Jefferson County

Every recorded tornado

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

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. May 28, 2015Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Arkansas River at Pine Bluff rose back above flood stage for the 2nd time in May, remaining in flood into June. Many homes were flooded in the Swan Lake area, along with many roads closed due to flooding. There were also water rescues from the Pine Bluff Regional Park and Campground.

2. Aug 30, 2012Tropical Depression, Jefferson$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Ten homes were damaged by falling trees. The roof was blown off one business.

3. Jan 21, 1999Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A weak tornado was spawned in western Jefferson County. The tornado tracked close to the White Hall area and caused some property damage. A barn was destroyed and the roof of a storage building was damaged. Roof damage was also found at several homes. The tornado then headed into the Pine Bluff Arsenal. The tornado damaged some buildings at the Arsenal, with mostly roof damage noted. The tornado also destroyed several steam pipes and knocked down the awning of the public works gas station. The tornado crossed the Arkansas River about 2 miles south of Pastoria with tree damage on both sides of the river. As the tornado moved northeast, it damaged a few more homes in the Sherrill…

4. Mar 21, 2008Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain caused minor flooding of the Arkansas River at Pine Bluff. This was the 4th highest crest since completion of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System which extends into Oklahoma. Homes in the Island Harbor Estates subdivision north of Pine Bluff saw water at the top of street signs and mailboxes, but only 2 homes along Holiday and Canal Roads partially flooded. Some winter wheat flooded in Jefferson County.

5. May 26, 2019Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flooding began on the Arkansas River at Pine Bluff on May 26 and continued into June.

6. Sep 2, 2008Tropical Depression, Jefferson$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wind damage occurred in the White Hall area. A couple of trees were down in the Sherrill area and on Arkansas Highway 104. A home on Pinto Road had significant roof damage. High winds blew the facing off of a roof of a gas station on Harding Avenue.

7. Dec 24, 2009Flash Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain resulted in the development of flash flooding on the morning of the 24th.

8. Dec 24, 2009Flood$750,000
   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. Many county roads were flooded. Pine Bluff had some flooded streets, especially Hazel St. from 40th Ave. to Interstate 530, and Old Warren Rd. A number of streets in White Hall were flooded.

9. Sep 13, 2008Tropical Storm, Jefferson$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A 47 MPH wind gust was recorded at Pine Bluff Grider Field.

10. Jan 22, 2012Tornado$750,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An EF2 tornado began near Sweden. Initially, it severely damaged a large metal building, draped a radio tower over the building, damaged farm machinery and grain trucks, and damaged a gas line. Nearby, several large grain bins were destroyed. Two irrigation pivots were overturned. An old house was crushed by a large tree that fell. The tornado exited Jefferson County west-northwest of Anrep and entered Arkansas County southwest of Hamptons Reservoir.

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°FAug 3, 2011

All-time low

−2°F3 times, most recently Jan 30, 1966

Warmest night

84°FAug 4, 2011

Coldest day

13°FJan 10, 1962

Wettest day

5.60 inMay 4, 1979

Snowiest day

12.5 inFeb 17, 2021

Hottest year

2023mean 66.7°F

Coldest year

1976mean 60.7°F

Wettest year

201876.83 in

Driest year

201028.43 in

Snowiest season

25.1 in1965-66

Station Pine Bluff Grider Field (USW00093988), 204 ft elevation, 7.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.7% 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 USW00093988.
• 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.