NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Forrest City, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Forrest City, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
40 deaths in all
What the records show for Forrest City
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Forrest City; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Forrest City begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 73 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Forrest City has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The strongest of the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 21, 1952; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 29 people. Of the 68, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 11 each. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Forrest City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Forrest City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Forrest City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Forrest City: 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 Forrest City
By decade
- 2020s7(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s11(3 EF3+)
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s16(4 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 19 mi | 13.1 mi | 29 / 180 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 15 mi | 72.55 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Jun 6, 1974 | F3 | 2 mi | 3.8 mi | 4 / 112 |
| Jan 7, 1978 | F3 | 12 mi | 39.6 mi | 1 / 9 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 21 mi | 20.23 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 15 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 20 mi | 43 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 12 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Nov 19, 1970 | F3 | 14 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 27 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F3 | 19 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 21, 2013 | EF2 | 14 mi | 15.57 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F2 | in town | 1.6 mi | 1 / 13 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Forrest City
The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Forrest City since 1957, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 2, 2025. The most recent report is from September 19, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Forrest City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Wynne, AR, 17 miles north of Forrest City at 260 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 32°F. April is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 50.7 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.0 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 50.7 inches is more than at 31 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (33%). Marianna, 17 miles south, has its own station (Marianna 2 S, AR): 52.1 inches a year, 1.4 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 32 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 54 | 34 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 63 | 42 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 73 | 51 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 2.7 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Year | 72 | 52 | 50.7 | 73 | 2.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Wynne, AR (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 Forrest City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 75 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Forrest City: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $8.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 2, 2018. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 16. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 82 have had fewer than Forrest City.
April 15, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Forrest City — 1 killed, 1 injured.
January 3, 2016: flood 9 miles from the centre of Forrest City — 1 killed.
NWS: “Heavy rain in late 2015 caused flooding along the St. Francis River through much of January.”
June 2, 2018: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Forrest City — 1 injured, $6.0 million 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
St. Francis County, which includes Forrest City, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Francis County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.9 million a year, the 27th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.6 million (46%), is from tornadoes.
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 Forrest City
- Colt, AR10 mi
- Wynne, AR15 mi
- Marianna, AR17 mi
- Hughes, AR20 mi
- Earle, AR25 mi
- Brinkley, AR25 mi
- Mc Crory, AR26 mi
- Robinsonville, MS31 mi
- Tunica, MS32 mi
- West Helena, AR33 mi
- Lake Cormorant, MS34 mi
- Marion, AR35 mi
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