NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Strong, 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
15 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Strong, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Delta in 2020. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 15
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Strong
None of the 15 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Strong; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1909, a tropical storm with 66 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Strong begins with an unnamed storm in 1865; the most recent system was Delta in 2020, a tropical storm 70 miles away. Of the 15 systems, 4 have come since 2000. Strong is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 9 times; the most recent, on December 13, 2022, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on January 12, 2005, killed 2 people. Of the 96, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 54 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on January 5, 2025. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Strong. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 21 times since 1973, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 99% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Strong.
Compare Strong's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Strong
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | DeltaOct 10 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | LauraAug 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2012 | IsaacAug 30 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 2002 | LiliOct 4 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1965 | BetsySep 10 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1920 | Unnamed 1920 stormSep 22 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (66 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1891 | Unnamed 1891 stormJul 7 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormOct 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 23 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1865 | Unnamed 1865 stormSep 14 | 49 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 Strong: 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 Strong
By decade
- 2020s14(1 EF3+)
- 2010s15
- 2000s25(2 EF3+)
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s14(5 EF3+)
- 1960s7
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12, 2005 | F3 | 9 mi | 24 mi | 2 / 13 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | F3 | 12 mi | 60 mi | 2 / 4 |
| Dec 13, 2022 | EF3 | 19 mi | 9.06 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Feb 24, 2007 | EF3 | 4 mi | 26 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1999 | F3 | 24 mi | 14.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1979 | F3 | 21 mi | 62.4 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | F3 | 16 mi | 61.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1972 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1972 | F3 | 6 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 5, 2025 | EF2 | 20 mi | 9.03 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 2023 | EF2 | 7 mi | 10.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Strong
The Storm Prediction Center has 21 hail reports within 10 miles of Strong since 1973, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 17, 2025. The most recent report is from May 17, 2025. March has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Strong
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Calion L&D, AR, 15 miles northwest of Strong at 77 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 93°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 32°F. April and December are the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.7 inches over 74 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 42% of the year's precipitation (21.4 of 50.7 inches); the other six months are wetter. September has brought the most of the 15 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (6); a normal September there has highs of 87°F and 3.1 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 76 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 60 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.7 inches is more than at 29 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (31%). Marion, LA, 18 miles south, has its own station (Monroe 26 N, LA): 59.9 inches a year, 9.2 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 93°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 67 | 43 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 93 | 71 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 70 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 3.1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 77 | 51 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 5.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Year | 75 | 51 | 50.7 | 74 | 0.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Calion L&D, AR (77 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 Strong
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 30 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Strong: 25 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $162,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on September 26, 1996.
June 10, 2009: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Strong — 1 injured, $30,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree was downed on a home in Strong, Arkansas with one minor injury reported.”
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
Union County, which includes Strong, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 floods, 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 hurricanes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Union County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.6 million a year, the 38th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.9 million (39%), 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 Strong
- Marion, LA18 mi
- El Dorado, AR19 mi
- Crossett, AR22 mi
- Junction City, AR24 mi
- Farmerville, LA25 mi
- Bernice, LA27 mi
- Smackover, AR27 mi
- Hampton, AR29 mi
- Hamburg, AR33 mi
- Sterlington, LA33 mi
- Downsville, LA33 mi
- Bastrop, LA33 mi
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