Bradley County
Population 9,828 (2025) 649 sq mi
12 tropical storms and hurricanes have passed within 50 miles of Bradley County since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1909 (Tropical storm).
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195021
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger15
- Wildfire burn scars since 19842
At a glance
The record for Bradley County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi
12
Most of any of Arkansas’s 75 counties
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsTornadoes since 1950
21
62nd of 75 in Arkansas
Fewer than the typical Arkansas county, which has had 29
DetailsAcres burned since 1984
3,166
21st of 75 in Arkansas
2 large fires; the largest was Unnamed, 2000
DetailsStrongest tornado
F4
March 28, 1975, 5.4 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1909, 28.5 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 3.6 years since 1950, 4 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
March 28, 1975
F4, 5.4 mile path
250 yards wide; 7 killed along the whole path.
Most recent
Sunday, December 27, 2015
EF1, 7.1 mile path
11 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Dec 27, 2015 | EF1 | 7.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 1, 2010 | EF1 | 2.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 13, 2008 | EF0 | 2.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 24, 2007 | EF2 | 21.6 | 6 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 2004 | F1 | 7.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 29, 2004 | F0 | 2.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 30, 2003 | F0 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 24, 2003 | F1 | 20.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 18, 2002 | F1 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F2 | 19.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 25, 1985 | F1 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 8, 1979 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 8, 1979 | F3 | 62.4 | 18 | 0 |
| Apr 17, 1978 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 28, 1975 | F4 | 5.4 | 51 | 7 |
| Feb 22, 1975 | F1 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 1972 | F3 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 1, 1972 | F0 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 9, 1965 | F3 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 22, 1961 | F0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 10, 1954 | F2 | 13.9 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Bradley County: 7.
- 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
12 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
September 21, 1909
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
28.5 miles at closest approach, winds near 63 mph.
Most recent
August 27, 2020
Laura, Tropical storm
20.5 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
| Laura | 2020 | 20.5 | Tropical storm |
| Betsy | 1965 | 5.0 | Tropical storm |
| Audrey | 1957 | 31.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1941 | 33.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1934 | 89.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1932 | 91.8 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1923 | 44.6 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1920 | 38.9 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1909 | 28.5 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1905 | 14.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1891 | 0.0 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1888 | 68.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1886 | 31.1 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1879 | 39.3 | Tropical storm |
| Unnamed | 1865 | 41.8 | Tropical storm |
- 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
3,166 acres burned in 2 large fires since 1984, equal to 0.8% of the land.
Largest
September 1, 2000
Unnamed Fire, 2,041 acres
2,042 acres inside Bradley County.
Most recent
September 17, 2013
Singleton Creek Fire
1,125 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Singleton Creek | 2013 | 1,124 | 1,125 |
| Unnamed | 2000 | 2,042 | 2,041 |
- 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: 64 days
Heavy smoke on 4 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
16.4 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
9 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 35 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
59 federal flood insurance claims since 1982, with $1.4 million paid.
Most claims in one year
2009: 20 claims
$286,000 paid.
2nd most
2018: 7 claims
$497,000 paid.
3rd most
1991: 6 claims
$97,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 71647 | 28 | $959,000 |
| 71671 | 28 | $439,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood27
- Flood12
- Heavy Rain4
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.
River crests
Most severe crest
May 18, 1968
Saline River at Rye, 31.40 ft
5.40 feet above the 26.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
April 10, 2025
Saline River at Rye, 30.70 ft
Major flooding.
| May 18, 1968 | Saline River at Rye | 31.40 | +5.40 |
| Dec 31, 1987 | Saline River at Rye | 30.80 | +4.80 |
| Apr 10, 2025 | Saline River at Rye | 30.70 | +4.70 |
| Apr 1, 1927 | Saline River at Rye | 30.50 | +4.50 |
| Feb 28, 2018 | Saline River at Rye | 30.22 | +4.22 |
| Dec 29, 2009 | Saline River at Rye | 30.02 | +4.02 |
| Apr 25, 1973 | Saline River at Rye | 29.30 | +3.30 |
| Jun 13, 1974 | Saline River at Rye | 29.10 | +3.10 |
| May 11, 2009 | Saline River at Rye | 28.58 | +2.58 |
| Mar 14, 1990 | Saline River at Rye | 28.15 | +2.15 |
| Sep 9, 2008 | Saline River at Rye | 27.99 | +1.99 |
| Feb 22, 1989 | Saline River at Rye | 27.63 | +1.63 |
| Dec 31, 1982 | Saline River at Rye | 27.50 | +1.50 |
| Nov 3, 2009 | Saline River at Rye | 27.49 | +1.49 |
| Jan 21, 2007 | Saline River at Rye | 27.14 | +1.14 |
| Apr 10, 2008 | Saline River at Rye | 27.05 | +1.05 |
| Dec 23, 2001 | Saline River at Rye | 26.65 | +0.65 |
| Mar 21, 2002 | Saline River at Rye | 26.25 | +0.25 |
| May 4, 1991 | Saline River at Rye | 26.06 | +0.06 |
| Dec 11, 1993 | Saline River at Rye | 25.10 | −0.90 |
| Feb 3, 1994 | Saline River at Rye | 23.30 | −2.70 |
| Jan 27, 1995 | Saline River at Rye | 22.70 | −3.30 |
| Mar 19, 1992 | Saline River at Rye | 22.59 | −3.41 |
| May 10, 2000 | Saline River at Rye | 14.60 | −11.40 |
River gauges
| Saline River at Rye | 26.0 | 31.40 ft | 6 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 99 of 1,581 months since 1895 (6%); the longest spell lasted 15 months.
99
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
21
Months in extreme drought
6%
Share of all months, severe or worse
24
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 1925
−5.94, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
15 months
September 2010 to November 2011.
Latest month
September 2026
−4.61, extreme 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
1 earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.3 in 1911.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
8
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
1
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
March 31, 1911
Magnitude 4.3
South of Rison, Arkansas; 9.9 miles away.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
May 16, 2007
Magnitude 3.0
5 km SW of Calion, Arkansas; 12.1 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Mar 31, 1911 | 4.3 | 9.9 |
- 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).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
365 events in the National Weather Service record, 308 of them since 1996.
51
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
9
Hail, 2 inches or larger
90
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
38
Winter weather events since 1996
11
Heat events since 1996
3
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
July 4, 1997
2.50 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
April 14, 2018
90 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Sep 2, 2008Flash Flood$1.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
Numerous paved and gravel roads washed out and flooded throughout the county. Arkansas Highway 160 at U.S. Highway 63 was closed due to flooding.
- Sep 2, 2008Tropical Depression, Bradley$1.1 million
National Weather Service narrative
Trees were down across roads and power was out countywide. A tree fell across East Cedar Street in Warren. It damaged power lines. A tree fell on a home on York Street in Warren.
- Dec 24, 2009Flash Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Widespread heavy rain flooded many roads. U.S. Highway 63 was flooded north of Warren. A swift water rescue was necessary on Bradley 22 near Warren. U.S. Highway 63 was flooded at its intersection with Arkansas Highway 160.
- Apr 3, 2014Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
One chicken house collapsed and three others were damaged. Many hundreds of chickens were killed. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, with some houses and outbuildings damaged by falling trees. A camping trailer tipped over against a power pole.
- Dec 24, 2009Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Flash flooding, which developed on the morning of the 24th, became widespread areal flooding later on the 24th and continued into Christmas morning.
- Aug 29, 2012Tropical Depression, Bradley$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,…
- May 7, 2009Flood$400,000
National Weather Service narrative
Within Bradley County, flooding of the Saline River damaged roads and impacted cabins and residences along the river. Major impacts were noted in the Longview community in southeastern Bradley County at the Arkansas Highway 8 bridge. As many as 25 structures were impacted by the high river stages.
- Sep 13, 2008Tropical Storm, Bradley$375,000
National Weather Service narrative
Tropical Storm Ike moved into Arkansas on the evening of the 13th. By mid evening of the 13th, Ike was located in western Arkansas. Ike weakened to a tropical depression during the wee hours of the 14th, when it was located about 105 miles west-northwest of Little Rock. Ike exited northern Arkansas before sunrise on the 14th. In the Little Rock County Warning Area, wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph were common, and some gusts in the northern part of the state exceeded 50 mph. The strongest gusts measured were 67 mph at the Izard County Fairgrounds in Melbourne and 61 mph at the Newport airport. The strongest sustained wind measured was 46 mph at the Newport airport. Power was knocked out…
- Oct 29, 2009Flash Flood$350,000
National Weather Service narrative
Numerous county roads were damaged by flash flooding.
- Oct 9, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorm winds downed dozens of large trees, power lines and power poles in Warren. Trees fell on several houses causing minor roof damage. The falling trees were also responsible for two gas leaks. Two buildings had much of their metal roofs blown off. Damage was generally in a path from the northwest side of Warren on toward the center of town. One person in Warren was injured when he was hit in the head by flying debris.
- 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 Monticello Municipal Airport, 20.3 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1876.
- All-time high
- 109°FJul 19, 2006
- All-time low
- −6°FFeb 2, 1951
- Warmest night
- 85°F5 times, most recently Aug 23, 1898
- Coldest day
- 12°F2 times, most recently Dec 25, 1983
- Wettest day
- 6.99 inMar 28, 1944
- Snowiest day
- 11.0 inJan 31, 1949
- Hottest year
- 2005mean 67.2°F
- Coldest year
- 1979mean 59.9°F
- Wettest year
- 202075.21 in
- Driest year
- 194328.39 in
- Snowiest season
- 11.0 in1965-66
Median first snow
January 17
Earliest: December 13, 1958
Median last snow
January 23
Latest: April 3, 1987
29 of 49 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Monticello Municipal Airport (USW00053919), 279 ft elevation, 20.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1876 to October 26, 2026; 97.4% 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
26 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, January 24, 2026.
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3636-AR |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3627-AR |
| Apr 4, 2023 | Winter Storm | DR-4700-AR |
| Aug 27, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3541-AR |
| Jul 10, 2020 | Tornado | DR-4556-AR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4518-AR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3461-AR |
| May 6, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4270-AR |
| Feb 5, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4254-AR |
| May 2, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1975-AR |
| Feb 4, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1872-AR |
| Dec 3, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1861-AR |
| Jun 16, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1845-AR |
| Sep 18, 2008 | Hurricane | DR-1793-AR |
| Sep 2, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3215-AR |
| Jun 30, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1528-AR |
| Mar 13, 2001 | Severe Storm | DR-1363-AR |
| Dec 29, 2000 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1354-AR |
| Dec 28, 2000 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3159-AR |
| Jan 23, 1999 | Severe Storm | DR-1266-AR |
| Apr 14, 1997 | Flood | DR-1176-AR |
| Feb 28, 1994 | Snowstorm | DR-1011-AR |
| May 30, 1991 | Flood | DR-907-AR |
| Apr 11, 1979 | Tornado | DR-574-AR |
| Apr 1, 1975 | Tornado | DR-463-AR |
| Apr 27, 1973 | Flood | DR-375-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.
How this compares
Where Bradley County stands among 75 counties in Arkansas and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 21 | 62 / 75 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 4 | 28 / 75 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 12 | 1 / 75 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 3,166 | 21 / 75 |
| Flood insurance claims | 59 | 38 / 75 |
| Flood insurance paid | $1.4 million | 35 / 75 |
| Disaster declarations | 26 | 22 / 75 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 43 | 60 / 75 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 167 | 64 / 75 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 38 | 68 / 75 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $7.8 million | 72 / 75 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 6 | 25 / 75 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 99 | 25 / 75 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 16.4 | 58 / 75 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 1 | 47 / 75 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Ashley County | 44 | 10 |
| Calhoun County | 18 | 10 |
| Cleveland County | 11 | 9 |
| Drew County | 21 | 7 |
| Union County | 45 | 11 |
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 USW00053919.
- 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.
- 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.