NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hazen, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hazen, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 14 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 14
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
59 deaths in all
What the records show for Hazen
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hazen; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Hazen begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 58 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Hazen has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 21, 1952, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 29 people. Of the 117, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 52 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2025. Hazen has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1975, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 84% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hazen.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hazen
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hazen: 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 Hazen
By decade
- 2020s6(1 EF3+)
- 2010s21
- 2000s25(2 EF3+)
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s10(1 EF3+)
- 1970s18(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s13(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 25 mi | 13.1 mi | 29 / 180 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 12 mi | 7.6 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 5 mi | 16.2 mi | 9 / 9 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 24 mi | 17.2 mi | 5 / 64 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 23 mi | 34.23 mi | 0 / 54 |
| May 10, 2008 | EF3 | 20 mi | 14.05 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 25 mi | 43 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 6 mi | 39 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 20 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 14, 1983 | F3 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 9.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 9, 1965 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hazen
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Hazen since 1975, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on May 24, 2024, the most recent report. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hazen
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Des Arc, AR, 15 miles north of Hazen at 200 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 33°F. April is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 50.0 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 70 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 50 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.0 inches is more than at 25 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (26%). Carlisle, 9 miles west, has its own station (Keo, AR): 50.6 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 33 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 36 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 63 | 44 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 73 | 53 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 62 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 71 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 2.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 43 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 36 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 53 | 50.0 | 72 | 2.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Des Arc, AR (200 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 Hazen
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 65 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hazen: 51 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on April 3, 1999. June 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 Hazen.
June 25, 2023: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Hazen — 2 killed, 1 injured.
March 18, 2008: flood 10 miles from the centre of Hazen — $3.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused the White River at Clarendon to go above major flood level and to the highest stage since May, 1973. The river was in minor flood at the beginning of the month and continued to rise due to the heavy rains.”
August 5, 2009: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Hazen — $130,000 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
Prairie County, which includes Hazen, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 3 hurricanes, 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 Prairie County a Very 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 $9.0 million a year, the 54th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.7 million (42%), 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 Hazen
- Carlisle, AR9 mi
- Des Arc, AR13 mi
- Lonoke, AR18 mi
- Stuttgart, AR21 mi
- Brinkley, AR23 mi
- Ward, AR24 mi
- England, AR25 mi
- Austin, AR27 mi
- Mc Rae, AR27 mi
- Beebe, AR28 mi
- Cabot, AR28 mi
- Scott, AR28 mi
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