NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ward, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ward, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 175 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 21 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 175
- EF3 or stronger
- 21
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
118 deaths in all
What the records show for Ward
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ward; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1923, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Ward begins with an unnamed storm in 1879; the most recent system was Laura in 2020, a tropical storm 53 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Ward has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 54% of the 213 Arkansas cities on this site. The highest rating among the 175 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2014, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 50 people. Of the 175, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 87 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 47. The most recent tornado was on June 12, 2025. Ward has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 94% of the 213 Arkansas cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 174 times since 1980, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Ward has more hail reports within 10 miles than 84% of the 213 Arkansas cities.
Compare Ward's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ward
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | LauraAug 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 24 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 16 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1909 | Unnamed 1909 stormSep 21 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1905 | Unnamed 1905 stormSep 30 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1879 | Unnamed 1879 stormAug 24 | 57 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 Ward: 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 Ward
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s26(1 EF3+)
- 2000s51(2 EF3+)
- 1990s31(5 EF3+)
- 1980s14(4 EF3+)
- 1970s21(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s13(6 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 19 mi | 14.6 mi | 50 / 325 |
| Apr 27, 2014 | EF4 | 13 mi | 41.1 mi | 16 / 193 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 24 mi | 11 mi | 5 / 180 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 9 mi | 7.6 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 25 mi | 16.2 mi | 9 / 9 |
| Mar 29, 1976 | F3 | in town | 17.2 mi | 5 / 64 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 21 mi | 39 mi | 3 / 72 |
| Jan 21, 1999 | F3 | 3 mi | 8 mi | 2 / 29 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F3 | 23 mi | 18 mi | 2 / 53 |
| Dec 18, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 9.8 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Dec 24, 1982 | F3 | 17 mi | 16.5 mi | 1 / 7 |
| Feb 22, 1975 | F3 | 21 mi | 14.4 mi | 1 / 22 |
The strongest 12 of 175, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ward
The Storm Prediction Center has 174 hail reports within 10 miles of Ward since 1980, made on 102 separate days. Of these, 92 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on April 9, 1991. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 51.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ward
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cabot, AR, 5 miles west of Ward at 300 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 92°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 6.1 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 74 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 53.5 inches is more than at 66 of the 95 Arkansas stations used on this site (69%). Mc Rae, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Searcy, AR): 51.8 inches a year, 1.7 less than here, and a July average high of 93°F against 92°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 28 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 56 | 31 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 6.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 68 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 48 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 64 | 38 | 5.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 54 | 31 | 5.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Year | 73 | 49 | 53.5 | 73 | 2.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cabot, AR (300 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 Ward
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 235 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ward: 163 thunderstorm wind reports, 49 flash floods, 12 floods, 7 heavy rain events and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $44.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on August 5, 2009. April has had the most flash floods, 12 of 49. Of the 212 Arkansas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 176 have had fewer than Ward.
May 1, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Ward — 1 killed, $25.0 million damage.
May 1, 2011: flood 7 miles from the centre of Ward — 1 killed, $9.0 million damage.
December 24, 2009: flood 9 miles from the centre of Ward — 2 injured, $40,000 damage.
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
Lonoke County, which includes Ward, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 tornadoes, 4 floods, 4 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 21, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lonoke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $41.1 million a year, the 10th highest of 75 Arkansas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.3 million (37%), 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 Ward
- Austin, AR4 mi
- Beebe, AR6 mi
- Cabot, AR7 mi
- Mc Rae, AR10 mi
- Jacksonville, AR14 mi
- Lonoke, AR15 mi
- Romance, AR16 mi
- Vilonia, AR18 mi
- Carlisle, AR19 mi
- Searcy, AR19 mi
- Sherwood, AR20 mi
- Kensett, AR21 mi
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