Tornado History

Columbia Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Columbia, Arkansas. The records below identify 36 tornadoes from 1952 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $7.6M, with 3 deaths and 19 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes36
Total Deaths3
Total Injuries19
Property Damage$7.6M
Avg Length4.6 mi
Avg Width189 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Columbia, Arkansas

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.5 tornadoes per year (0.7/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 11 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Columbia, Arkansas with 2 deaths
2009 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 1990s had the most tornado activity (7 events)
Longest tornado: 20 miles in Columbia, Arkansas
Widest tornado: 900.0 yards in Columbia, Arkansas
Most tornadoes in one day: 4 on Oct 29, 2009

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In Columbia, Arkansas, May is the most active month with 11 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

4320

Summary: 2009 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
F3
F4

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 10 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$5.0M$500K$50K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1994 with at least $5.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F4 December 19, 19571957F3 May 4, 19991999F3 March 4, 19641964F2 April 11, 19941994F2 May 13, 19811981F2 May 4, 19991999F2 May 23, 19571957F2 April 30, 19621962F2 May 16, 19901990F2 May 16, 19901990F1 December 3, 19731973F1 May 16, 19811981F1 April 4, 19971997EF1 October 29, 20092009EF1 October 29, 2009EF1 April 4, 2011EF1 October 29, 2009EF1 October 21, 2019EF1 January 18, 2023F1 May 1, 1977F1 April 2, 1982EF1 May 16, 2020F1 February 9, 1965F1 May 18, 1981F1 February 9, 1965F1 April 22, 1952F1 April 24, 1973EF1 April 29, 2016EF1 April 30, 2016EF1 July 8, 2024EF0 April 11, 2016F0 September 6, 1973F0 November 1, 1977F0 January 21, 1999F0 May 13, 2003EF0 October 29, 2009© OpenStreetMap contributors
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
December 19, 1957F4Columbia, Arkansas8.9 mi33 yd29$25K
May 4, 1999F3Columbia, Arkansas9 mi100 yd00$600K
March 4, 1964F3Columbia, Arkansas9.1 mi600 yd10$250K
April 11, 1994F2Columbia, Arkansas2 mi45 yd00$5.0M
May 13, 1981F2Columbia, Arkansas14.6 mi440 yd04$250K
May 4, 1999F2Columbia, Arkansas6.5 mi100 yd00$150K
May 23, 1957F2Columbia, Arkansas4.6 mi880 yd00$25K
April 30, 1962F2Columbia, Arkansas2 mi417 yd02$25K
May 16, 1990F2Columbia, Arkansas6.5 mi77 yd00N/A
May 16, 1990F2Columbia, Arkansas20 mi77 yd00N/A
December 3, 1973F1Columbia, Arkansas0.2 mi50 yd01$250K
May 16, 1981F1Columbia, Arkansas10.5 mi440 yd00$250K
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Related Location Pages

Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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