NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lake City, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lake City, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 133 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 19 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 133
- EF3 or stronger
- 19
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
56 deaths in all
What the records show for Lake City
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lake City; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Lake City begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The 1900s and the 1920s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Lake City has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 133 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 133, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 61 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Lake City has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1966, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 67% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lake City.
Compare Lake City's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lake City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lake City: 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 Lake City
By decade
- 2020s26(3 EF3+)
- 2010s19
- 2000s16
- 1990s25(3 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10(3 EF3+)
- 1950s18(8 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | in town | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | in town | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| May 26, 1973 | F4 | 13 mi | 54.8 mi | 3 / 289 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F4 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 15 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 12 mi | 51.8 mi | 3 / 96 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 17 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Feb 16, 1954 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 7 mi | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 17 mi | 9.4 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 2 mi | 24.18 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 133, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lake City
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Lake City since 1966, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 15, 2022. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lake City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jonesboro Municipal Airport, AR, 11 miles west of Lake City at 262 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 31°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and June the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.6 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 65 nights a year. That 48.6 inches is more than at 14 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (15%). Brookland, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Jonesboro 2 NE, AR): 52.1 inches a year, 3.5 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 31 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Feb | 52 | 34 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 41 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 50 | 5.2 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 60 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 3.3 | 4 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 60 | 40 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 50 | 33 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Year | 71 | 51 | 48.6 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jonesboro Municipal Airport, AR (262 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 Lake City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 85 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lake City: 65 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on April 2, 2025. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 15. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 76 have had fewer than Lake City.
September 26, 2007: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Lake City — $750,000 damage.
May 1, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Lake City — $200,000 damage.
May 1, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Lake City — $100,000 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
Craighead County, which includes Lake City, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 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 Craighead County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $89.6 million a year, the 4th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.6 million (20%), is from tornadoes.
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 Lake City
- Bay, AR9 mi
- Brookland, AR10 mi
- Leachville, AR14 mi
- Trumann, AR15 mi
- Jonesboro, AR15 mi
- Manila, AR15 mi
- Lepanto, AR16 mi
- Paragould, AR17 mi
- Marked Tree, AR20 mi
- Bono, AR21 mi
- Harrisburg, AR24 mi
- Marmaduke, AR24 mi
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