NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Piggott, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Piggott, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 105 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 105
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Piggott
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Piggott; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 48 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Piggott begins with an unnamed storm in 1906; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 52 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Piggott. The highest rating among the 105 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on January 21, 1999, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 14, 2025, killed 3 people. Of the 105, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 48 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Piggott has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 55% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Piggott.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Piggott
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 9 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 Piggott: 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 Piggott
By decade
- 2020s15(1 EF3+)
- 2010s21
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s24(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 1981 | F4 | 17 mi | 63 mi | 1 / 32 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F4 | 8 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 22 mi | 80.97 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 14 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 16 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 22 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 13 mi | 57.3 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | EF2 | 4 mi | 41.93 mi | 1 / 5 |
| May 16, 1990 | F2 | 12 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 24.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 14 mi | 19.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 13 mi | 9.88 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 105, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Piggott
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Piggott since 1957, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 12, 1967. The most recent report is from September 24, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Piggott
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Malden Municipal Airport, MO, 19 miles northeast of Piggott at 290 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. April is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.5 inches over 69 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 77 nights a year. That 48.5 inches is more than at 13 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (14%). Rector, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Paragould 1S, AR): 51.6 inches a year, 3.1 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 5.4 | 7 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.2 | 7 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 4.2 | 5 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 49 | 31 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 48.5 | 69 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Malden Municipal Airport, MO (290 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 Piggott
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 70 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Piggott: 49 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 4, 2020. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than Piggott.
May 1, 2011: flood 9 miles from the centre of Piggott — 1 killed, $1.3 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain during late April into the beginning of May caused the St. Francis River to rise above flood stage.”
August 8, 2011: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Piggott — 1 killed.
December 31, 2015: flood 9 miles from the centre of Piggott — 1 killed.
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 Piggott's ZIP code 72454 have filed 32 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1986, and were paid $327,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2014, with 11. 38% 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 Piggott.
Clay County, which includes Piggott, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clay County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.7 million a year, the 22nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 million (16%), 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 Piggott
- Campbell, MO10 mi
- Rector, AR10 mi
- Kennett, MO14 mi
- Malden, MO18 mi
- Marmaduke, AR18 mi
- Senath, MO18 mi
- Corning, AR20 mi
- Bernie, MO22 mi
- Hayti, MO28 mi
- Poplar Bluff, MO28 mi
- Paragould, AR28 mi
- Portageville, MO29 mi
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