Van Buren, AR Tornado History — 131 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Van Buren, AR had?
Van Buren has had 131 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 15 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Van Buren?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Van Buren was an EF1 on June 7, 2025.
When is tornado season in Van Buren?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Van Buren, with 42 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 Van Buren
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 59 total, averaging 3.0 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Van Buren since December 29, 2025
These are 2 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Van Buren. 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 Van Buren
39 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Van Buren since 1950, across 8 events. 573 injuries have been reported across all events. 1968 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on April 19, 1968, which caused 14 fatalities along a 2.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Van Buren
About Tornadoes in Van Buren
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.
Van Buren, the seat of Crawford County in the Arkansas River Valley just across the river from Fort Smith, sits in the severe-weather corridor of western Arkansas. Its tornado history clusters in April and May, though cold-season strikes have hit as well: an F4 tornado on January 22, 1957 killed 10 people and injured 20.
On April 19, 1968, an F4 cut a two-mile path through the area, killing 14 people and injuring 270. An F5 struck on March 26, 1976, killing 2 and injuring 64 along an 11.9-mile track, and on April 22, 1996 an F3 killed 2 and injured 89 on a 10.1-mile path some 1,050 yards wide.
The modern era has brought violent storms too. On May 25, 2011, an EF4 carved a 45.71-mile path up to 2,200 yards wide, killing 4 and injuring 27. An EF2 on December 1, 2018 caused $2,500,000 in property damage, and another EF2 tracked 11.7 miles through the area on May 7, 2024. Activity has continued into recent seasons, with EF1 tornadoes touching down on June 6 and June 7, 2025.