NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Star City, 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 Star City, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 68 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 11
- Tornadoes
- 68
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Star City
None of the 11 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Star City; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 68 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Star City begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 11 systems, one has come since 2000. Star City has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The strongest of the 68 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1968; its path came within 2 miles, and it killed 5 people. Of the 68, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on January 5, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Star City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 55 times since 1968, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Star City.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Star City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 20 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (68 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 67 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 Star City: 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 Star City
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s10
- 2000s22(1 EF3+)
- 1990s2
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 2 mi | 33.7 mi | 5 / 16 |
| Feb 24, 2007 | EF3 | 15 mi | 29.1 mi | 0 / 28 |
| May 14, 1983 | F3 | 20 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 23, 1957 | F3 | 21 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 2021 | EF2 | 21 mi | 18.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF2 | 18 mi | 16.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 22, 2012 | EF2 | 24 mi | 19.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2008 | EF2 | 16 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2007 | EF2 | 15 mi | 14.81 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F2 | in town | 10.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F2 | 14 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 68, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Star City
The Storm Prediction Center has 55 hail reports within 10 miles of Star City since 1968, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on June 14, 2023. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Star City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cane Creek Sp, AR, 5 miles southeast of Star City at 260 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 73°F; January is the coolest, at 52°F and 33°F. April and December are the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 56.4 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 43% of the year's precipitation (24.0 of 56.4 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 87°F and 3.2 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 78 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 48 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 56.4 inches is more than at 81 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (85%). Gould, 16 miles east, has its own station (Dumas, AR): 51.2 inches a year, 5.2 less than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 57 | 37 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 5.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 82 | 62 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 4.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 6.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 74 | 53 | 56.4 | 75 | 1.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cane Creek Sp, AR (260 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 Star City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 65 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Star City: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on May 5, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 16. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 82 have had fewer than Star City.
May 1, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Star City — $1.5 million damage.
April 4, 2011: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Star City — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were blown down. Several houses were damaged by trees falling into them.”
September 3, 2008: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Star City — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Flooding occurred across the county.”
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
Lincoln County, which includes Star City, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 4 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 Lincoln County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.8 million a year, the 64th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.0 million (30%), 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 Star City
- Gould, AR16 mi
- Rison, AR18 mi
- Dumas, AR20 mi
- Pine Bluff, AR20 mi
- Monticello, AR23 mi
- White Hall, AR26 mi
- Warren, AR27 mi
- Mc Gehee, AR34 mi
- Fordyce, AR35 mi
- Dermott, AR36 mi
- De Witt, AR38 mi
- Redfield, AR40 mi
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