NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Salem, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 86 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 19 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 86
- EF3 or stronger
- 19
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
38 deaths in all
What the records show for Salem
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Salem; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The record near Salem begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 29 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 72% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Salem. The highest rating among the 86 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 86, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Salem. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1967, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 89% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Salem.
Compare Salem's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salem
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Salem: 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 Salem
By decade
- 2020s11(5 EF3+)
- 2010s3
- 2000s25(2 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(5 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s11(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 17 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| Apr 14, 1996 | F4 | 13 mi | 44 mi | 7 / 35 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F4 | 24 mi | 20 mi | 2 / 28 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 14 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F4 | 16 mi | 63 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 18 mi | 35.52 mi | 3 / 4 |
| Nov 18, 1985 | F3 | 23 mi | 34 mi | 3 / 16 |
| May 15, 1968 | F3 | 23 mi | 7.3 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 17 mi | 1.5 mi | 2 / 2 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 16 mi | 34.6 mi | 1 / 17 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF3 | 22 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF3 | 20 mi | 23.54 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 86, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Salem
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Salem since 1967, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 2, 2006. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Salem
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Salem, AR, 2 miles east of Salem at 680 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 25°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and January and June the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 51 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.5 inches is more than at 20 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (21%). Ash Flat, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Hardy, AR): 51.6 inches a year, 2.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 25 | 3.4 | 6 | 1.6 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 3.6 | 6 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 4.9 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 35 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 48 | 28 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Year | 69 | 46 | 49.5 | 73 | 4.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Salem, AR (680 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 Salem
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 94 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salem: 72 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 3 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 9, 2016. October has had the most flash floods, 4 of 14. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than Salem.
March 20, 2012: flood 8 miles from the centre of Salem — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused flooding along the South Fork of the Spring River. On the 24th at the Kia Kima Scout Reservation, a 4 year-old boy was helping clean up the area.”
May 9, 2016: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Salem — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Airplanes were severely damaged along with structural damage to some airport buildings. Winds estimated at 80 to 100 mph.”
January 13, 2007: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Salem — $310,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rains produced widespread flash flooding across Fulton County. Numerous secondary and county roads were flooded and impassible.”
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
Fulton County, which includes Salem, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 floods, 4 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fulton County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.4 million a year, the 52nd highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.3 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.
Cities near Salem
- Horseshoe Bend, AR10 mi
- Ash Flat, AR13 mi
- Cherokee Village, AR16 mi
- Mammoth Spring, AR17 mi
- Highland, AR20 mi
- Thayer, MO21 mi
- Melbourne, AR23 mi
- Calico Rock, AR24 mi
- West Plains, MO25 mi
- Mountain Home, AR29 mi
- Cave City, AR32 mi
- Alton, MO34 mi
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