NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Osceola, 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 Osceola, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 115 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
65 deaths in all
What the records show for Osceola
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Osceola; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The record near Osceola begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 36 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Osceola has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 15, 1968, killed 35 people. Of the 115, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Osceola has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Osceola.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Osceola
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 43 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 Osceola: 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 Osceola
By decade
- 2020s20(4 EF3+)
- 2010s14
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s16
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s14(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 1968 | F4 | 14 mi | 20.9 mi | 35 / 364 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 21 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F4 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 8 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 14, 1987 | F3 | 25 mi | 25 mi | 6 / 121 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 15 mi | 72.55 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 21 mi | 28.8 mi | 4 / 32 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 20 mi | 39.18 mi | 1 / 28 |
| Feb 16, 1954 | F3 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 12 mi | 39.7 mi | 1 / 57 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 15 mi | 9.4 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 22 mi | 24.18 mi | 0 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Osceola
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Osceola since 1961, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 2, 2006. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Osceola
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Keiser, AR, 4 miles west of Osceola 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%). Ripley, TN, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Covington 3 SW, TN): 55.8 inches a year, 3.7 more than here, and a July average high of 89°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 Osceola
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 60 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Osceola: 48 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 4 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on December 10, 2021. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 12 have had fewer than Osceola.
March 20, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Osceola — 1 killed.
NWS: “An elderly man drove his truck into flood waters when he lost control of the vehicle in the current causing the cab to fill with water. The passenger of the vehicle died as a result.”
July 1, 2014: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Osceola — 1 killed.
October 13, 2014: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Osceola — 1 injured, $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Straight line winds produced minor damage to homes in a residential neighborhood and to several businesses mainly from shingle damage or from falling trees. The most significant damage was to a convenience store which had the roof shifted off which then caused a load bearing wall to collapse.”
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 Osceola's ZIP code 72370 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1989, and were paid $372,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 20% 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, 0 have fewer than Osceola.
Mississippi County, which includes Osceola, 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 Osceola
- Ripley, TN10 mi
- Henning, TN10 mi
- Manila, AR13 mi
- Drummonds, TN15 mi
- Burlison, TN15 mi
- Blytheville, AR17 mi
- Lepanto, AR17 mi
- Leachville, AR20 mi
- Munford, TN21 mi
- Atoka, TN23 mi
- Brighton, TN23 mi
- Covington, TN24 mi
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