Craighead County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Craighead County: 38.
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.

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. 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.

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Mar 28, 2020Tornado$300 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado developed just north of I-555 and west of Caraway Road. The tornado quickly intensified and caused EF2 damage near the intersection of Caraway Rd. and Race St. The tornado weakened slightly, but produced EF2 damage again at the Mall at Turtle Creek. The tornado reached its most intense stage as it approached and moved across the Jonesboro Airport. Several large industrial buildings were severely damaged. As the tornado moved through residential areas northeast of the airport, it caused EF2 to isolated EF3 damage to homes. The tornado began weakening after it crossed Highway 49 northeast of Jonesboro, with the final damage observed to the northeast of Brookland. Peak…

2. Apr 2, 2025Tornado$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado moved into Craighead county and intensified as it crossed I-555, snapping utility poles along Highway 463 and derailing a train on Main Street just southeast of Bay, AR. The tornado snapped additional wooden utility poles along Highway 158 east of Bay and gained strength as it moved northeast. Several high-tension power line trusses were heavily damaged or destroyed north of County Road 672 and west of County Road 683. Significant damage to trees and a home was noted on County Roads 686 and 682, but the damage became more widespread as the tornado entered Lake City. Several homes suffered significant damage near the intersection of Highways 18 and 135. A few damage…

3. Dec 3, 2002Ice Storm, Craighead$2.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A mix of freezing rain and sleet fell on much of northeast Arkansas. The icy conditions brought down many trees,power poles and power lines. One man was killed in Lawrence county when a power line fell on him. In Greene county, a church in Paragould was damaged by a fire that was caused when a tree limb fell on a nearby power line, causing a short in the church's electricity. The ice storm left thousands of residents without power. Some residents went more than a week without power.

4. Dec 10, 2021Tornado$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado produced its first damage north of Bay, damaging storage and outbuildings. The tornado gradually strengthened and destroyed a farm tractor storage building along Highway 135 northwest of Lake City. The tornado possibly weakened slightly as it crossed the St. Francis River area, but re-strengthened as it approached Monette. Northern and northwestern portions of Monette suffered significant damage. Homes and retail facilities had their roofs partially or completely removed, and the roof of a nursing home partially collapsed. One fatality and at least 5 injuries occurred in the nursing home. After leaving Monette the tornado crossed into Mississippi County. Peak winds…

5. May 24, 2016Flash Flood$2.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Street flooding reported in west Jonesboro with 6 to 8 inches of water covering roadways at the intersection of Matthews and Madison roads. Several roadways across town have been closed by Law Enforcement. Stranded cars in flood water have also been reported. One child was swept into a storm drain and suffered injuries in the Wesley Court section of Jonesboro.

6. Jan 26, 2009Ice Storm, Craighead$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A half inch to an inch of ice fell across Craighead County. Widespread power outages occurred. Three shelters were opened. Roads impassable.

7. Mar 30, 2016Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Very heavy rainfall occurred across the Jonesboro area. Over five inches of rain fell in some spots and as a result widespread flash flooding occurred. Many roads were flooded and impassable with over two feet of water. Several roads were washed out as well. The police department responded to 32 calls of stalled vehicles in water. Many parking lots were flooded. There were also reports of water entering homes. Two feet of water was reported in a home on the 2500 block of Mary Jane Street in East Jonesboro. At least three water rescues from vehicles occurred. Flooding also occurred on the Arkansas State Campus.

8. Sep 26, 2007Flash Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rainfall of four to five inches produced flash flooding on Bridger Creek. The flood waters moved into the Windsor Landing and Sage Meadow Subdivisions in the Farrville area. At least twenty-five homes were flooded. Two of the home's garages exploded due to fumes from gasoline containers interacting with water heater pilot lights. A few automobiles were also flooded.

9. Jul 3, 2017Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A brief EF1 tornado with maximum speeds of 100 to 105 mph touched down approximately one half mile south southeast of downtown Jonesboro with a highly localized area of damage between Citizens Street and the intersection of Rains street and East Oak Avenue. An apartment complex sustained roof damage and several windows were blown out. In addition, fence and siding debris were lofted and scattered about the area.

10. Apr 2, 2025Tornado$750,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado started just west of Highway 18 between Risher and Riggs, causing tree damage and roof damage to multiple metal outbuildings. The tornado continued northeast, crossing Highway 226 where a farm outbuilding was destroyed, trees snapped, and damage to farm equipment was noted. The most notable damage was along County Road 160, where a grain silo bin was torn and twisted. The silo had been bolted to the ground. The tornado continued northeast towards Herman, where trees were snapped and uprooted. Damage was noted at Westside High School, where the gymnasium roof was damaged and multiple nearby farm shops were destroyed. Additional trees were damaged along Highway 63 before…

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

116°FJul 12, 1901

All-time low

−18°FJan 12, 1918

Warmest night

87°FJul 4, 1897

Coldest day

10°F3 times, most recently Feb 16, 2021

Wettest day

6.52 inMay 25, 2016

Snowiest day

12.0 inFeb 19, 1921

Hottest year

1921mean 65.1°F

Coldest year

2009mean 56.3°F

Wettest year

195772.18 in

Driest year

199926.99 in

Snowiest season

37.1 in1917-18

Station Jonesboro 3 Sse (USC00033734), 258 ft elevation, 1.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 92.4% 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.

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 USC00033734.
• 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.