Saline County, AR Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Low natural hazard risk, led by ice storm. 812 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $40.78M
- Relatively Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 812
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 237
- 0.5% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 5 tropical storms or stronger since 1879
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Low
Score 77.6 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 29.1 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 54.5 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $18.98B · Agriculture value exposed: $10.5M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $39.49M
Risk by hazard
- Ice stormVery High$1.96M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.2 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$4.14M/yr expected annual loss, about 18 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$5.1M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 253 years
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$7.21M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- HailRelatively Moderate$1.56M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.4 events a year
- LightningRelatively High$1.09M/yr expected annual loss, about 64 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$244K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.8 events a year
- LandslideRelatively Low$13.04K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$957K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$101K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 927 years
- HurricaneVery Low$144K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 40 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$973K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.0 events a year
- DroughtVery Low$14.5K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.7 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
- 237 of 47,767 (0.5%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 651
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 143 (22%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 275
- Claims paid since 1978
- $7.65M
Flood claims paid per year
- Central U.S. April Flooding$1.07M · 11 claims
- Hurricane Beryl$685K · 10 claims
- Late spring severe storms$206K · 13 claims
- Flooding$83.93K · 9 claims
- Mid-spring storms$12.88K · 2 claims
- Hurricane Gustav$9,426 · 3 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 812 events, 13 deaths, $101M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind251
- Hail229
- Flash Flood80 · 1 death
- Flood53
- Tornado41 · 10 deaths
- Winter Weather38
- Winter Storm24 · 1 death
- Drought18
- Heavy Rain17
- Lightning9 · 1 death
Events per year
56 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 16, EF2 7, F0 7, F1 7, F2 12, F3 5, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- TornadoF4, 14 mi path, 1,408 yd wide03/01/1997
Benton, Saline County
10 deaths, 40 injured, $25M damage
What happened
The thunderstorm that produced the tornado across Clark and Hot Spring County earlier spawned another tornado in Saline County. The tornado touched down 5 miles southeast of Benton and traveled northeastward, damaging a number of homes and downing numerous trees and power lines. As the tornado approached Shannon Hills, the tornado expanded to 0.8 mile wide. Dozens of homes were either damaged or destroyed in the area around the Shannon Hills, Vimy Ridge and Sardis communities. 10 people were killed, with most victims inside their homes when the storm hit.The tornado exhibited characteristics of F2 to F3 strength prior to moving into the Shannon Hills area. After that, the tornado reached F4 intensity as it moved across the Shannon Hills area and eventually into Pulaski County.
- Winter Storm12/25/2012
Saline
1 death, $10M damage
What happened
The cooperative observer at Alum Fork measured 11 inches of snow, while a CoCoRaHS observer near Benton measured 8.5 inches. Public reports included 11 inches near Salem and 8 inches at Sardis.
- TornadoF2, 13.2 mi path, 800 yd wide10/18/2004
Sardis, Saline County
11 injured
What happened
An F2 tornado touched down 4 miles southwest of Sardis and tracked to the east-northeast before moving into Pulaski County. Numerous trees and power lines were downed along the path of the tornado. A number of mobile homes sustained minor or major damage. Eleven people sustained minor injuries, many of which were inside their mobile homes when the tornado struck.
- TornadoEF2, 8.03 mi path, 550 yd wide05/01/2010
Sardis, Saline County
8 injured, $3M damage
What happened
This tornado exited Grant County northwest of Ico and re-entered Saline County south of Sardis. The tornado traveled through the East End community, causing EF2 damage. A Red Cross survey of the damage indicated: 4 houses and 11 mobile homes destroyed, 11 houses and 3 mobile homes with major damage, 26 houses and 4 mobile homes with minor damage, and 16 houses and 13 mobile homes affected. A fire station in East End was destroyed and part of the roof was torn off a church. Two businesses also suffered damage. In addition, numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Eight people were injured. The tornado exited Saline County northeast of East End and entered Pulaski County south-southeast of Landmark.
- Flash Flood05/02/2010
New Summit, Saline County
1 death, $30K damage
What happened
Flash flooding occurred on several roads in Bryant. According to a police report, several men went to the Midland Soccer Fields in Bryant to look at the flood waters. One of the men, 45 years old, wanted to see how deep the water was, so he waded into it. The current of the water swept him into a culvert. A 911 call was received form the park just before 11:45 PM CDT. Despite the efforts of several people, he drowned, During the rescue attempt, a firefighter was also pulled through the culvert by the force of the water, but he was not injured.
- TornadoEF2, 2.58 mi path, 500 yd wide04/04/2008
New Summit, Saline County
$10M damage
What happened
A tornado began northwest of Bryant and ended northwest of Alexander. The tornado caused major damage in the Hurricane Meadows subdivision, and then continued on to the northeast. Altogether, six houses were destroyed, and approximately 30 others suffered varying degrees of damage.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/22/2026
Benton, Saline County
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind06/22/2026
Haskell, Saline County
- Hail1" hail03/15/2026
Traskwood, Saline County
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind03/07/2026
Grape, Saline County
- Thunderstorm Wind78 kt wind03/07/2026
Grape, Saline County
- Winter Weather01/28/2026
Saline
- Winter Weather01/27/2026
Saline
- Winter Weather01/25/2026
Saline
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Saline County, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Laura (2020)08/20/2020 · Landfall: LA · 937 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1941)09/17/1941 · Landfall: TX · 985 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1915)08/05/1915 · Landfall: TX · 940 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1905)09/24/1905 · Landfall: LATropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1879)08/19/1879 · Landfall: TX · 964 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
14 community water systems serve about 121,431 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Benton WaterworksServes 30,681 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Salem Water Users LLCServes 22,775 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- Bryant WaterworksServes 19,607 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Sardis Water AssociationServes 15,660 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Southwest Water Users LLCServes 9,573 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- East End WaterServes 5,954 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Shannon Hills Water DeptServes 4,263 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Haskell Water SystemServes 4,000 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo 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 Benton, 5.7 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 93°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 31°F in Jan. About 53.4 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 1.3 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 31°F | 3.84 in | 0.6 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 34°F | 4.20 in | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 41°F | 5.05 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 50°F | 5.63 in | - |
| May | 82°F | 60°F | 5.22 in | - |
| Jun | 89°F | 69°F | 3.94 in | - |
| Jul | 93°F | 72°F | 4.16 in | - |
| Aug | 93°F | 71°F | 3.52 in | - |
| Sep | 87°F | 63°F | 3.80 in | - |
| Oct | 76°F | 51°F | 4.37 in | - |
| Nov | 64°F | 40°F | 4.77 in | - |
| Dec | 55°F | 33°F | 4.91 in | - |
| Year | 63°F average | 53.4 in | 1.3 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Saline County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- US Vanadium Benton LLC.9,882 lbs released, Benton
Total: 9,882 lbs in 2024, 9,882 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk16 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Saline County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Saline County relatively low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $40.78M a year. The highest-rated hazards are ice storm (very high), heat wave (relatively moderate), earthquake (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Saline County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 812 storm events affecting Saline County, most often thunderstorm wind (251), hail (229), flash flood (80).
- How many tornadoes have hit Saline County?
- 56 tornadoes have been recorded in Saline County since 1950, including 6 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Saline County have flood insurance?
- 237 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Saline County, covering about 0.5% of homes. The program has paid $7.65M on 275 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Saline County?
- At Benton, average highs reach 93°F in Jul and lows fall to 31°F in Jan, with 53.4 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.