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Tornado in Randolph County, Arkansas
22 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.
Randolph County, Arkansas, has 22 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 15 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 10 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.9% of the 2,565 tornado events recorded in Arkansas; its 3.4 per 100 square miles compares with 4.9 statewide.
By rating: 5 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 5 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 | Randolph County | Arkansas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 22 | 2,565 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 3.4 | 4.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 11.7 | 8.5 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 413 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | May | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
1Apr
4May
6Jun
1Jul
1Aug
1Sep
1Oct
4Nov
1Dec
1
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 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Apr 2025 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Jun 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF2 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 May 2019 | Tornado | EF0 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Feb 2008 | Tornado | EF1 | $200K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 22 Sep 2006 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Tornado | F3 | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 2004 | Tornado | F1 | — | $1K | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 1999 | Tornado | F2 | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 1994 | Tornado | F2 | $500K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 1 Nov 1984 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Dec 1982 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 14 May 1961 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 1955 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Randolph County had?
22 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 Randolph County?
2 Apr 2025 (Tornado, EF2). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Randolph County?
The tornado of 5 Apr 1999, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.0M.
How does Randolph County compare with Arkansas for tornado?
3.4 events per 100 square miles against 4.9 statewide; the county holds 22 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.