NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Helena, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Helena, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 63 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 63
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Helena
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Helena; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 22 miles away. The record near Helena begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 61 miles away. The 1900s and the 1930s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Helena has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 63 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 24, 1976, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 29, 1963, killed 5 people. Of the 63, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on March 31, 2023. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Helena. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Helena.
Compare Helena's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Helena
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 18 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 20 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 7 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 67 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 Helena: 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 Helena
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s13
- 2000s8
- 1990s4
- 1980s11
- 1970s12(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 6 mi | 5.7 mi | 5 / 10 |
| Apr 24, 1976 | F3 | 13 mi | 24.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 29, 1956 | F3 | 8 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 24, 2001 | F2 | 21 mi | 43.5 mi | 3 / 33 |
| Dec 21, 2013 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.07 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 28, 1962 | F2 | 15 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 23 mi | 22.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 28, 2015 | EF2 | 21 mi | 5.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF2 | 16 mi | 4.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 2009 | EF2 | 15 mi | 33.37 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 14, 1983 | F2 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | F2 | 4 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 63, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Helena
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Helena since 1985, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on February 13, 2000. The most recent report is from May 24, 2024. April has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Helena
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Helena, AR, 4 miles northeast of Helena at 195 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°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 September the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 49.7 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 41% of the year's precipitation (20.2 of 49.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. Highs reach 90°F on about 77 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 53 nights a year. That 49.7 inches is more than at 23 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (24%). Clarksdale, MS, 20 miles south, has its own station (Clarksdale, MS): 56.2 inches a year, 6.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 32 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 54 | 35 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Mar | 63 | 43 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Apr | 73 | 52 | 5.7 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 62 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jun | 88 | 70 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 90 | 73 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Aug | 90 | 72 | 2.8 | 4 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Oct | 74 | 53 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 5.1 | 6 |
| Year | 72 | 53 | 49.7 | 68 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Helena, AR (195 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 Helena
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 66 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Helena: 55 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.00 billion in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on January 22, 2012. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 9. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 24 have had fewer than Helena.
May 1, 2011: flood 3 miles from the centre of Helena — $1.00 billion damage.
NWS: “The Mississippi River rose to near record levels during the beginning and middle part of May. The area known as Tunica Cut-Off was flooded as many as 357 homes sustained damage.”
May 2, 2009: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Helena — $500,000 damage.
March 17, 2002: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Helena — $250,000 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 Helena's ZIP code 72342 have filed 301 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-spring storms in 2011: 12 claims (4% of all) and $443,000. The year with the most claims was 1980, with 57. 8% 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, 98 have fewer than Helena.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 12 | $443,000 |
Phillips County, which includes Helena, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds, on July 10, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Phillips County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.5 million a year, the 36th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (26%), 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.