Perry County, AR Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by ice storm. 447 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $7.39M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 447
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 29
- 0.6% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1915
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 28.1 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively High
Score 66.6 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 21.4 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.66B · Agriculture value exposed: $72.24M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $9.69M
Risk by hazard
- Ice stormRelatively High$463K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.64M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$310K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 247 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$386K/yr expected annual loss, about 17 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$50.19K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 480 years
- DroughtRelatively Low$161K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.1 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$1,416/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Strong windRelatively Low$329K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.7 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$131K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.6 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$16.59K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 62 years
- LightningRelatively Low$102K/yr expected annual loss, about 62 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$25K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.3 events a year
- Cold waveVery Low$117K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.0 events a 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
- 29 of 5,212 (0.6%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 30
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.13M
Flood claims paid per year
- Early winter storms$221K · 8 claims
- Spring storm$22.38K · 4 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 447 events, 1 death, $25.05M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind122
- Flood85
- Hail73
- Winter Weather35
- Flash Flood31 · 1 death
- Winter Storm19
- Drought16
- Tornado12
- Heavy Rain9
- Heat9
Events per year
19 tornadoes on record (EF0 2, EF1 5, F0 2, F1 4, F2 5, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Flash Flood04/25/2011
Casa, Perry County
1 death, $10K damage
What happened
The driver of a feed truck exited his vehicle at a low-water crossing to remove a large log that was in the road at Casa-Aplin Rd. and Deer Run Ln. While he was outside his truck, he was swept away by high water. The incident occurred around 8:00 PM CDT on the 25th, but the accident was not discovered until around 8:00 AM CDT on the 26th.
- Ice Storm01/26/2009
Perry
$10M damage
What happened
The county's emergency manager reported 1/4 inch of ice had accumulated at Perryville by 6:00 AM.
- TornadoF3, 19 mi path, 800 yd wide11/28/2005
Thornburg, Perry County
$4M damage
What happened
A strong tornado touched down over southern Perry County. Winds were estimated at 160 mph. The tornado initially tracked through the Ouachita National Forest where hundreds of trees were either snapped off or blown down. Once emerging from the forest area, the tornado downed eleven large steel towers on a 500 kilovolt power line. As the tornado continued tracking to the northeast, a sawmill was destroyed, along with several houses. Several dozen other houses sustained damage and several mobile homes were overturned. Numerous vehicles were damaged or destroyed, as well as a number of barns and outbuildings. Several chicken houses also sustained damage. Numerous trees and power lines were also downed. The tornado eventually moved into Conway County.
- Winter Storm12/25/2012
Perry
$2M damage
What happened
Snowfall reports included 18 inches at Perryville (public report), 17.5 inches at Perry (cooperative observer), 15 inches at Union Valley (public report), and 14 inches at Houston (public report).
- Flood05/01/2011
Houston, Perry County
$2M damage
What happened
Part of Arkansas Highway 216 was closed due to flooding.
- Tropical Storm09/14/2008
Perry
$750K damage
What happened
Tropical Storm Ike moved into Arkansas on the evening of the 13th. By mid evening of the 13th, Ike was located in western Arkansas. Ike weakened to a tropical depression during the wee hours of the 14th, when it was located about 105 miles west-northwest of Little Rock. Ike exited northern Arkansas before sunrise on the 14th. In the Little Rock County Warning Area, wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph were common, and some gusts in the northern part of the state exceeded 50 mph. The strongest gusts measured were 67 mph at the Izard County Fairgrounds in Melbourne and 61 mph at the Newport airport. The strongest sustained wind measured was 46 mph at the Newport airport. Power was knocked out to more than 200,000 electric customers. Wind damage was estimated at just over $30 million. There was one injury due to the winds. The greatest storm total rainfall was 4.60 inches at Big Fork. The lowest barometric pressure was 29.10 inches at Mountain Home. There were seven weak tornadoes, with damage estimated at just over $450,000.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/04/2026
Perryville, Perry County
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind06/22/2026
Deberrie, Perry County
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind03/15/2026
Houston, Perry County
- Heavy Rain08/28/2025
Perry, Perry County
- Flood06/15/2025
Houston, Perry County
- Flood06/14/2025
Houston, Perry County
- Flood06/09/2025
Houston, Perry County
- Flood05/21/2025
Houston, Perry County
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Perry County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1915)08/05/1915 · Landfall: TX · 940 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 12,155 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Perryville WaterworksServes 5,550 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Wye Mountain Water AssociationServes 1,963 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Toad Suck Public Facility BdServes 1,340 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Casa Water DeptServes 1,153 · Purchased surface water · Local government7 health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Houston WaterworksServes 808 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Perry Water SystemServes 736 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Bigelow WaterworksServes 605 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
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 Alum Fk, 10 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 90°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 29°F in Jan. About 58.4 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 2.9 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 29°F | 3.90 in | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 54°F | 32°F | 4.61 in | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 40°F | 5.44 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 48°F | 5.79 in | - |
| May | 78°F | 58°F | 5.76 in | - |
| Jun | 85°F | 66°F | 4.42 in | - |
| Jul | 90°F | 70°F | 4.39 in | - |
| Aug | 90°F | 69°F | 3.90 in | - |
| Sep | 83°F | 62°F | 4.50 in | - |
| Oct | 73°F | 50°F | 4.80 in | - |
| Nov | 61°F | 39°F | 5.59 in | - |
| Dec | 51°F | 32°F | 5.31 in | 0.3 in |
| Year | 60°F average | 58.4 in | 2.9 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Perry County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Perry County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk12 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Perry County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Perry County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $7.39M a year. The highest-rated hazards are ice storm (relatively high), tornado (relatively low), earthquake (very low).
- What storms are most common in Perry County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 447 storm events affecting Perry County, most often thunderstorm wind (122), flood (85), hail (73).
- How many tornadoes have hit Perry County?
- 19 tornadoes have been recorded in Perry County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Perry County have flood insurance?
- 29 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Perry County, covering about 0.6% of homes. The program has paid $1.13M on 30 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Perry County?
- At Alum Fk, average highs reach 90°F in Jul and lows fall to 29°F in Jan, with 58.4 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.