NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lead Hill, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lead Hill, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 57
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
13 deaths in all
What the records show for Lead Hill
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lead Hill; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 43 mph winds when its centre passed 16 miles away. The record near Lead Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 77% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lead Hill. The highest rating among the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on May 26, 2024, came within 14 miles. Of the 57, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lead Hill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 79 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lead Hill.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lead Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 32 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 Lead Hill: 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 Lead Hill
By decade
- 2020s7(2 EF3+)
- 2010s14
- 2000s8
- 1990s8
- 1980s5(2 EF3+)
- 1970s5(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 14 mi | 21.6 mi | 4 / 1 |
| Nov 18, 1985 | F3 | 22 mi | 34 mi | 3 / 16 |
| May 7, 1961 | F3 | 17 mi | 14.2 mi | 3 / 9 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 21 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F3 | 15 mi | 7.8 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 14, 1971 | F3 | 22 mi | 23.6 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 23 mi | 12.5 mi | 1 / 36 |
| Feb 16, 2023 | EF2 | 25 mi | 10.97 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 19, 2020 | EF2 | 17 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 17 mi | 24.29 mi | 0 / 47 |
| Apr 22, 1996 | F2 | 18 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lead Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 79 hail reports within 10 miles of Lead Hill since 1982, made on 63 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 9 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 28, 1982. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lead Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lead Hill, AR, in Lead Hill at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 23°F. April is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 47.6 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. Snowfall averages 8.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.6 inches is more than at 10 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (11%). Omaha, 15 miles west, has its own station (Harrison Boone Co Airport, AR): 44.6 inches a year, 3.0 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 23 | 2.9 | 5 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 2.8 | 5 | 2.3 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 4.7 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 63 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 47.6 | 74 | 8.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lead Hill, AR (830 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 Lead Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 74 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lead Hill: 58 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 13, 2009. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 9. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 24 have had fewer than Lead Hill.
March 18, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Lead Hill — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Water rescues were performed by helicopter half way between Flippin and Fairview just off Arkansas Highway 178. Many low water crossings were flooded in the county.”
May 1, 2011: flood 6 miles from the centre of Lead Hill — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Some of the campsites around Bull Shoals Lake were closed due to flooding. Part of the Buffalo National River was closed due to flooding, flood damage, and debris piles.”
August 10, 2013: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Lead Hill — $550,000 damage.
NWS: “Several streets in Flippin flooded. Low-water crossings on Marion County Roads 3010, 3021, and 3022 were impassable with more than a foot of water over them.”
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
Boone County, which includes Lead Hill, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 30, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Boone County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $21.5 million a year, the 20th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.5 million (30%), 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 Lead Hill
- Omaha, AR15 mi
- Harrison, AR16 mi
- Kirbyville, MO16 mi
- Yellville, AR18 mi
- Hollister, MO21 mi
- Forsyth, MO22 mi
- Flippin, AR22 mi
- Branson, MO24 mi
- Gassville, AR26 mi
- Green Forest, AR27 mi
- Gainesville, MO30 mi
- Branson West, MO31 mi
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