Harrison
Population 13,802 (2025)
48 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Harrison since 1950, 5 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on May 19, 2025.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 195048
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger2
- Wildfire burn scars within 25 miles since 198416
At a glance
Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Boone County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Boone County.
Strongest tornado
EF3
May 26, 2024, 34.6 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm Ike, 2008, 17.9 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 1.6 years since 1950, 5 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 26, 2024
EF3, 34.6 mile path
1,760 yards wide; 1 killed along the whole path.
Deadliest
May 26, 2024
4 killed, EF3
1 injured along the whole path.
Most recent
Monday, May 19, 2025
EF1, 4.2 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| May 19, 2025 | EF1 | 4.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 19, 2025 | EF1 | 7.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 34.6 | 17 | 1 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 21.6 | 1 | 4 |
| May 13, 2024 | EF0 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 28, 2024 | EFU | 2.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 5, 2023 | EFU | 1.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 16, 2023 | EF2 | 11.0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov 4, 2022 | EF1 | 8.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 19, 2020 | EF2 | 12.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 30, 2019 | EF1 | 6.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF1 | 1.9 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 4, 2017 | EF1 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 6, 2017 | EF2 | 36.6 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 2015 | EF1 | 6.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 24, 2015 | EF0 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 13, 2014 | EF1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 17, 2014 | EF0 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 23, 2011 | EF1 | 28.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 31, 2010 | EF0 | 4.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 1, 2007 | EF0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 6, 2006 | F0 | 1.7 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 2004 | F0 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 24, 2003 | F1 | 4.9 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 23, 2001 | F1 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 18, 2000 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 24, 1999 | F1 | 0.4 | 26 | 0 |
| Nov 10, 1998 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 10, 1998 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 22, 1996 | F2 | 12.0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1994 | F1 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 11, 1994 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 1991 | F2 | 4.0 | 12 | 0 |
| Mar 21, 1991 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 26, 1983 | F2 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2, 1982 | F2 | 34.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 28, 1982 | F1 | 15.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 1976 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1973 | F3 | 7.8 | 19 | 1 |
| Mar 20, 1962 | F2 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 |
| May 8, 1961 | F2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 1961 | F2 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 |
| May 7, 1961 | F3 | 14.2 | 9 | 3 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F1 | 19.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 1961 | F2 | 19.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Apr 4, 1955 | F2 | 10.2 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
1 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
September 14, 2008
Ike, Tropical storm
17.9 miles at closest approach, winds near 43 mph.
Most recent
September 14, 2008
Ike, Tropical storm
17.9 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.
Wildfire and smoke
16 large fires burned within 25 miles since 1984.
Largest
March 9, 1995
Unnamed Fire, 2,019 acres
20.1 miles from the city centre.
Most recent
March 24, 2014
Seed Tick Fire
1,990 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Seed Tick | 2014 | 21.3 | 1,990 |
| Flatrock | 2011 | 20.5 | 1,734 |
| Centerpoint | 2011 | 17.5 | 500 |
| Unnamed | 2006 | 21.5 | 1,839 |
| Unnamed | 2006 | 21.9 | 1,390 |
| Unnamed | 2004 | 16.1 | 560 |
| Gene Rush2 | 2004 | 20.5 | 618 |
| Unnamed | 2003 | 20.2 | 1,111 |
| Unnamed | 2002 | 18.1 | 754 |
| Generush3 | 2001 | 20.5 | 595 |
| Flat Rock | 2001 | 21.6 | 992 |
| Robertson | 1999 | 23.0 | 797 |
| Unnamed | 1998 | 20.0 | 585 |
| Stringtown | 1995 | 14.4 | 802 |
| Unnamed | 1995 | 20.1 | 2,019 |
| Compton | 1989 | 18.4 | 618 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 50 days
Heavy smoke on 10 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
16.8 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
9 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 28 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
35 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, with $485,000 paid.
Flood insurance figures are for Boone County, the county that contains Harrison.
Most claims in one year
2011: 13 claims
$141,000 paid.
2nd most
2017: 6 claims
$270,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 72601 | 32 | $485,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood42
- Heavy Rain10
- Flood2
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).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 82 of 1,581 months since 1895 (5%); the longest spell lasted 22 months.
The drought index is for Boone County, the county that contains Harrison.
82
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
29
Months in extreme drought
5%
Share of all months, severe or worse
17
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 1954
−5.80, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
22 months
August 1953 to May 1955.
Latest month
September 2026
−3.60, severe drought
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
21 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1984; none reached magnitude 4.
6
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
September 12, 2019
Magnitude 3.7
13 km N of Big Flat, Arkansas; 40.5 miles away, 10.9 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
September 12, 2019
Magnitude 3.7
13 km N of Big Flat, Arkansas; 40.5 miles away.
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
Landslides mapped in Boone County.
1
Landslides mapped, probable or better
1
With a recorded date
1
Source inventory
Mapped by NASA (1).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
639 events in the National Weather Service record for Boone County, 535 of them since 1996.
121
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
16
Hail, 2 inches or larger
144
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
121
Winter weather events since 1996
8
Heat events since 1996
11
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 24, 2006
4.25 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 20, 2000
81 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 5 | 0 |
| Debris flows | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jan 26, 2009Ice Storm, Boone$50.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The sheriff's office reported that 1/2 to 1 inch of freezing rain had accumulated by 5:30 AM on the 27th, with up to 2 inches of freezing rain and sleet combined.
- May 1, 2011Flood$4.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Some of the campsites around Bull Shoals Lake were closed due to flooding.
- Mar 18, 2008Flash Flood$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Numerous roads and low water bridges were flooded across the county. Crooked Creek overflowed onto Arkansas Highway 7. There were several bridges under water. The soccer field and parking lot at Harrison Junior High were flooded. At Everton, Marshall Creek flooded the town. Several residents were evacuated.
- Apr 25, 2011Flash Flood$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Flash flooding occurred in Harrison. Numerous houses were flooded. The intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and 65 flooded, as did Arkansas Highway 7 south of Harrison.
- Sep 13, 2008Tropical Storm, Boone$750,000
National Weather Service narrative
Winds gusted to 51 mph at the Harrison airport.
- Apr 30, 2019Tornado$700,000
National Weather Service narrative
This tornado touched down just south of Zinc Road just southeast of Bergman in Boone County, where several trees were uprooted. After crossing Zinc Road, more trees were either uprooted or snapped, with some damage to site-built homes. Several mobile homes were either damaged or destroyed further northeast along Choctaw Lane and Daniels Road, especially those that were not strapped down. Several homes were damaged from large trees falling into the structures. Many outbuildings were damaged or destroyed along this path. Most of the damage was confined to areas along Daniels and Sugar Roads. This tornado lifted just north of Arkansas Hwy 7 in the Dixon Hollow area.
- Aug 8, 2013Flash Flood$600,000
National Weather Service narrative
Flash flooding occurred on many roads in Boone County, and many low-water crossings were under water. In the Harrison area, U.S. 65 was blocked off due to water over the road, and Arkansas 7 had 4 feet of water over it. Water from Bear Creek flowed over the bridge on Arkansas 14 and deposited debris on the roadway. Water surrounded a mobile home in Omaha, but the fire department got the 83 year-old occupant out.
- Aug 30, 2012Tropical Depression, Boone$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Although Isaac was a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, it had weakened to a tropical depression by the time it reached Arkansas. Isaac passed through western Arkansas on the evening of the 30th and during the day on the 31st. Positions from the National Hurricane Center and the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center: August 30th at 10 PM (CDT) 95 miles south-southwest of Little Rock, August 31st at 4 AM 95 miles west of Little Rock, August 31st at 10 AM 25 miles northeast of Fort Smith, and August 31st at 4 PM 40 miles east of Joplin, Missouri. Although Isaac had exited Arkansas by the end of the month, some effects, including bands of thunderstorms spiraling in toward its center,…
- Apr 2, 2015Tornado$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
The tornado started 2.5 miles southwest of Burlington and tracked generally east to just past the new US Hwy 65. The tornado then dropped southeast before lifting 3 miles southwest of Myrtle. Homes were damaged off of old Hwy 65, and several buildings at the Arkansas Baptist Boys Ranch were damaged. Some chicken houses were damaged, along with several trees snapped or uprooted along the path.
- Apr 26, 2011Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
From the 24th through the 27th, the arrival of a slow-moving cold front and several low pressure areas aloft triggered several rounds of thunderstorms. Tornadoes, severe storms, and flash flooding resulted. Widespread areal flooding followed the flash flooding. Some of this flooding was due to heavy rain, while some of it was caused by water from rivers, creeks, and bayous backing up onto the land. On the evening of the 25th, devastating tornadoes affected several areas in central Arkansas. More than 140,000 electric customers in Arkansas lost power. Heavy rains during this period were the beginning of the Great Flood of 2011 in Arkansas. Much of the flooding lasted well into May,…
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Harrison Boone County Airport, 2.8 miles from the city centre, with records from 1948.
- All-time high
- 112°FAug 3, 2011
- All-time low
- −13°FJan 20, 1985
- Warmest night
- 88°FJul 31, 1986
- Coldest day
- 3°FDec 24, 1983
- Wettest day
- 7.83 inNov 4, 2024
- Snowiest day
- 14.3 inFeb 15, 1993
- Hottest year
- 2012mean 61.7°F
- Coldest year
- 1979mean 55.3°F
- Wettest year
- 197373.77 in
- Driest year
- 196326.75 in
- Snowiest season
- 36.8 in1969-70
Median first snow
December 23
Earliest: October 29, 1993
Median last snow
March 1
Latest: April 14, 1980
1 of 43 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Harrison Boone County Airport (USW00013971), 1,371 ft elevation, 2.8 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
23 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, January 24, 2026.
Declarations for Boone County.
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636-AR |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627-AR |
| May 30, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4788-AR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3541-AR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4518-AR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3461-AR |
| Jun 15, 2017 | Severe Storm | DR-4318-AR |
| Feb 5, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4254-AR |
| Sep 4, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4143-AR |
| May 2, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1975-AR |
| Dec 3, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1861-AR |
| Feb 6, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1819-AR |
| Jan 28, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3301-AR |
| Mar 26, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1751-AR |
| Sep 2, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3215-AR |
| May 7, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1516-AR |
| Dec 29, 2000 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1354-AR |
| May 15, 1990 | Flood | DR-865-AR |
| Apr 23, 1982 | Tornado | EM-3085-AR |
| Dec 3, 1976 | Drought | EM-3019-AR |
| Apr 27, 1973 | Flood | DR-375-AR |
| Jan 27, 1972 | Flood | DR-321-AR |
| Feb 15, 1969 | Flood | DR-254-AR |
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).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013971.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.