | 6.9 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 9, 1959 | F3 | 24 mi | 23.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 24, 1954 | F3 | 10 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 135, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Decatur
The Storm Prediction Center has 101 hail reports within 10 miles of Decatur since 1956, made on 71 separate days. Of these, 61 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on March 12, 2006. The most recent report is from September 20, 2025. May has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Decatur
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Gravette, AR, 6 miles north of Decatur at 1,260 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 29°F. May is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 48.7 inches over 67 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 61 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.5 inches a year, most of it in January and March. That 48.7 inches is more than at 15 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (16%). Gentry, 5 miles south, has its own station (Fayetteville NW Ar Airport, AR): 45.4 inches a year, 3.3 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 2.8 | 4 | 3.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 2.7 | 4 | 2.9 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 3.9 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.1 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 6.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 69 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 68 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 61 | 40 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 3.2 | 4 | 1.7 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 48.7 | 67 | 12.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Gravette, AR (1,260 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 Decatur
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 155 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Decatur: 116 thunderstorm wind reports, 34 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 4 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 99 mph, on April 15, 2001. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 164 have had fewer than Decatur.
May 23, 2011: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Decatur — 4 killed.
June 6, 2014: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Decatur — 2 injured.
October 9, 2014: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Decatur — 1 injured.
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 Decatur's ZIP code 72722 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $349,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 10% 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, 0 have fewer than Decatur.
Benton County, which includes Decatur, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Benton County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $91.9 million a year, the 3rd highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $49.7 million (54%), 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 Decatur
- Gentry, AR5 mi
- Gravette, AR5 mi
- Centerton, AR10 mi
- Siloam Springs, AR11 mi
- Bentonville, AR13 mi
- Bella Vista, AR14 mi
- Cave Springs, AR14 mi
- Colcord, OK14 mi
- Noel, MO14 mi
- Watts, OK18 mi
- Pineville, MO19 mi
- Jay, OK19 mi
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