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Tornado in Chicot County, Arkansas
45 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.
Chicot County, Arkansas, has 45 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 22 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 15 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.8% of the 2,565 tornado events recorded in Arkansas; its 7.1 per 100 square miles compares with 4.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 1 death in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 12 at (E)F0, 25 at (E)F1, 7 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Arkansas
| Measure | Chicot County | Arkansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 45 | 2,565 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 7.1 | 4.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 44.9 | 8.5 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 1 | 413 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
8Feb
6Mar
6Apr
9May
3Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
5Oct
2Nov
3Dec
3
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 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2025 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2021 | Tornado | EF0 | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $110K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $1.0M | $400K | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jan 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2018 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $110K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 13 Mar 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $2.5M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Dec 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Dec 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 18 Apr 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Sep 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2008 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.5M | $200K | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Sep 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Nov 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2003 | Tornado | F0 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Nov 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jan 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $70K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Feb 1998 | Tornado | F1 | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Nov 1995 | Tornado | F1 | $30K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 8 Sep 1990 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Oct 1980 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Oct 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | 1 | 2 | County |
| 8 Apr 1979 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 20 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F3 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Feb 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 36 | County |
| 17 Feb 1976 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Feb 1976 | Tornado | F2 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1972 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1956 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Chicot County had?
45 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 Chicot County?
20 May 2025 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Chicot County?
The tornado of 13 Mar 2016, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Chicot County compare with Arkansas for tornado?
7.1 events per 100 square miles against 4.9 statewide; the county holds 45 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.