Jefferson County, AR Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by ice storm. 611 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $37.15M
- Relatively Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 611
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 273
- 0.9% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1905
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Moderate
Score 85.2 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 93.7 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 67.1 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $15.16B · Agriculture value exposed: $218M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $58.8M
Risk by hazard
- Ice stormVery High$1.63M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.4 events a year
- Strong windRelatively High$2.15M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$11.07M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 250 years
- TornadoRelatively High$5.9M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$2.26M/yr expected annual loss, about 19 events a year
- LightningRelatively High$652K/yr expected annual loss, about 60 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$125K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.1 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$498K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.3 events a year
- HurricaneRelatively Low$236K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 30 years
- DroughtRelatively Low$224K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.1 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$48.24K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,620 years
- LandslideVery Low$736/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$483K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 273 of 28,908 (0.9%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 2,024
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 236 (12%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 596
- Claims paid since 1978
- $14.42M
Flood claims paid per year
- Spring storm$2.42M · 54 claims
- Early winter storms$1.31M · 49 claims
- Flooding$563K · 52 claims
- Mid-spring storms$86.61K · 12 claims
- Central U.S. April Flooding$58.02K · 3 claims
- March storm$33.26K · 5 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 611 events, 7 deaths, $30.43M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind224 · 2 deaths
- Hail132
- Flash Flood61
- Winter Weather36
- Tornado22
- Drought21
- Winter Storm17
- Flood17
- Heavy Rain13 · 1 death
- Heat11 · 2 deaths
Events per year
37 tornadoes on record (EF0 5, EF1 5, EF2 1, F0 10, F1 7, F2 6, F3 2).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Heavy Rain09/16/2009
Hardin, Jefferson County
1 death, 1 injured, $10K damage
What happened
A tree fell on a car that was traveling on Arkansas Highway 104. The car overturned into a water-filled ditch, killing the driver and injuring a passenger. Winds at the time of the accident were light. However, in the 24 hours prior to the accident, approximately 3 inches of rain had fallen, and according to the State Police report, rain was still falling at the time of the accident. It is believed that the heavy rains weakened the tree's roots and added extra weight to the foliage on the tree, causing it to fall.
- Heat07/30/2002
Jefferson
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
An 83 year old woman was found deceased in her home, in Pine Bluff, as a result of heat-related stress. The woman's 81 year old sister was also found unconscious in the home and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The temperature inside the house was 101 degrees when medical personnel arrived. The house did have air-conditioning, but it was not being used.
- Lightning08/13/1997
Pine Bluff, Jefferson County
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
Two men were standing near a bulldozer when lightning struck the bulldozer. The lightning travelled through the ground and struck them. One man sustained minor injuries and was later released from the hospital. The second man suffered a heart attack after being struck. He eventually died from his injuries about 2 weeks later.
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind04/13/2020
White Hall, Jefferson County
1 death, $30K damage
What happened
Numerous trees and power lines were down in the area. One fatality occurred after a tree fell on a residence.
- Heat07/24/1999
Jefferson
1 death
What happened
Excessive heat claimed the life of a man in Pine Bluff. He was found dead in his home.
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/24/2017
Hardin, Jefferson County
1 death
What happened
One fatality occurred...when a tree was blown over onto a car. There were other people in the car but none of the others were hurt.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/09/2026
Brewster, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind07/02/2026
Brewster, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/02/2026
Hooker, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/02/2026
(Pbf)pine Bluff Arpt, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind07/02/2026
Hooker, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/22/2026
Warbritton, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/22/2026
Brewster, Jefferson County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/22/2026
White Hall, Jefferson County
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Jefferson County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1905)09/24/1905 · Landfall: LATropical storm40 mph nearby
Drinking water
12 community water systems serve about 84,614 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Liberty UtilitiesServes 43,438 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Grand Prairie Regional WaterServes 16,330 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Watson Chapel Water AssocServes 5,590 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Hardin Water AssociationServes 4,600 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Center Grove Water AssociationServes 3,858 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Redfield WaterworksServes 2,823 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Jefferson Public Water AuthorityServes 2,551 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Adc - Tucker Unit MaintServes 2,000 · Groundwater · StateNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Pine Bluff, 4.1 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 92°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 33°F in Jan. About 53.6 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 2.5 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 33°F | 4.06 in | 1.1 in |
| Feb | 56°F | 36°F | 4.38 in | 0.9 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 44°F | 5.36 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 52°F | 5.65 in | - |
| May | 82°F | 62°F | 5.10 in | - |
| Jun | 89°F | 70°F | 3.48 in | - |
| Jul | 92°F | 73°F | 3.75 in | - |
| Aug | 91°F | 72°F | 3.60 in | - |
| Sep | 86°F | 65°F | 3.90 in | - |
| Oct | 76°F | 53°F | 4.51 in | - |
| Nov | 63°F | 42°F | 4.09 in | - |
| Dec | 55°F | 36°F | 5.70 in | 0.2 in |
| Year | 63°F average | 53.6 in | 2.5 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 13 toxic release facilities in Jefferson County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Suzano Packaging3.1 million lbs released, Pine Bluff
- American Kraft Paper Industries LLC1.1 million lbs released, White Hall
- Planter Cotton Oil Mill405,424 lbs released, Pine Bluff
- White Bluff Generating Plant67,679 lbs released, Redfield
- Tyson Poultry Inc Pine Bluff Jefferson Parkway Plant14,359 lbs released, Pine Bluff
- Kiswire Pine Bluff Inc4,257 lbs released, Pine Bluff
- Flint Group Packaging Inks N.A. Corp275 lbs released, White Hall
- U.S. Army Pine Bluff Arsenal9.6 lbs released, Pine Bluff
- Wheeling Machine Pine Bluff1.4 lbs released, Pine Bluff
- National Ctr for Toxicological Researchunder 1 lb released, Jefferson
Total: 4.7 million lbs in 2024, 3.6 million lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk62 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Jefferson County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Jefferson County relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $37.15M a year. The highest-rated hazards are ice storm (very high), strong wind (relatively high), earthquake (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Jefferson County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 611 storm events affecting Jefferson County, most often thunderstorm wind (224), hail (132), flash flood (61).
- How many tornadoes have hit Jefferson County?
- 37 tornadoes have been recorded in Jefferson County since 1950, including 2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Jefferson County have flood insurance?
- 273 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Jefferson County, covering about 0.9% of homes. The program has paid $14.42M on 596 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Jefferson County?
- At Pine Bluff, average highs reach 92°F in Jul and lows fall to 33°F in Jan, with 53.6 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.