NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Paris, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Paris, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Paris
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Paris; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 5 miles away. The record near Paris begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Paris. The strongest of the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on May 24, 2011; its path came within 7 miles, and it killed 4 people. Of the 91, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2023. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Paris. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 82 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Paris has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare Paris's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Paris
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Paris: 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 Paris
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s19(2 EF3+)
- 2000s17
- 1990s9
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s12(2 EF3+)
- 1950s11(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2011 | EF4 | 7 mi | 45.71 mi | 4 / 27 |
| May 24, 2011 | EF3 | 14 mi | 29.01 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 17 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 76 |
| Mar 26, 1976 | F3 | 24 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 14, 1960 | F3 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 1960 | F3 | 24 mi | 13.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 1959 | F3 | 2 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 15, 1954 | F3 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 24 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 25 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 3 mi | 40.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 23, 2001 | F2 | 11 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F2 | 11 mi | 28.8 mi | 1 / 18 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Paris
The Storm Prediction Center has 82 hail reports within 10 miles of Paris since 1961, made on 64 separate days. Of these, 53 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 11, 2017. The most recent report is from April 5, 2025. April has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Paris
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Subiaco, AR, 5 miles east of Paris at 500 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 29°F. May is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 62 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 67 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.5 inches is more than at 21 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (22%). Magazine, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Booneville 3 SSE, AR): 51.7 inches a year, 2.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 2.9 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 69 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Year | 72 | 50 | 49.5 | 70 | 2.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Subiaco, AR (500 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 Paris
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 125 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Paris: 108 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 5 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 9, 2019. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 30 have had fewer than Paris.
June 1, 2008: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Paris — $2.7 million damage.
NWS: “Six houses suffered major damage, 20 had moderate damage, and 27 had minor damage. Four businesses had major damage, including a car dealership, two shop buildings, and a lumber company.”
May 1, 2011: flood 5 miles from the centre of Paris — $500,000 damage.
October 29, 2009: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Paris — $450,000 damage.
NWS: “Arkansas Highway 10 was flooded between Booneville and the Magazine Bridge. Damage to bridges occurred at Marcelle Phillips Park and Veterans Park in Booneville.”
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
Logan County, which includes Paris, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Logan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; 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 $12.3 million a year, the 39th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.6 million (53%), 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 Paris
- Magazine, AR9 mi
- Altus, AR11 mi
- Hartman, AR12 mi
- Charleston, AR18 mi
- Ozark, AR19 mi
- Clarksville, AR19 mi
- Booneville, AR19 mi
- Belleville, AR21 mi
- Lamar, AR24 mi
- Danville, AR24 mi
- Mulberry, AR25 mi
- London, AR25 mi
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