NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waldron, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Waldron, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 62
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Waldron
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Waldron; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 4 miles away. The record near Waldron begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site, 77% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Waldron. The strongest of the 62 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 19, 1968; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 14 people. Of the 62, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on November 3, 2024. Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waldron. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1979, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 213 Arkansas cities, 73% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waldron.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waldron
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waldron: 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 Waldron
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s10
- 2000s10(1 EF3+)
- 1990s11
- 1980s4
- 1970s3
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1968 | F4 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 14 / 270 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF3 | 20 mi | 14.84 mi | 3 / 30 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 24 mi | 40.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 10.7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 1, 2003 | F2 | 25 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 5, 1999 | F2 | 18 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 13, 1993 | F2 | 20 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F2 | 10 mi | 20.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F2 | 17 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 23, 1971 | F2 | 22 mi | 26.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 25, 1967 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F2 | 20 mi | 13.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 62, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waldron
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Waldron since 1979, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 5, 2025. The most recent report is from April 5, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waldron
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waldron, AR, 3 miles northeast of Waldron at 716 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 53.3 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 64 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 82 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.3 inches is more than at 63 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (66%). Booneville, 16 miles northeast, has its own station (Booneville 3 SSE, AR): 51.7 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 3.4 | 5 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 56 | 31 | 3.2 | 5 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 6.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 68 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 67 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 60 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 4.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 48 | 53.3 | 70 | 2.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waldron, AR (716 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 Waldron
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waldron: 66 thunderstorm wind reports, 35 flash floods and 3 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on January 21, 1999. May has had the most flash floods, 8 of 35. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 167 have had fewer than Waldron.
March 18, 2008: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Waldron — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “A home was damaged at Hon. Chicken houses and barns were damaged or destroyed.”
February 3, 2012: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Waldron — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “A 2-mile wide swath of damage occurred across Waldron. Dozens of trees and power lines were blown down, as were some street lights.”
January 13, 2007: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Waldron — $160,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused flash flooding, resulting in damage to county roads and bridges.”
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
Scott County, which includes Waldron, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 4 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 Scott County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.9 million a year, the 58th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (64%), 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 Waldron
- Mansfield, AR12 mi
- Booneville, AR16 mi
- Greenwood, AR21 mi
- Mena, AR22 mi
- Hackett, AR23 mi
- Heavener, OK26 mi
- Magazine, AR27 mi
- Cameron, OK28 mi
- Howe, OK28 mi
- Charleston, AR29 mi
- Poteau, OK29 mi
- Pocola, OK30 mi
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