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Tornado in Pope County, Arkansas
29 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.
Pope County, Arkansas, has 29 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 23 different years.
March is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 11 events against 7 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 2,565 tornado events recorded in Arkansas; its 3.6 per 100 square miles compares with 4.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 7 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 1 at (E)F0, 14 at (E)F1, 10 at (E)F2, 3 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Arkansas
| Measure | Pope County | Arkansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 29 | 2,565 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.6 | 4.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 4.5 | 8.5 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 7 | 413 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | March | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
5Mar
8Apr
4May
6Jun
2Jul
0Aug
0Sep
1Oct
0Nov
1Dec
0
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 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2017 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF3 | $12M | — | 5 | 15 | County |
| 8 Jan 2008 | Tornado | EF2 | $3.5M | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 12 Jan 2006 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 2004 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 5 Mar 1999 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 1999 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Mar 1997 | Tornado | F1 | $5.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 7 May 1978 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Feb 1975 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 4 Sep 1970 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 5 May 1961 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | 1 | 4 | County |
| 11 Jun 1959 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Feb 1956 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 30 Apr 1954 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1953 | Tornado | F2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 1953 | Tornado | F3 | $3K | — | — | 7 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Pope County had?
29 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 Pope County?
25 Jun 2023 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Pope County?
The tornado of 5 Feb 2008, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $12M; 5 deaths recorded.
How does Pope County compare with Arkansas for tornado?
3.6 events per 100 square miles against 4.9 statewide; the county holds 29 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.