NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Shirley, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Shirley, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 20 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 106
- EF3 or stronger
- 20
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
What the records show for Shirley
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Shirley; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Shirley begins with an unnamed storm in 1909; the most recent system was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 54% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Shirley. The highest rating among the 106 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 14, 2025, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 5, 2008, killed 13 people. Of the 106, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 44 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. Shirley has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 81 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 50% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Shirley.
Compare Shirley's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Shirley
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 17 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Shirley: 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 Shirley
By decade
- 2020s4(1 EF3+)
- 2010s12(1 EF3+)
- 2000s28(2 EF3+)
- 1990s16(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(6 EF3+)
- 1970s17(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s13(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 2 mi | 121.84 mi | 13 / 139 |
| Apr 14, 1996 | F4 | 14 mi | 44 mi | 7 / 35 |
| Mar 15, 1984 | F4 | 2 mi | 41 mi | 2 / 13 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF4 | 19 mi | 115.95 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 2, 2008 | EF3 | 8 mi | 45.3 mi | 5 / 24 |
| Apr 30, 2010 | EF3 | 10 mi | 20.28 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F3 | 9 mi | 29 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | 12 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 6 |
| May 6, 1960 | F3 | 21 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 30 |
| May 13, 1957 | F3 | 22 mi | 17.5 mi | 1 / 18 |
| Feb 14, 1956 | F3 | 15 mi | 33 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Nov 15, 1955 | F3 | 19 mi | 36.5 mi | 1 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Shirley
The Storm Prediction Center has 81 hail reports within 10 miles of Shirley since 1973, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 11, 1973. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Shirley
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Greers Ferry Dam, AR, 20 miles east of Shirley 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%). Clinton, 9 miles west, has its own station (Marshall, AR): 47.6 inches a year, 5.8 less than here, and a July average high of 89°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 Shirley
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 107 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Shirley: 86 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 4 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $7.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on March 1, 2017. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 63 have had fewer than Shirley.
May 1, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Shirley — $2.3 million damage.
NWS: “Some of the campsites around Greers Ferry Lake were closed due to flooding.”
May 27, 2010: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Shirley — $2.0 million damage.
April 26, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Shirley — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Widespread areal flooding occurred.”
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
Van Buren County, which includes Shirley, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 4 ice storms, 3 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Van Buren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for 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 $10.0 million a year, the 47th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (38%), 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 Shirley
- Fairfield Bay, AR4 mi
- Clinton, AR9 mi
- Greers Ferry, AR10 mi
- Quitman, AR17 mi
- Heber Springs, AR19 mi
- Mountain View, AR21 mi
- Rose Bud, AR24 mi
- Greenbrier, AR27 mi
- Marshall, AR27 mi
- Pangburn, AR31 mi
- Romance, AR32 mi
- Hector, AR36 mi
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