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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Russellville, AR

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Russellville, Arkansas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Laura in 2020. Since 1950, 101 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
5

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
101

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
11

19 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Russellville

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Russellville, Arkansas, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2020LauraAug 2871 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
2008IkeSep 1433 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormSep 2466 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 3
1915Unnamed 1915 stormAug 1933 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 4
1879Unnamed 1879 stormAug 2465 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 2

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Russellville: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Russellville

By decade

  • 2020s8
  • 2010s12(2 EF3+)
  • 2000s22(2 EF3+)
  • 1990s15
  • 1980s7(1 EF3+)
  • 1970s16(1 EF3+)
  • 1960s6(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s15(4 EF3+)
Strongest tornadoes near Russellville, Arkansas
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Feb 5, 2008EF412 mi121.84 mi13 / 139
May 24, 2011EF321 mi29.01 mi1 / 4
Apr 30, 2010EF322 mi20.28 mi1 / 15
Feb 14, 1956F311 mi33 mi1 / 5
Nov 27, 2005F325 mi19 mi0 / 0
Apr 7, 1980F323 mi3.6 mi0 / 76
Mar 26, 1976F312 mi16.1 mi0 / 4
Apr 14, 1960F320 mi2 mi0 / 0
Feb 15, 1954F324 mi1 mi0 / 24
Mar 14, 1953F35 mi12.2 mi0 / 7
Mar 14, 1953F323 mi40.1 mi0 / 0
Jan 8, 2008EF27 mi20.46 mi1 / 2

The strongest 12 of 101, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Russellville while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Arkansas