NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Roland, 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 Roland, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 158 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 25 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 158
- EF3 or stronger
- 25
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
64 deaths in all
What the records show for Roland
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Roland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Roland begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 33 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Roland has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 68% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 158 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2014, came within 2 miles. Of the 158, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 82 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 41. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2025. Roland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 92% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 136 times since 1963, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Roland has more hail reports within 10 miles than 78% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare Roland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Roland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 19 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 66 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 Roland: 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 Roland
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s29(2 EF3+)
- 2000s41(5 EF3+)
- 1990s16(3 EF3+)
- 1980s17(4 EF3+)
- 1970s20(3 EF3+)
- 1960s14(2 EF3+)
- 1950s9(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2014 | EF4 | 2 mi | 41.1 mi | 16 / 193 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 20 mi | 14 mi | 10 / 40 |
| Apr 10, 1965 | F4 | 13 mi | 4.7 mi | 6 / 200 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 21 mi | 11 mi | 5 / 180 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 17.2 mi | 5 / 64 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 18 mi | 39 mi | 3 / 72 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F3 | 15 mi | 18 mi | 2 / 53 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 15 mi | 3.5 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Apr 25, 2011 | EF3 | 17 mi | 16.78 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Nov 27, 2005 | F3 | 19 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Dec 18, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 9.8 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F3 | 17 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 158, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Roland
The Storm Prediction Center has 136 hail reports within 10 miles of Roland since 1963, made on 83 separate days. Of these, 86 were 1 inch across or larger, and 9 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on January 21, 1999. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 52.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Roland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Conway, AR, 16 miles north of Roland at 312 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 51.2 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 70 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 66 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.2 inches is more than at 39 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (41%). Maumelle, 9 miles east, has its own station (Little Rock, AR): 51.8 inches a year, 0.6 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 27 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 4.2 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 68 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 51.2 | 71 | 2.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Conway, AR (312 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 Roland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 140 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Roland: 90 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events, 7 lightning strikes and 6 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $51.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on March 24, 2017. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 29. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 149 have had fewer than Roland.
May 30, 2013: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Roland — 1 killed.
June 8, 2018: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Roland — 1 killed.
May 1, 2011: flood 6 miles from the centre of Roland — $28.0 million damage.
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
Pulaski County, which includes Roland, has been named in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 8 floods, 4 ice storms, 4 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pulaski County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively High for hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $212.2 million a year, the highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $91.0 million (43%), 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.