NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lonoke, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lonoke, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 186 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 186
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
61 deaths in all
What the records show for Lonoke
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lonoke; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The record near Lonoke begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Lonoke has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 186 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2014, came within 25 miles. Of the 186, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 94 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 55. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2025. Lonoke has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 98% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1956, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Lonoke has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lonoke
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lonoke: 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 Lonoke
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s36(1 EF3+)
- 2000s46(1 EF3+)
- 1990s27(5 EF3+)
- 1980s18(2 EF3+)
- 1970s24(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s13(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2014 | EF4 | 25 mi | 41.1 mi | 16 / 193 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 17 mi | 11 mi | 5 / 180 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 6 mi | 7.6 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 15 mi | 16.2 mi | 9 / 9 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 12 mi | 17.2 mi | 5 / 64 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 18 mi | 39 mi | 3 / 72 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 2 / 29 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F3 | 21 mi | 18 mi | 2 / 53 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F3 | 24 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Feb 22, 1975 | F3 | 18 mi | 14.4 mi | 1 / 22 |
| Mar 14, 1959 | F3 | 22 mi | 18 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 10 mi | 34.23 mi | 0 / 54 |
The strongest 12 of 186, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lonoke
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Lonoke since 1956, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 9, 1991. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. June has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lonoke
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cabot, AR, 14 miles northwest of Lonoke at 300 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 74 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 53.5 inches is more than at 66 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (69%). Carlisle, 9 miles east, has its own station (Keo, AR): 50.6 inches a year, 2.9 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 56 | 31 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 6.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 68 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 48 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 38 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 31 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 73 | 49 | 53.5 | 73 | 2.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cabot, AR (300 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 Lonoke
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 126 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lonoke: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 8 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $3.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 76 mph, on June 25, 2023. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 16. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 82 have had fewer than Lonoke.
June 25, 2023: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Lonoke — 2 killed, 1 injured.
December 24, 2009: flood 9 miles from the centre of Lonoke — 2 injured, $40,000 damage.
NWS: “An elderly woman was rescued after her car was swept off Oakdale Rd. by flood waters from Wattensaw Bayou.”
October 30, 2004: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lonoke — 2 injured.
NWS: “Straight line thunderstorm winds overturned a mobile home, injuring two occupants. Only minor injuries were reported.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Lonoke's ZIP code 72086 have filed 21 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2008, and were paid $635,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 52% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 103 Arkansas cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 29 have fewer than Lonoke.
Lonoke County, which includes Lonoke, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 tornadoes, 4 floods, 4 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lonoke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $41.1 million a year, the 10th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.3 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 Lonoke
- Carlisle, AR9 mi
- Scott, AR12 mi
- Jacksonville, AR13 mi
- Cabot, AR14 mi
- Austin, AR15 mi
- Ward, AR15 mi
- England, AR18 mi
- Hazen, AR18 mi
- Sherwood, AR18 mi
- North Little Rock, AR20 mi
- Beebe, AR21 mi
- Mc Rae, AR23 mi
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