NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Horseshoe Bend, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Horseshoe Bend, 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, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
28 deaths in all
What the records show for Horseshoe Bend
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Horseshoe Bend; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 48 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Horseshoe Bend begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 39 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Horseshoe Bend. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 4 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 74, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 15. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Horseshoe Bend. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 82 times since 1984, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Horseshoe Bend has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Horseshoe Bend
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Horseshoe Bend: 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 Horseshoe Bend
By decade
- 2020s7(3 EF3+)
- 2010s3
- 2000s25(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s12(3 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s5
- 1950s10(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 7 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| Apr 14, 1996 | F4 | 2 mi | 44 mi | 7 / 35 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 4 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F4 | 8 mi | 63 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 21 mi | 80.97 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 25 mi | 1.5 mi | 2 / 2 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 22 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Mar 5, 1996 | F3 | 14 mi | 46.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F3 | 8 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 2, 1950 | F3 | 4 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1950 | F3 | 2 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 24, 2001 | F2 | 10 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Horseshoe Bend
The Storm Prediction Center has 82 hail reports within 10 miles of Horseshoe Bend since 1984, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 42 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on September 22, 2006. The most recent report is from April 5, 2023. April has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Horseshoe Bend
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Salem, AR, 10 miles north of Horseshoe Bend at 680 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 25°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and January and June the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.5 inches is more than at 20 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (21%). Ash Flat, 6 miles east, has its own station (Hardy, AR): 51.6 inches a year, 2.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 3.4 | 6 | 1.6 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 3.6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 4.9 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 48 | 28 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Year | 69 | 46 | 49.5 | 73 | 4.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Salem, AR (680 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 Horseshoe Bend
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 95 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Horseshoe Bend: 76 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 3 floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $6.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on April 10, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 41 have had fewer than Horseshoe Bend.
January 14, 2007: heavy rain event 9 miles from the centre of Horseshoe Bend — 1 killed.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall increased water levels along a number of low water crossings across Izard County. A vehicle attempted to drive through a low water crossing along the Piney Fork of the Strawberry River, northeast of Zion, and was swept downstream.”
April 10, 2013: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Horseshoe Bend — 1 injured, $1.8 million damage.
NWS: “Most of the thunderstorm wind damage was close to the shore of Crown Lake, but several houses near Diamond Lake also sustained damage. Altogether, 41 houses were damaged.”
April 26, 2011: flood 4 miles from the centre of Horseshoe Bend — $2.0 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
Izard County, which includes Horseshoe Bend, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 8 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 Izard County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.1 million a year, the 46th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (36%), 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 Horseshoe Bend
- Ash Flat, AR6 mi
- Salem, AR10 mi
- Cherokee Village, AR12 mi
- Highland, AR16 mi
- Melbourne, AR16 mi
- Mammoth Spring, AR19 mi
- Cave City, AR22 mi
- Calico Rock, AR24 mi
- Thayer, MO25 mi
- Batesville, AR31 mi
- Mountain View, AR32 mi
- Imboden, AR33 mi
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