NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rector, 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 Rector, 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, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
20 deaths in all
What the records show for Rector
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rector; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Rector begins with an unnamed storm in 1906; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 55 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1920s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Rector has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 46% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 20 miles. Of the 115, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 51 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Rector has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 63% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rector.
Compare Rector's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rector
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 3 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 Rector: 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 Rector
By decade
- 2020s18(3 EF3+)
- 2010s19
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s25(2 EF3+)
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s13
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 20 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| Apr 22, 1981 | F4 | 25 mi | 63 mi | 1 / 32 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F4 | 10 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 23 mi | 80.97 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 4 mi | 77 mi | 2 / 177 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F3 | 6 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 12 mi | 3.6 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 23 mi | 24.18 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Apr 3, 1984 | F3 | 24 mi | 49 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 26, 1965 | F3 | 16 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 21 mi | 57.3 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | EF2 | 11 mi | 41.93 mi | 1 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rector
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Rector since 1957, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 38 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 12, 1967. 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 Rector
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Paragould 1S, AR, 20 miles southwest of Rector at 270 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 28°F. April is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.6 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 52 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 63 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.6 inches is more than at 44 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (46%). Piggott, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Malden Municipal Airport, MO): 48.5 inches a year, 3.1 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 28 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 50 | 31 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 70 | 49 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 39 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 32 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Year | 70 | 50 | 51.6 | 75 | 2.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Paragould 1S, AR (270 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 Rector
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 79 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rector: 61 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 2 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 6, 2005. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than Rector.
August 8, 2011: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Rector — 1 killed.
NWS: “A lightning fatality occurred near Highway 49, east of Rector. The lightning victim was outdoors chopping cotton when he was struck and killed.”
May 24, 2000: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Rector — $500,000 damage.
January 29, 2013: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Rector — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Straight line winds damaged a couple farm buildings and overturned two irrigation pivots.”
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
Clay County, which includes Rector, 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 Rector
- Marmaduke, AR8 mi
- Piggott, AR10 mi
- Senath, MO11 mi
- Kennett, MO13 mi
- Paragould, AR19 mi
- Corning, AR19 mi
- Campbell, MO20 mi
- Leachville, AR22 mi
- Steele, MO27 mi
- Malden, MO27 mi
- Brookland, AR29 mi
- Hayti, MO30 mi
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