NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit London, 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 London, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
23 deaths in all
What the records show for London
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed London; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 22 miles away. The record near London 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 London. The highest rating among the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 24, 2011, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 91, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. March and April have had the most tornadoes, 19 each. The most recent tornado was on June 25, 2023. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than London. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 83 times since 1978, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). London has more hail reports within 10 miles than 53% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare London's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near London
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 69 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 London: 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 London
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s12(2 EF3+)
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s16
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15(2 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s13(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 23 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 18 mi | 45.71 mi | 4 / 27 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF3 | 11 mi | 29.01 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Feb 14, 1956 | F3 | 22 mi | 33 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 12 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 76 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 19 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 6, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 11.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1960 | F3 | 9 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 15, 1954 | F3 | 13 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 24 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 5 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 12 mi | 40.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 8, 2008 | EF2 | 16 mi | 20.46 mi | 1 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in London
The Storm Prediction Center has 83 hail reports within 10 miles of London since 1978, made on 59 separate days. Of these, 44 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 11, 2022. The most recent report is from April 3, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 20 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in London
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dardanelle, AR, 12 miles southeast of London at 370 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 29°F. May is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 49.6 inches over 66 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 73 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 66 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.6 inches is more than at 22 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (23%). Lamar, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Clarksville 6 NE, AR): 52.8 inches a year, 3.2 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 29 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 3.3 | 5 | 1.2 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 62 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 49.6 | 66 | 3.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dardanelle, AR (370 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 London
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 110 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of London: 92 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods and 4 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $7.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on May 1, 2019. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than London.
May 9, 2015: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of London — 2 injured, $10,000 damage.
March 18, 2008: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of London — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Minor flooding was reported along side streets in Russellville. Two individuals were rescued from their home in Scottsville before the house floated down the Illinois Bayou.”
May 24, 2019: flood 10 miles from the centre of London — $1.5 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
Pope County, which includes London, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pope County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind, lightning 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 $38.7 million a year, the 13th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.6 million (43%), 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 London
- Lamar, AR8 mi
- Russellville, AR11 mi
- Dover, AR11 mi
- Clarksville, AR14 mi
- Dardanelle, AR14 mi
- Pottsville, AR17 mi
- Hartman, AR19 mi
- Belleville, AR20 mi
- Hector, AR21 mi
- Atkins, AR23 mi
- Danville, AR24 mi
- Paris, AR25 mi
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