NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Eureka Springs, 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 Eureka Springs, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Eureka Springs
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Eureka Springs; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 41 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Eureka Springs 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 Eureka Springs. The highest rating among the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 30, 2022, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on February 29, 2012, killed 1 person. Of the 91, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 54 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 19, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Eureka Springs. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 103 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Eureka Springs has more hail reports within 10 miles than 64% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Eureka Springs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 1 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 Eureka Springs: 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 Eureka Springs
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s25
- 2000s13
- 1990s6
- 1980s2
- 1970s13(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s7(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1970 | F3 | 9 mi | 51.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| Mar 30, 2022 | EF3 | 25 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 30, 1954 | F3 | 25 mi | 40.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 24, 1954 | F3 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 24, 1954 | F3 | 13 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 23 mi | 1.7 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F2 | 22 mi | 28 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Nov 4, 2024 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | 19 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 20, 2019 | EF2 | 15 mi | 31.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 23 mi | 24.29 mi | 0 / 47 |
| Mar 12, 2006 | F2 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Eureka Springs
The Storm Prediction Center has 103 hail reports within 10 miles of Eureka Springs since 1962, made on 71 separate days. Of these, 63 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 19, 2011. The most recent report is from September 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Eureka Springs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cassville, MO, 22 miles north of Eureka Springs at 1,376 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 23°F. May is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. That 47.6 inches is more than at 10 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (11%). Berryville, 11 miles east, has its own station (Huntsville 1 SSW, AR): 45.7 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 2.5 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 2.3 |
| Mar | 58 | 35 | 3.9 |
| Apr | 67 | 44 | 5.0 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 6.2 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.8 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.2 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.3 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 4.6 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 57 | 35 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 47 | 27 | 3.1 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 47.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cassville, MO (1,376 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 Eureka Springs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Eureka Springs: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 6 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $689,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 23, 2005. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 50 have had fewer than Eureka Springs.
March 25, 2015: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Eureka Springs — 1 killed.
June 13, 2015: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Eureka Springs — 1 killed.
April 29, 2017: flash flood in Eureka Springs — 1 killed.
NWS: “Leatherwood Creek flooded several roads north and northeast of town. People were playing in and near the creek.”
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
Carroll County, which includes Eureka Springs, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Carroll County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.4 million a year, the 29th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.3 million (44%), 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 Eureka Springs
- Holiday Island, AR4 mi
- Berryville, AR11 mi
- Garfield, AR12 mi
- Seligman, MO15 mi
- Shell Knob, MO16 mi
- Hindsville, AR18 mi
- Huntsville, AR19 mi
- Green Forest, AR20 mi
- Rogers, AR21 mi
- Cassville, MO21 mi
- Washburn, MO22 mi
- Pea Ridge, AR22 mi
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