Paragould, AR Tornado History — 123 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Paragould, AR had?
Paragould has had 123 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 16 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Paragould?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Paragould was an EF1 on May 16, 2025.
When is tornado season in Paragould?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Paragould, with 29 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 Paragould
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 46 total, averaging 2.3 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Paragould since December 29, 2025
These are 4 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Paragould. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
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 Paragould
55 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Paragould since 1950, across 10 events. 988 injuries have been reported across all events. 1968 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on May 15, 1968, which caused 35 fatalities along a 20.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Paragould
About Tornadoes in Paragould
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.
Paragould, the Greene County seat in northeast Arkansas, sits along Crowley's Ridge where the ridge rises out of flat Delta farmland, terrain that violent long-track tornadoes have crossed more than once. On May 16, 1968, an F4 tore a 20.9-mile path through the area, killing 35 people and injuring 364. On May 27, 1973, another F4 tracked 54.8 miles, killing 3 and injuring 289, and an F4 on April 16, 1998 killed 2 people and injured 12 near the city.
The danger here is not confined to spring. During a winter outbreak in January 1999, tornadoes touched down around Paragould on the 17th, 21st, and 22nd, including an F4 on January 21 that carved a 16-mile path. An EF2 on February 24, 2018 tracked 41.93 miles, killing 1 person and injuring 5, and on December 11, 2021 an EF4 traveled 81.17 miles with a path up to 1,800 yards wide, killing 8 and injuring 14.
Recent springs have stayed busy. An EF3 on March 28, 2020 injured 22 people and caused $300 million in property damage along a 12.53-mile path. EF2 tornadoes returned on March 15, 2025, one of them injuring 4 along a 13.76-mile track, and on April 2, 2025 an EF3 up to 1,500 yards wide injured 8 as it ran 24.18 miles across the area.