NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Gould, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Gould, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 79 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 79
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Gould
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Gould; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 67 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Gould begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 57 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Gould has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 88% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The strongest of the 79 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1968; its path came within 4 miles, and it killed 5 people. Of the 79, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on January 5, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Gould. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 26 times since 1961, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 96% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Gould.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Gould
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 11 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (67 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Gould: 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 Gould
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s10
- 2000s25(2 EF3+)
- 1990s3
- 1980s8
- 1970s13
- 1960s11(2 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 4 mi | 33.7 mi | 5 / 16 |
| Feb 24, 2007 | EF3 | 9 mi | 29.1 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F3 | 21 mi | 42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 9, 1965 | F3 | 16 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Oct 28, 1955 | F3 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 5, 2022 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1.53 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | EF2 | 10 mi | 18.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF2 | 24 mi | 14.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF2 | 16 mi | 16.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 2009 | EF2 | 18 mi | 33.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2007 | EF2 | 12 mi | 14.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F2 | 16 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 79, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Gould
The Storm Prediction Center has 26 hail reports within 10 miles of Gould since 1961, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 26, 2011. The most recent report is from April 3, 2025. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Gould
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dumas, AR, 8 miles south of Gould at 163 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 53°F and 35°F. April is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 51.2 inches over 62 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 41% of the year's precipitation (21.0 of 51.2 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal September there has highs of 86°F and 2.8 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 74 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 42 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.2 inches is more than at 37 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (39%). Star City, 16 miles west, has its own station (Cane Creek Sp, AR): 56.4 inches a year, 5.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 35 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 58 | 38 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 67 | 45 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 5.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 2.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 2.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 56 | 37 | 5.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Year | 74 | 54 | 51.2 | 62 | 0.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dumas, AR (163 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 Gould
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 45 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Gould: 28 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods and 5 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $7.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 89 mph, on May 25, 2011. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 12. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 50 have had fewer than Gould.
May 1, 2011: flood 2 miles from the centre of Gould — $3.5 million damage.
NWS: “The Freddie Black Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area was closed due to flooding. Flooding in Desha County continued into June along the Mississippi River.”
April 13, 2008: flood 8 miles from the centre of Gould — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Moderate flooding at the Pendleton stream gage on the Arkansas River occurred for over 3 days. The crest in April was higher than the March crest, primarily due to the high Mississippi River stages.”
April 13, 2008: flood 8 miles from the centre of Gould — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Moderate flooding at the Pendleton stream gage on the Arkansas River occurred for over three days. The crest in April was higher than the March crest, primarily due to the high Mississippi River stages.”
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 Gould's ZIP code 71643 have filed 26 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $641,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 19% 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, 40 have fewer than Gould.
Lincoln County, which includes Gould, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on April 4, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lincoln County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.8 million a year, the 64th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.0 million (30%), 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 Gould
- Dumas, AR8 mi
- Star City, AR16 mi
- De Witt, AR24 mi
- Mc Gehee, AR28 mi
- Monticello, AR29 mi
- Pine Bluff, AR29 mi
- Rison, AR33 mi
- Stuttgart, AR33 mi
- Dermott, AR34 mi
- White Hall, AR35 mi
- Rosedale, MS36 mi
- Warren, AR40 mi
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