NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rison, 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
11 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rison, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 51 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 51
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
14 deaths in all
What the records show for Rison
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rison; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1909, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Rison begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 26 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Rison has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 51 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 28, 1975, came within 23 miles. Of the 51, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on July 8, 2024. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rison. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1975, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rison.
Compare Rison's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rison
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 49 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 Rison: 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 Rison
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s6
- 2000s16
- 1990s4
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 1975 | F4 | 23 mi | 5.4 mi | 7 / 51 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 17 mi | 33.7 mi | 5 / 16 |
| May 14, 1983 | F3 | 17 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 14, 1990 | F2 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Apr 21, 1955 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF2 | 7 mi | 19.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF2 | 25 mi | 22.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 15 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2003 | F2 | 16 mi | 25.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F2 | 13 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F2 | 15 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 1982 | F2 | 15 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 51, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rison
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Rison since 1975, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 3, 2025. The most recent report is from April 3, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rison
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fordyce, AR, 17 miles southwest of Rison at 230 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 31°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 57.6 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 44% of the year's precipitation (25.1 of 57.6 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 11 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 85°F and 3.6 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 65 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 71 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 57.6 inches is more than at 86 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (91%). Star City, 18 miles east, has its own station (Cane Creek Sp, AR): 56.4 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 5.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 5.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 57.6 | 74 | 1.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fordyce, AR (230 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 Rison
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 78 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rison: 61 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 1, 2023. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 12. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 50 have had fewer than Rison.
December 27, 2009: flood 5 miles from the centre of Rison — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “S. Highway 79 into the Saline River between Kingsland and Rison.”
July 14, 2016: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Rison — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous chicken houses were damaged in the Rison area.”
October 9, 2009: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Rison — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees and power lines were down. Several houses in the area sustained roof damage, and several chicken houses had their roofs torn off.”
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
Cleveland County, which includes Rison, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on April 4, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cleveland County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $2.9 million a year, the 74th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.1 million (37%), 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 Rison
- Star City, AR18 mi
- Fordyce, AR18 mi
- Pine Bluff, AR19 mi
- White Hall, AR22 mi
- Warren, AR23 mi
- Sheridan, AR30 mi
- Monticello, AR31 mi
- Bearden, AR32 mi
- Gould, AR33 mi
- Redfield, AR35 mi
- Hampton, AR35 mi
- Dumas, AR37 mi
All Arkansas cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Rison with another place →