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Tornado in Benton County, Arkansas
69 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Benton County, Arkansas, has 69 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 30 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 23 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 36 events against 13 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 2.7% of the 2,565 tornado events recorded in Arkansas; its 8.1 per 100 square miles compares with 4.9 statewide.
By rating: 16 at (E)F0, 35 at (E)F1, 13 at (E)F2, 5 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Arkansas
| Measure | Benton County | Arkansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 69 | 2,565 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 2.3 | 8.5 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 413 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
3Feb
0Mar
7Apr
13May
23Jun
7Jul
1Aug
0Sep
0Oct
9Nov
4Dec
2
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 69 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Nov 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Nov 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $900K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Nov 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF3 | $6.0M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $80M | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Oct 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Oct 2019 | Tornado | EF2 | $6.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2015 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Oct 2012 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 22 May 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Dec 2010 | Tornado | EF2 | $75K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Dec 2010 | Tornado | EF2 | $200K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 10 May 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jan 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 2006 | Tornado | F2 | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 2006 | Tornado | F3 | $5.0M | — | — | 12 | County |
| 30 Mar 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 1997 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1995 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1993 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1993 | Tornado | F2 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1993 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Oct 1991 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 1990 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 1978 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1978 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1977 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1973 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 19 Nov 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Oct 1970 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 11 Jun 1970 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Apr 1970 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 1968 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1965 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1964 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Jun 1964 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1961 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1960 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 1954 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 1954 | Tornado | F3 | $3K | — | — | 4 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Benton County had?
69 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Benton County?
18 Jun 2025 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Benton County?
The tornado of 26 May 2024, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $80M.
How does Benton County compare with Arkansas for tornado?
8.1 events per 100 square miles against 4.9 statewide; the county holds 69 of the state's 2,565 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.