NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Manila, 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 Manila, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 136 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 136
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
74 deaths in all
What the records show for Manila
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Manila; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Manila begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The 1900s and the 1920s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Manila has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 136 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 136, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 39. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Manila has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 81% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 31 times since 1963, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Manila.
Compare Manila's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Manila
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 56 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 Manila: 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 Manila
By decade
- 2020s24(3 EF3+)
- 2010s17
- 2000s19(1 EF3+)
- 1990s21(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s11(3 EF3+)
- 1950s23(7 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 3 mi | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 24 mi | 6.5 mi | 17 / 100 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 8 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F4 | 2 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 4 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 23 mi | 51.8 mi | 3 / 96 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 25 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Feb 16, 1954 | F3 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | in town | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 16 mi | 9.4 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 9 mi | 24.18 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 136, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Manila
The Storm Prediction Center has 31 hail reports within 10 miles of Manila since 1963, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently November 15, 1989. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Manila
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Keiser, AR, 11 miles south of Manila at 232 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 31°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 71 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 64 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 52.1 inches is more than at 52 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (55%). Leachville, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Paragould 1S, AR): 51.6 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 31 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 52 | 34 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 61 | 42 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 72 | 52 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 62 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 70 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 3.0 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 34 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 71 | 52 | 52.1 | 76 | 1.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Keiser, AR (232 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 Manila
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 50 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Manila: 44 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $415,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 16, 2025.
July 1, 2014: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Manila — 1 killed.
NWS: “Lightning struck and killed a teenager as he was running to take cover from a storm. He was found underneath a tree in a church's parking lot.”
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
Mississippi County, which includes Manila, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 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 Mississippi County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $51.8 million a year, the 8th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.6 million (13%), 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 Manila
- Leachville, AR8 mi
- Osceola, AR13 mi
- Lake City, AR15 mi
- Blytheville, AR15 mi
- Lepanto, AR17 mi
- Senath, MO20 mi
- Ripley, TN22 mi
- Henning, TN22 mi
- Brookland, AR23 mi
- Bay, AR23 mi
- Steele, MO25 mi
- Paragould, AR25 mi
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