NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rose Bud, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rose Bud, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 140 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 24 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 140
- EF3 or stronger
- 24
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
100 deaths in all
What the records show for Rose Bud
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rose Bud; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 39 miles away. The record near Rose Bud begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 70 miles away. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Rose Bud has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 140 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2014, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 50 people. Of the 140, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 75 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on April 20, 2025. Rose Bud has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1974, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rose Bud.
Compare Rose Bud's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rose Bud
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 72 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 Rose Bud: 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 Rose Bud
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s21(1 EF3+)
- 2000s50(3 EF3+)
- 1990s19(4 EF3+)
- 1980s11(6 EF3+)
- 1970s13(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s12(7 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 22 mi | 14.6 mi | 50 / 325 |
| Apr 27, 2014 | EF4 | 14 mi | 41.1 mi | 16 / 193 |
| Mar 15, 1984 | F4 | 19 mi | 41 mi | 2 / 13 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 16 mi | 45.3 mi | 5 / 24 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 25 mi | 17.2 mi | 5 / 64 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 2 / 29 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Dec 18, 2002 | F3 | 12 mi | 9.8 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F3 | 16 mi | 29 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F3 | 9 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 15 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| May 6, 1960 | F3 | 10 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 30 |
The strongest 12 of 140, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rose Bud
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Rose Bud since 1974, made on 45 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on April 2, 2006. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. April has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rose Bud
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Greers Ferry Dam, AR, 13 miles north of Rose Bud at 527 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and June and September the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 53.4 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 54 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 74 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.6 inches a year, most of it in March and December. That 53.4 inches is more than at 65 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (68%). Romance, 8 miles south, has its own station (Searcy, AR): 51.8 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 68 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 31 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 53.4 | 70 | 2.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Greers Ferry Dam, AR (527 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 Rose Bud
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 86 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rose Bud: 70 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 11, 2017. April has had the most flash floods, 4 of 11. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 41 have had fewer than Rose Bud.
December 24, 2009: flood 1 mile from the centre of Rose Bud — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding, which developed early on the morning of the 24th, became widespread areal flooding later in the morning on the 24th and continued into Christmas morning. Flooding occurred on Arkansas Highways 87, 13, 323, 36, 11, and 16.”
December 24, 2009: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Rose Bud — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Widespread heavy rain led to the development of flash flooding early on the morning of the 24th.”
October 29, 2009: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Rose Bud — $325,000 damage.
NWS: “Arkansas Highways 157, 124, 13, 16, 31, 36, and 87 were flooded, as were numerous county roads.”
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
White County, which includes Rose Bud, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 4 ice storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives White County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $50.9 million a year, the 9th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $17.9 million (35%), 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.