NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Marion, 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
10 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Marion, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 94 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 10
- Tornadoes
- 94
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Marion
None of the 10 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Marion; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 63 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The record near Marion begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 42 miles away. The 1900s and the 1920s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 10 systems, one has come since 2000. Marion has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 88% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 94 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 13 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on December 14, 1987, killed 6 people. Of the 94, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Marion. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 74 times since 1964, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 57% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Marion.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Marion
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (63 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Marion: 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 Marion
By decade
- 2020s8(1 EF3+)
- 2010s10
- 2000s9(2 EF3+)
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s14(2 EF3+)
- 1970s20(5 EF3+)
- 1960s16(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 14, 1987 | F3 | 4 mi | 25 mi | 6 / 121 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 13 mi | 72.55 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 18 mi | 28.8 mi | 4 / 32 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 23 mi | 16 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Jan 7, 1978 | F3 | 22 mi | 39.6 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Feb 16, 1954 | F3 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 14 mi | 20.23 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 11 mi | 38 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 6 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 15 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 18 mi | 12.3 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 15 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 94, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Marion
The Storm Prediction Center has 74 hail reports within 10 miles of Marion since 1964, made on 56 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 26, 2009. The most recent report is from March 23, 2025. March has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Marion
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is West Memphis Municipal Airport, AR, 5 miles south of Marion at 214 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 33°F. March is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 50.4 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (22.3 of 50.4 inches); the other six months are wetter. October has brought the most of the 10 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (4); a normal October there has highs of 75°F and 4.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 58 nights a year. That 50.4 inches is more than at 26 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (27%). West Memphis, 4 miles southeast, has its own station (W Memphis, AR): 55.7 inches a year, 5.3 more than here, and the same July average high, 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 33 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 54 | 36 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Mar | 63 | 43 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 73 | 52 | 5.0 | 7 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Aug | 91 | 71 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.1 | 3 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 53 | 36 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Year | 72 | 53 | 50.4 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at West Memphis Municipal Airport, AR (214 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 Marion
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Marion: 84 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 flash floods, 3 lightning strikes and 2 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $12.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on February 24, 2011. April has had the most flash floods, 7 of 28. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 144 have had fewer than Marion.
March 31, 2008: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Marion — 1 killed.
June 27, 2013: lightning strike 4 miles from the centre of Marion — 3 injured.
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Marion — 1 injured, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “About 20 mobile homes were damaged. Several boat houses and a grain elevator were damaged in Horseshoe Lake.”
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 Marion's ZIP code 72364 have filed 32 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $734,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 44% 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, 48 have fewer than Marion.
Crittenden County, which includes Marion, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 ice storms, 3 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Crittenden County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning 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 $38.8 million a year, the 12th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.2 million (29%), 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 Marion
- West Memphis, AR4 mi
- Earle, AR15 mi
- Memphis, TN16 mi
- Walls, MS17 mi
- Horn Lake, MS19 mi
- Millington, TN20 mi
- Lake Cormorant, MS20 mi
- Bartlett, TN21 mi
- Southaven, MS21 mi
- Hughes, AR23 mi
- Cordova, TN24 mi
- Drummonds, TN25 mi
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