Does Arkansas Get Tornadoes? -

I am sitting here on a rainy morning writing after spending last night watching the radar as a thunderstorm and possible tornadoes rolled through Arkansas.

In Arkansas, tornadoes are just something we have to deal with.

Yes, Arkansas does get tornadoes. Arkansas experienced 45 tornadoes in 2020 with no fatalities. Most tornadoes happen in the Spring, and, in 2020, Arkansas experienced 11 tornadoes in January.

In 2020: “The strongest tornado (rated EF3/maximum winds around 140 mph) tracked just under 13 miles through the south/east side of Jonesboro (Craighead County) on March 28th. This was the strongest tornado in the state since April 27, 2014.” -source

Arkansas tornado season — The busiest month for Arkansas tornadoes is April.

When I was growing up, lying in our hallway with a mattress over our heads was something we were used to. As little kids, it wasn’t scary. We were too naive to be scared. However, as an adult, I found tornado season to be a little more anxiety-filled.

I still remember the first tornado I experience after our first child was born. Sitting in the bathtub with a mattress over our heads and clinging to our baby was a tense time.

We woke up the next morning to find out that the tornado had actually destroyed part of the nearby high school on its way past our house. In fact, my grandfather heard the distinct “freight train” sound as the tornado passed his house.

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Although we consider tornado season to be in the spring, Arkansas does sometimes have fall and winter tornadoes too.

While April suffers the most tornadoes on average (291), late fall and winter tornadoes are not at all uncommon in Arkansas. The state also suffers many night tornadoes, in part due to early sunsets during the winter; this factor could also contribute to the state’s fatality rate. Tornadoes in Arkansas occur primarily between the hours of 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. -source

Tornadoes aren’t the only bad things about Arkansas…

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