Baxter County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Baxter County: 5.
2. 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.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. 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.

Every large fire

1. 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

1. 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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

1. 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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. 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 county boundary (or inside the county).
2. 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

Mapped by NASA (1).

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jan 26, 2009Ice Storm, Baxter$50.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   According to the National Weather Service cooperative observer at Mountain Home 1/2 to 1 inch of freezing rain and sleet had already accumulated by 4:15 AM CST on the 27th. At 8:00 AM, a storm spotter 3 miles northeast of Mountain Home reported 1/2 inch of ice atop 1 1/2 inches of sleet. The automated observing station at Mountain Home measured 0.24 inch of freezing rain between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. At 10:45 AM, a KYTV viewer in Mountain Home reported between 1 and 1 1/2 inches of ice clinging to tree branches.

2. Feb 5, 2008Tornado$15.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado moved from Marion County, north-northeast of Rea Valley, into Baxter County, just east-southeast of Cotter. A survey by the Red Cross indicated 21 houses were destroyed, 23 suffered major damage, 35 had minor damage, and 147 others were affected. In addition, 9 mobile homes were destroyed, 12 suffered major damage, 10 had minor damage, and 10 others were affected. One fatality occurred in a mobile home park. Most of the residential structures were in the area around Gassville. A number of businesses in Gassville, along U.S. Highway 62/412, were damaged. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down. The tornado dissipated before reaching Mountain Home.

3. Mar 18, 2008Flood$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain caused the White River in Baxter County to flood. Thirty feet of River View Road on the North Fork of the White River were washed out. River View Drive and River Ridge Road were washed out. Deputies used helicopters to rescue about a dozen people from Norfork Village. One family was evacuated from their residence on River Valley Road. Seven campers and 20 residences were evacuated at Buffalo City. Approximately 60 homes were damaged to some degree with about 30 having major damage, 15 with moderate damage, and the remainder with minor damage in the county. Some livestock and pasture losses were noted also.

4. Dec 5, 2013Winter Storm, Baxter$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snow and sleet totaled 9.5 inches 3 miles north-northeast of Mountain Home (storm spotter), 9 inches 2.2 miles south-southwest of Gamaliel (CoCoRaHS), 8 inches 1 mile north-northwest of Mountain Home (cooperative observer) and 5.8 miles northeast of Mountain Home (CoCoRaHS), and 7.5 inches 0.5 mile southeast of Lakeview (CoCoRaHS) and 2 miles west of Midway (CoCoRaHS). Several boat docks in the county collapsed due to accumulated ice and snow, as did three large turkey houses at Buford. Roofs also collapsed at a lumber yard, a boat and RV storage facility, and a warehouse that stored carpeting.

5. Mar 18, 2008Flash Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Many roads were closed across the county and a number of mudslides occurred. Arkansas Highway 201 between Shady Grove and Arkana was flooded, as were County Roads 510 and 10 near Midway, County Road 806 in the Gamaliel area, County Road 63, County Road 65 in the Jordan area, County Road 72 at Plum Tree Lane, County Roads 7 and 1 in the Cotter area, County Road 105 at Norfork, Old Mill Road, and Tucker Cemetery Road.

6. Apr 10, 2008Flash Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Excessive releases from Norfork Dam caused flash flooding along the two mile stretch of the Norfork River between the dam and the White River. About four homes were flooded, two resorts flooded, and two trout docks were swept away in the rushing water. Boats, motors, and supplies were carried away with the docks.

7. Sep 13, 2008Tropical Storm, Baxter$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Trees and power lines were down across the county. Many county roads were blocked from fallen trees and debris. A tree fell on a home on Cedar Street in Mountain Home.

8. May 1, 2011Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Some of the campsites around Lake Norfork were closed due to flooding.

9. Aug 30, 2012Tropical Depression, Baxter$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,…

10. Apr 26, 2011Flood$300,000
    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,…

1. 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.

All-time high

114°FAug 9, 1934

All-time low

−16°FDec 9, 1917

Warmest night

81°F4 times, most recently Jul 6, 2012

Coldest day

2°FJan 12, 1918

Wettest day

8.95 inSep 4, 1985

Snowiest day

14.0 in2 times, most recently Mar 9, 1994

Hottest year

1921mean 62.0°F

Coldest year

2014mean 55.7°F

Wettest year

192774.54 in

Driest year

195325.97 in

Snowiest season

36.7 in1917-18

Station Mountain Home 1 Nnw (USC00035036), 800 ft elevation, 1.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1902 to October 27, 2026; 97.5% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USC00035036.
• 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.