NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Elkins, 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 Elkins, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 72 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 72
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Elkins
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Elkins; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1902, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near Elkins begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 33 miles away. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 77% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Elkins. The highest rating among the 72 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on March 30, 2022, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on December 31, 2010, killed 4 people. Of the 72, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Elkins. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Elkins.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Elkins
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 14 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 Elkins: 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 Elkins
By decade
- 2020s21(1 EF3+)
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s8
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF3 | 25 mi | 21.1 mi | 4 / 10 |
| Apr 21, 1996 | F3 | 17 mi | 15 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Jun 11, 1970 | F3 | 17 mi | 51.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| Mar 30, 2022 | EF3 | 16 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 4, 1999 | F3 | 17 mi | 38.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 8 mi | 40.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 19, 2025 | EF2 | 6 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 13, 2018 | EF2 | 23 mi | 11.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 10, 2008 | EF2 | 10 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1996 | F2 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Oct 16, 1984 | F2 | 21 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F2 | 21 mi | 11.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 72, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Elkins
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Elkins since 1957, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 21, 2018. The most recent report is from September 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Elkins
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Huntsville 1 SSW, AR, 13 miles northeast of Elkins at 1,783 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 30°F. May is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 45.7 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. That 45.7 inches is more than at 3 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (3%). Fayetteville, 14 miles northwest, has its own station (Fayetteville Exp Stn, AR): 46.3 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 30 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Feb | 51 | 33 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Apr | 69 | 49 | 5.0 | 7 |
| May | 76 | 58 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Jun | 84 | 66 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 51 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 41 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Dec | 49 | 33 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Year | 68 | 50 | 45.7 | 74 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Huntsville 1 SSW, AR (1,783 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 Elkins
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 54 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Elkins: 42 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on July 19, 2012. April has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 41 have had fewer than Elkins.
March 12, 2006: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Elkins — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm wind, likely associated with the supercell's rear flank downdraft, destroyed a hangar and offices at the Bentonville Municipal airport. Wind damage also occurred at the high school where the roof was removed from the field house and scoreboards and light towers were destroyed.”
August 16, 2012: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Elkins — $150,000 damage.
April 10, 2008: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Elkins — $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
Flood insurance policyholders in Elkins's ZIP code 72727 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2008, and were paid $215,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2008, with 10. 62% 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 Elkins.
Madison County, which includes Elkins, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 7 floods, 4 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 Madison County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.7 million a year, the 41st highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.0 million (52%), 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 Elkins
- Hindsville, AR13 mi
- Fayetteville, AR14 mi
- West Fork, AR15 mi
- Winslow, AR15 mi
- Huntsville, AR18 mi
- Farmington, AR18 mi
- Springdale, AR19 mi
- Prairie Grove, AR21 mi
- Lowell, AR21 mi
- Mountainburg, AR25 mi
- Cave Springs, AR26 mi
- Rogers, AR26 mi
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