NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ola, 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 Ola, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
14 deaths in all
What the records show for Ola
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ola; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1879, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Ola begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 60 miles away. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Ola has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 46% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The strongest of the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on February 5, 2008; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 13 people. Of the 67, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 15 each. The most recent tornado was on November 4, 2024. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 88% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ola. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 83 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Ola has more hail reports within 10 miles than 53% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ola
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 72 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 Ola: 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 Ola
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s9
- 2000s19(2 EF3+)
- 1990s6
- 1980s5
- 1970s10(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s8(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 12 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| Feb 14, 1956 | F3 | 18 mi | 33 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F3 | 23 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 5 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 26, 1955 | F3 | 24 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 18 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jan 10, 2020 | EF2 | 24 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 12, 2006 | F2 | 9 mi | 14.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F2 | 21 mi | 3.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1999 | F2 | 20 mi | 6.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 6, 1999 | F2 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ola
The Storm Prediction Center has 83 hail reports within 10 miles of Ola since 1957, made on 63 separate days. Of these, 48 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 24, 2011. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ola
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Nimrod Dam, AR, 7 miles southeast of Ola at 480 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 72°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 31°F. May is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and July and August the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 54.4 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 73 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 54.4 inches is more than at 69 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (73%). Danville, 10 miles west, has its own station (Blue Mountain Dam, AR): 49.7 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 5.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 6.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 94 | 70 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Year | 74 | 51 | 54.4 | 72 | 2.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Nimrod Dam, AR (480 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 Ola
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 176 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ola: 95 thunderstorm wind reports, 63 floods, 11 flash floods, 5 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 11, 2013. September has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 41 have had fewer than Ola.
April 11, 2008: flood 5 miles from the centre of Ola — 2 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “According to police reports, the driver of a small pick-up truck drove around barricades into a flooded portion of Arkansas Highway 28. The motorist continued through about 1/8 mile of flooded roadway until the water got so deep that the truck floated off the highway.”
October 28, 2014: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Ola — 1 killed.
March 19, 2008: flood 7 miles from the centre of Ola — $605,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused the Fourche LaFave River at Gravelly to go above major flood level. Parts of Arkansas Highway 28 in multiple locations had to be closed because of high water.”
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
Yell County, which includes Ola, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 5 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Yell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $15.0 million a year, the 32nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.8 million (52%), 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 Ola
- Danville, AR10 mi
- Belleville, AR12 mi
- Dardanelle, AR13 mi
- Pottsville, AR19 mi
- Russellville, AR21 mi
- Perryville, AR22 mi
- London, AR25 mi
- Atkins, AR26 mi
- Hot Springs Village, AR29 mi
- Morrilton, AR30 mi
- Dover, AR32 mi
- Lamar, AR32 mi
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