NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Melbourne, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Melbourne, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 73
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
30 deaths in all
What the records show for Melbourne
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Melbourne; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The record near Melbourne begins with an unnamed storm in 1909; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 42 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Melbourne has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 46% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 73 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 73, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 15. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Melbourne. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1970, with stones up to 8 inches. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 84% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Melbourne.
Compare Melbourne's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Melbourne
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Melbourne: 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 Melbourne
By decade
- 2020s8(3 EF3+)
- 2010s3
- 2000s24(2 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(3 EF3+)
- 1970s8
- 1960s4
- 1950s7(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 5 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| Apr 14, 1996 | F4 | 2 mi | 44 mi | 7 / 35 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 3 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F4 | 20 mi | 63 mi | 0 / 11 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 23 mi | 45.3 mi | 5 / 24 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 16 mi | 80.97 mi | 3 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 24 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Mar 5, 1996 | F3 | 2 mi | 46.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F3 | 21 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F3 | 20 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 2, 1950 | F3 | 8 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1950 | F3 | 10 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Melbourne
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Melbourne since 1970, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 8 inches, fell on June 19, 1970. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Melbourne
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Calico Rock 2 WSW, AR, 14 miles west of Melbourne at 350 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 25°F. April is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 48.9 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 45 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 99 nights a year. Snowfall averages 6.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.9 inches is more than at 17 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (18%). Mountain View, 16 miles southwest, has its own station (Mountain View, AR): 51.8 inches a year, 2.9 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 3.4 | 6 | 2.0 |
| Feb | 51 | 27 | 3.3 | 6 | 1.9 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 4.8 | 7 | 1.7 |
| Apr | 70 | 43 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 65 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 64 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 3.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 45 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 35 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Year | 68 | 45 | 48.9 | 74 | 6.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Calico Rock 2 WSW, AR (350 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 Melbourne
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 60 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Melbourne: 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 2 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $18.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on July 22, 2016.
March 18, 2008: flood 6 miles from the centre of Melbourne — $12.1 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused the White River at Calico Rock to go well above major flood level. The river crested less than a foot lower than the December, 1982 flood crest, but there has been substantial development in the floodplain during the last 25 years.”
March 18, 2008: flood 9 miles from the centre of Melbourne — $6.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused the White River in Stone County to flood. Approximately 41 residences were flooded.”
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Melbourne — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “Part of the roof of a house was torn off, allowing water to run inside and ruin many of the furnishings in the house. The roof was also taken off of a pole barn.”
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 Melbourne's ZIP code 72556 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $846,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 67% 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, 21 have fewer than Melbourne.
Izard County, which includes Melbourne, has been named in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 8 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 Izard County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.1 million a year, the 46th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (36%), 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 Melbourne
- Calico Rock, AR15 mi
- Mountain View, AR16 mi
- Horseshoe Bend, AR16 mi
- Ash Flat, AR22 mi
- Cave City, AR23 mi
- Salem, AR23 mi
- Batesville, AR24 mi
- Cherokee Village, AR27 mi
- Highland, AR31 mi
- Mountain Home, AR31 mi
- Mammoth Spring, AR35 mi
- Greers Ferry, AR35 mi
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