Dallas County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jan 22, 2012Tornado$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado exited Calhoun County north-northwest of Thornton and entered Dallas County west-southwest of Beech Grove. Soon after entering the county, the tornado increased to EF2 intensity. The clubhouse at the Fordyce Country Club was badly damaged and the bathhouse was blown into the swimming pool. The tornado then knocked down two large, steel power transmission towers, causing the transmission lines to fall across Arkansas 273, where a motorist ran into them. Next, the tornado tracked through the northern side of Fordyce, where the damage was the most extensive. A damage survey by the American Red Cross indicated 11 single family dwellings (including 3 mobile homes) were…

2. Dec 24, 2009Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread areal flooding occurred in Dallas County. Arkansas Highway 8 was closed between Princeton and Dalark. Arkansas Highway 48 was closed between Farindale and Carthage, and Arkansas Highway 229 was closed near Carthage. Arkansas Highway 273 was also closed. A bridge was washed out on Dallas County 302 at Wave. Many roads around Sparkman were heavily damaged. Many other county roads had washouts around culverts.

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

   Areal flooding was widespread in Arkansas, beginning early in May. The flooding was caused by large amounts of rain on April 30th, and May 1st and 2nd; high water flowing down from Missouri; and backwater flooding from rivers and large creeks and bayous. The Mississippi River was also experiencing unusually high stages, causing the White and Arkansas Rivers to back up near the rivers' confluence. Arkansas Farm Bureau estimated that more than 1 million acres of farmland were under water in the state. The flooding lasted well into May in many counties, and even into June in some of the counties in eastern Arkansas.

4. Sep 13, 2008Tropical Storm, Dallas$750,000
   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…

5. Sep 2, 2008Flash Flood$550,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several roads were blocked due to flooding. Arkansas Highway 7 near section 5A was closed due to high water. County Road 101 had a bridge washed out. Also, County Road 201 suffered damage.

6. Sep 2, 2008Tropical Depression, Dallas$530,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Trees and power lines were down throughout Fordyce. Several streets are blocked by downed power lines and trees. A tree fell at Charlotte Street in Fordyce and knocked down a power pole. Two power poles were broken on Holmes Street. Arkansas Highway 273 off of U.S. Highway 167 had a broken power pole.

7. Oct 29, 2009Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Arkansas Highway 9 was closed west of Princeton, as was Arkansas Highway 48 between Carthage and Tulip. Arkansas Highway 8 was flooded west of Fordyce. Numerous county roads were flooded. Quite a few roads and culverts were washed out. Some roads were also impassable around Willow, Round Hill, and Pine Grove. The worst of the damage was in the western half of the county, according to the county judge. The Fordyce schools were closed on October 30th because of flooded bus routes.

8. Aug 30, 2012Tropical Depression, Dallas$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,…

9. Jan 29, 2008Strong Wind, Dallas$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Power was out to 200 to 300 customers due to wind damage. Several trees were reported down in the Fordyce area. A tree fell on a power line on Holt Street breaking utility lines and several poles.

10. Apr 26, 2011Flood$250,000
    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

110°FSep 1, 1947

All-time low

−5°FJan 14, 1982

Warmest night

85°FJul 5, 1938

Coldest day

11°FDec 23, 1989

Wettest day

8.19 inAug 21, 1960

Snowiest day

12.0 inFeb 18, 2021

Hottest year

1938mean 66.1°F

Coldest year

2014mean 59.7°F

Wettest year

200981.72 in

Driest year

201033.43 in

Snowiest season

16.7 in2020-21

Station Fordyce (USC00032540), 226 ft elevation, 7.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1911 to October 27, 2026; 98.2% 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 USC00032540.
• 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.