NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Horatio, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Horatio, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
14 deaths in all
What the records show for Horatio
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Horatio; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1879, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Horatio begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 17 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Horatio. The strongest of the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 2, 1982; its path came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 7 people. Of the 74, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on April 30, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Horatio. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 158 times since 1957, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Horatio has more hail reports within 10 miles than 82% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare Horatio's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Horatio
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1918 | Unnamed 1918 stormAug 7 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 72 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 Horatio: 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 Horatio
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s14
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s3(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9(3 EF3+)
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s10(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 1982 | F5 | 16 mi | 53 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 18 mi | 13 mi | 7 / 9 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F4 | 2 mi | 45 mi | 3 / 23 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF4 | 18 mi | 60.23 mi | 0 / 13 |
| May 4, 1999 | F3 | 10 mi | 71.5 mi | 1 / 22 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 21 mi | 52 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF3 | 9 mi | 37.18 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 10, 1971 | F3 | 25 mi | 20.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 13, 2014 | EF2 | 17 mi | 2.51 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 23, 1953 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.8 mi | 1 / 14 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF2 | 20 mi | 8.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2020 | EF2 | 9 mi | 19.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Horatio
The Storm Prediction Center has 158 hail reports within 10 miles of Horatio since 1957, made on 113 separate days. Of these, 100 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 27, 2001. The most recent report is from April 29, 2024. April has the most reports, 56.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Horatio
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dequeen, AR, 9 miles north of Horatio at 407 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 54°F and 30°F. May is the wettest at 6.3 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 55.1 inches over 65 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 68 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 55.1 inches is more than at 72 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (76%). Foreman, 14 miles south, has its own station (Ashdown 4 SSE, AR): 53.2 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 30 | 4.1 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 5.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 6.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 4.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 4.4 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.3 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Year | 74 | 50 | 55.1 | 65 | 2.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dequeen, AR (407 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 Horatio
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 154 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Horatio: 129 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 flash floods, 4 floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on September 2, 2000. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 18. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 101 have had fewer than Horatio.
June 8, 2021: flood 5 miles from the centre of Horatio — 1 killed, $2,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread rainfall amounts of 3-6+ inches, with isolated amounts up to 10 inches, fell across Central and Southern McCurtain County Oklahoma on June 7th-8th, resulting in widespread flooding across these areas. 89 feet on June 10th, 2021.”
September 2, 2000: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Horatio — $2.0 million damage.
May 25, 2015: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Horatio — $200,000 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
Sevier County, which includes Horatio, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sevier County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.8 million a year, the 34th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 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.
Cities near Horatio
- De Queen, AR8 mi
- Lockesburg, AR10 mi
- Foreman, AR14 mi
- Ashdown, AR20 mi
- Nashville, AR26 mi
- Idabel, OK30 mi
- Hooks, TX31 mi
- Broken Bow, OK32 mi
- New Boston, TX33 mi
- Cove, AR33 mi
- De Kalb, TX33 mi
- Nash, TX35 mi
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