NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Marianna, 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 Marianna, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 62
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Marianna
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Marianna; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 64 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The record near Marianna begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 71 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Marianna has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 62 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on January 21, 1999, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on June 6, 1974, killed 4 people. Of the 62, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. February has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Marianna. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 26 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 96% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Marianna.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Marianna
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (64 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Marianna: 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 Marianna
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s9
- 2000s7
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s17(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 1974 | F3 | 15 mi | 3.8 mi | 4 / 112 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 20 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Nov 19, 1970 | F3 | 5 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 27 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F3 | 25 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 29, 1956 | F3 | 13 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 21, 2013 | EF2 | 16 mi | 15.57 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.6 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Apr 5, 2025 | EF2 | 25 mi | 12.74 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 28, 2015 | EF2 | 7 mi | 5.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF2 | 4 mi | 4.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 14, 1983 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 62, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Marianna
The Storm Prediction Center has 26 hail reports within 10 miles of Marianna since 1974, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently April 30, 2022. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Marianna
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Marianna 2 S, AR, 2 miles south of Marianna at 234 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 32°F. March and April are the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 55 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.3 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%). West Helena, 17 miles southeast, has its own station (Helena, AR): 49.7 inches a year, 2.4 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 | 49 | 32 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 54 | 35 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 63 | 43 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 72 | 52 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 62 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 2.9 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 72 | 52 | 52.1 | 73 | 1.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Marianna 2 S, AR (234 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 Marianna
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 30 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Marianna: 20 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods and 4 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $812,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 31, 2023. April has had the most flash floods, 2 of 6. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 12 have had fewer than Marianna.
July 20, 2000: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Marianna — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree was blown over and fell on a car killing the driver. Other trees and power lines were knocked down.”
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Marianna — 1 injured.
NWS: “Straight line winds damaged two businesses along Main Street in Marianna. In addition, a structure at the Witten Elementary School sustained major damage.”
May 1, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Marianna — $550,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain during late April into early May caused the St. Francis River and L'Anguille River to rise to near record levels.”
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 Marianna's ZIP code 72360 have filed 42 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2022, with 12. 17% 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, 55 have fewer than Marianna.
Lee County, which includes Marianna, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lee County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.2 million a year, the 61st highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.5 million (20%), 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 Marianna
- West Helena, AR17 mi
- Forrest City, AR17 mi
- Helena, AR21 mi
- Hughes, AR22 mi
- Tunica, MS24 mi
- Brinkley, AR25 mi
- Colt, AR25 mi
- Robinsonville, MS28 mi
- Wynne, AR32 mi
- Lake Cormorant, MS35 mi
- Sarah, MS36 mi
- Mc Crory, AR38 mi
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