El Dorado, AR Tornado History — 78 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has El Dorado, AR had?
El Dorado has had 78 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 9 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near El Dorado?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of El Dorado was an EF2 on July 8, 2024.
When is tornado season in El Dorado?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near El Dorado, with 21 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near El Dorado
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 27 total, averaging 1.4 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near El Dorado
5 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of El Dorado since 1950, across 3 events. 83 injuries have been reported across all events. 1978 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on January 12, 2005, which caused 2 fatalities along a 24.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near El Dorado
About Tornadoes in El Dorado
This overview was written July 28, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
El Dorado sits in Union County, in the pine timber country of far southern Arkansas near the Louisiana line, and its tornado history stretches across the calendar rather than keeping to spring alone.
The cold months have brought violent storms. On December 3, 1978, an F3 tornado tracked 60 miles on a path roughly 300 yards wide, killing two people and injuring four, while an F2 that same day killed one person along a 6.4-mile path. On January 13, 2005, an F3 carved a 24-mile path up to 900 yards wide, killing two people and injuring 13. Winter struck again on February 24, 2007, when an EF3 ran 26 miles and injured five people, and an EF2 the same day traveled 21.65 miles and injured six.
Spring has produced destructive tornadoes as well: on April 8, 1979, an F3 up to 1,320 yards wide traveled 62.4 miles, injuring 18 people and causing $2,750,000 in property damage.
Recent warm seasons have added to the ledger. An EF2 on June 19, 2023 cut a 10.31-mile swath as much as 1,320 yards across, causing $2,000,000 in damage, and back-to-back EF2 tornadoes on July 8 and July 9, 2024 caused $30,000 and $300,000 in damage on shorter paths through the area.