NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jasper, 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 Jasper, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 47
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
13 deaths in all
What the records show for Jasper
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Jasper; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 41 mph winds when its centre passed 6 miles away. The record near Jasper begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. 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 Jasper. The strongest of the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on May 24, 2011; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 4 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on May 26, 2024, killed 4 people. Of the 47, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on May 19, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 100% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Jasper. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 77 times since 1969, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 54% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Jasper.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jasper
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Jasper: 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 Jasper
By decade
- 2020s11(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8(2 EF3+)
- 2000s6
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s5(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 20 mi | 45.71 mi | 4 / 27 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 17 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 1 |
| Apr 21, 1996 | F3 | 19 mi | 15 mi | 2 / 6 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF3 | 22 mi | 29.01 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F3 | 13 mi | 7.8 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Jun 6, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 11.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 23, 2001 | F2 | 18 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Feb 16, 2023 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.97 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 19, 2020 | EF2 | 20 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF2 | 2 mi | 36.64 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 23, 2001 | F2 | 11 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1991 | F2 | 16 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 12 |
The strongest 12 of 47, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jasper
The Storm Prediction Center has 77 hail reports within 10 miles of Jasper since 1969, made on 60 separate days. Of these, 49 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 13, 1981. The most recent report is from March 14, 2025. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jasper
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Deer, AR, 11 miles south of Jasper at 2,375 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 26°F. May is the wettest at 6.6 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 56.3 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from July to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 89 nights a year. Snowfall averages 9.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 56.3 inches is more than at 77 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (81%). Harrison, 20 miles northeast, has its own station (Harrison Boone Co Airport, AR): 44.6 inches a year, 11.7 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 26 | 3.7 | 6 | 2.4 |
| Feb | 46 | 29 | 3.8 | 5 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 55 | 36 | 5.8 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Apr | 64 | 45 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 70 | 55 | 6.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 64 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 68 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 67 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 60 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 49 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 38 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 44 | 29 | 4.0 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Year | 63 | 47 | 56.3 | 76 | 9.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Deer, AR (2,375 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 Jasper
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jasper: 57 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events and 2 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $875,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on March 6, 2017. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 14. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than Jasper.
May 24, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Jasper — 1 killed.
NWS: “Heavy rain produced flooding along the Buffalo National River. A 21 year-old man swimming in the river at Blue Hole (between Hasty and Piercetown) drowned on the evening of the 24th.”
December 30, 2006: flood 4 miles from the centre of Jasper — $277,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused flooding in many sections of Newton County. A couple of low water crossings were washed out, as were a number of county roads.”
March 6, 2017: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Jasper — $110,000 damage.
NWS: “and the post office has been destroyed. The roof was blown off of a church and several roadways are blocked.”
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
Newton County, which includes Jasper, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 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 Newton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $4.0 million a year, the 72nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.5 million (37%), 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 Jasper
- Harrison, AR20 mi
- Green Forest, AR26 mi
- Huntsville, AR27 mi
- Omaha, AR31 mi
- Berryville, AR31 mi
- Marshall, AR33 mi
- Lead Hill, AR35 mi
- Yellville, AR36 mi
- Hector, AR36 mi
- Lamar, AR36 mi
- Clarksville, AR37 mi
- Dover, AR37 mi
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